DadWatch: talked with The Man Himself

I finally got hold of Dad in his room at Alexandria Hospital, and we talked for about 20 minutes. Dad sounds like a man who's been in bed a while, which I suppose is normal when you have been in bed a while. But he seems happy with how the cardiac procedure went: he was even able to witness part of it. Dad says there's no pain now, and earlier on, Mom conjectured that this procedure might allow Dad to sleep better at night (he'd been breathing with difficulty, a sign that things weren't good). Dad'll be leaving the hospital on Monday, but he and the docs have to discuss rehab in detail.

Sounds already like Dad'll be on a fairly strict regimen in terms of diet, exercise, and stress reduction. I don't know the particulars of the regimen (am not even sure they've been fleshed out), but I'm hopeful that Dad, who claims to have "learned his lesson," will follow it faithfully.

As Mom did, Dad has asked me to lose weight and take care of my body. Getting fit was one of my four major resolutions for 2006, and it's still early in the year. My friend Max has occasionally and politely mentioned fitness issues, as have my coworkers-- the Korean women in particular have been blunt with me about perceived weight gain (I'd have to agree: my time at Smoo has been good to me). My French friend Dominique, who saw pictures of Saturday's picnic, skirted the issue of weight by emailing:

Au fait, je trouve que tu n'as pas changé, toujours aussi jeune le Kevin, c'est bien!

Translation: "By the way, I don't think you've changed-- still the same young Kevin, that's great!"

What a polite guy. This same Dominique, who is a nearly pro-level tennis player, once told me years ago, during a less sympathetic moment, "Kevin, on ne voit même pas ta mâchoire!"-- "Kevin, we can't even see your jawline!", which was a reference to my double chin and the padding around my cheeks (facial cheeks, I mean).

So-- outpourings of concern seem to be flowing in every direction. It's just like Dad to express concern even as he's lying in bed, post-heart attack. I guess those of us not taking care of ourselves should take all of this as a big hint that Something is Not Right and that Something Should Be Done About the Situation. While it's easy to realize, intellectually, that Something Should Be Done, moving from intellectual realization to true, from-the-heart action is a difficult thing.

Maybe it's time to review those New Year's resolutions once again, time to hold myself to certain promises. Now there's something I've never done before: review resolutions.

Here they are.

And on that note, we now-- somewhat tentatively-- edge into the new week.

Night, all.


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