Subliminal Messages

After 6 weeks in a goofy velcro-fastening, post-bunion surgical shoe, my foot surgeon gave me the green light to wear a regular shoe. Much to utter Tom's delight, Dr. Shirzad also said I could resume exercising. Although running is out of the question for probably months, swimming, riding a stationary bike, and walking are certainly viable options for getting back into shape.

I discovered I could don my running shoes with reasonable comfort, so beginning this week I returned to the Kroc Center. Armed with reading material and my iPod, I'm once again competing with the sweaty masses to find an vacant bike. God bless my iPod - the best exercising partner I've had since our dog Tipper moved on to greener pastures (or rather moved more specifically to all over Yellowbanks Point). Music is such a motivating force, and I like the surprise of random songs that play when I use Shuffle. Interestingly, today's repertoire started out with Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls." Drat - hitting too close to home.

Sidetracks

After several months of battling the painful wrath of a bunion, I decided to take action. The ever-growing pathological bump on the side of my big right toe joint was making it hard to run, walk, sleep through the night or wear any shoes other than my Birkenstocks. Enough!

My scientific research began by talking to anyone I saw hobbling around in goofy-looking surgical shoes. Folks were happy to share their
war stories, and I typically heard - "It's the most painful surgery you'll every have," "It takes MONTHS to recover," "Surgery may be unsuccessful," and "Bunions often recur." Bolstered by these encouraging words, I opted to take a conservative approach. I altered my exercise routine, used a splint at night, wore pads and ugly shoes during the day, and took an anti-inflammatory round-the-clock. Not enough!

So I resumed my research and identified an orthopedic surgeon in Spokane who specializes in foot and ankle. Dr. Shirzad signed me up for surgery, I did the pre-op requirements (blood work, EKG, etc.), and I went under the knife. After the 2-hour outpatient procedure, Tom dropped me off at home and headed to the pharmacy to fill my prescriptions for pain meds.

One week later, I am off any kind of painkiller and am taking prohibited showers, thanks to the miracle of duct tape. I currently depend on help from precious friends while Tom is out of the country on a 2-week medical mission in the Philippines. For me, the most difficult part of recovery is not being able to drive for several weeks since I'm hobbling around in one of those goofy-looking surgical shoes. But now I have war stories of my own.

Big Tracks to Fill

Over 20 years ago I had the privilege of founding Kootenai Medical Center Foundation's "Festival of Trees." This annual event has become a holiday tradition for our community, and I'm proud this fund raiser has grown to provide significant support for hospital facilities and services.

One of the biggest bonuses I received from directing the Festival was becoming acquainted with longtime Coeur d'Alene citizens Ellen and Ace Walden. This generous couple served as "Honorary Co-Chairmen" of the first Festival of Trees which benefited The Walden House. Named in their honor, this home away from home provides comfortable lodging for outpatients and their families while receiving treatment at KMC.





























Ellen passed away in 1991, but my friendship with Ace continued and grew over the years. A retired banker, Ace remained active in the community until he died October 23, 2010 - at the age of 103. Sharp as a tack and with a memory that could compete with any microprocessor, Ace was simply amazing. His sense of humor was delightful, and I've never known a better storyteller. He thought hard and deeply about important issues, and if asked to comment he would always add, "But that's just one man's opinion."

Ace and Ellen were never blessed with children of their own, but as time passed they "adopted" many folks. Selfishly, I like to think that I was one of those adoptees - but then Ace and Ellen had a way of making everyone they encountered feel special.

Had there been a traditional funeral service for Ace, no church would have held all the people who would have come to pay their respects to Ace Walden. But it was Ace's wish to have a small, private ceremony for family and friends, and he left very specific instructions and had it planned out with great detail.

I was among the lucky handful to be included in Ace's memorial. Along with his minister, we gathered in Ace's home to reflect on his life and share personal memories. From there we boarded a bus for the 2-block ride to the boat launch where we were treated to a 2-hour boat ride and lunch on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Together we spread Ace's ashes in the Lake and said goodbye to a great man and a wonderful friend. But that's just one woman's opinion.

A Grand Finale

If we'd had another day in Manhattan, we would have spent time exploring museums. We managed, however, to briefly visit the Guggenheim. As an avid fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, half the fun of seeing one of his buildings is to spot his red square signature. Next time we'll extend our visit beyond the museum store.

Our final New York lunch took us to the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental where we dined at Asiate (pronounced OzzieOtt). The presentation of our food was as stunning as the city views from our table.

We ate efficiently in order to make the matinee performance of the hit Broadway musical "Wicked." Finally, I know the real story of the Wicked Witch of the West! This clever show was the full-meal deal - great cast, fabulous sets and costumes, special effects, and wonderful music. The show exceeded my expectations - I can see why it's so popular.

The grand finale of our Big Apple experience was dinner at Per Se. French Laundry Chef Thomas Keller took his exquisite culinary talents to New York City in 2004 and has been dazzling diners ever since. We all chose the 9-course Chef's Tasting Menu, but I think we had more like 15 courses with all the extra "compliments of the chef" treats. Food was prepared and presented like we've never seen, and we savored every morsel. The service was impeccable - right down to the customized menus.

We love traveling to New York City! And 3 or 4 days in the Big Apple is just about enough time to soak in some of the excitement before running out of money. We were blessed to share what we love about this city with Sarah and Paul. Cin-Cin!

Imagine This

Our Upper West Side apartment was one block south of The Dakota - the apartment building best known as the location of John Lennon's murder. Our New York City visit coincided with the 30th anniversary of Lennon's death, so we found ourselves amidst the hoopla of those paying homage to the late, great musician.

That morning, we first walked to The Dakota and then across the street to Central Park. We made our way past media trucks, reporters, protesters, and mourning fans, to Strawberry Fields. Named for one of the Beatles' biggest hits, this 2.5 acre area of Central Park was established and dedicated in 1981 to honor Lennon's life.

A black and white mosaic featuring another Lennon song "Imagine" was designed to evoke a "vision and hope for a world without strife, war and conflict." On this day, the mosaic was especially adorned with flowers and other memorabilia, and it became a 24-hour vigil and gathering place for mourners.

We walked through the park and noted a bronze plaque listing 120 countries that contributed flowers and money for the maintenance of Strawberry Fields, endorsing this place as a Garden of Peace.

It was only fitting that I, too, should honor the life and music of John Lennon in my own way. For the rest of the day, I vowed to incorporate the title of a Beatles' song in every sentence I uttered. Before leaving the Park, we saw a Fool on the Hill - which was really Something. Better yet, I found a Penny on the Lane! Okay, enough - Let it Be. It was time to catch the subway, and I had a Ticket to Ride.

Jam-Packed Day 2

We got an early morning start on Day Two with a trip to Zabar's - New York City's quintessential deli. This comprehensive grocery store has the best and freshest of everything, including fabulous cheeses, amazing deli and fish counters, caviar, coffee, and a to-die-for bakery. I wanted to live there. In the store. Forever. Instead, we imagined what it would be like to shop there on a daily basis before picking out breakfast pastries for the road.

Filene's Basement was across the street, so we managed to do a little damage there before making our way to another New York institution - The Russian Tea Room.

According to its literature, this restaurant was founded in 1927 by members of the Russian Imperial Ballet and has been a "second home for boldface names and the intellectual elite." Naturally, we fit right in. The four of us made selections from the 3-course executive lunch. I chose the highly-recommended Boeuf Stroganoff and paired it with a serious Bloody Mary.

Fully primed, we took a brisk post-lunch walk to 1775 Broadway where we had an appointment with our long-time stock broker at Gilder, Gagnon & Howe.

After freshening up in our apartment, we hit the streets again to check out Grand Central Station and then do a little window shopping on 5th Avenue with extra time at Saks, Tiffany's and FAO Schwarz.

The final stop of the day was The Broadway Theatre where we had primo seats for "Promises, Promises." Headlined by Broadway favorite Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes (of Will and Grace fame), this delightful show is essentially a musical version of the classic movie "The Apartment."

With music by Burt Bacharach and an appealing supporting role played by Molly Shannon, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute. We finally had our first celebrity sighting during intermission - golf great Tom Watson. Following the performance, we joined a number of fans for an up-close encounter with members of the cast.

Getting a Kick out of the Rockettes

A visit to New York City in December would be incomplete without seeing Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes. This amazing production has thrilled families for 75 years and annually attracts over a million visitors. This year's show consisted of 12 festive vignettes - complete with holiday music, stunning sets, colorful costumes, 3-D animation, and, of course, Santa Claus. Thirty-six Rockettes were prominently showcased throughout the program with their high-kicking, synchronized dance moves. We loved every single minute of the 90-minute production, and I would be hard-pressed to choose which vignette was the most spectacular.

We caught the 5:00 show, leaving us plenty of time to savor a memorable dinner at The Modern - MoMA's 5-Star restaurant. My courses included Tartare of Yellowfin Tuna & Diver Scallops, Sullivan County Foie Gras, Long Island Duck Breast, and Warm Fig Tart for dessert. A++

After dinner we accidentally caught the filming of a promo for NBC's upcoming New Year's Eve broadcast. Hundreds of teenaged-extras lined up to be the enthusiastic audience for "My Chemical Romance." Sarah and Paul recognized the rock band right away. I, however, had to do a Google.