Hi Everyone,
I have a "Block Family" address in my email that makes it a lot easier for me to "Call Grama". So here's the gist of the latest "call":
Wednesday, Jim and I were driven up to Greenville, SC to take delivery of his new car at the BMW Performance Center. He got a black 550i. The whole experience was a lot of fun. Ultra-VIP treatment: dinner, hotel, breakfast--all tips included--before we were shuttled off with about 8 other folks to the Perf. Cntr. a few miles from the hotel. We spent the morning on the track, driving a car like the one we were buying. The professional race car drivers had us drive a slalom track racing through a series of cones and wide and sharp turns. Then we did a stopping exercise, revving the car up to 50 mph only to stand on the brakes, keeping the car under control. One would never choose to do this to one's own car, but lots of laughs in their car!! Tons of smoke and burning rubber! (The exercise was to demonstrate the ABS braking system.) The pro would chide you gleefully if you didn't brake hard enough! Then we did a few turns on a smooth-as-silk concrete track that had just been washed over with water. The driver sitting beside you told you to step on the gas and then do a hard stop. Of course we all ended up doing 360º spins. I got some serious whiplash!! Jim ended up in the center of the circle in the mud and a car had to come pull them out! Then the driver turned back on the traction control button that we had turned off. We repeated the same circle, but this time the 4 wheels, steering and suspension "talked to each other" and we all were amazed that we could keep the car under control.
After the driving we had lunch in a beautiful cafeteria there. The whole place is very modern and very cool. We opted out of the tour of the museum and factory because it was just too much walking for Jim's bad leg. We took delivery of our car in a very cool, huge room where they close the interior walls, so it's a private "tutoring" session. :-] After the associate finished hooking up our phones and setting our garage doors, we were ready to hit the road. She opened the exterior glass walls so we could drive away!! Waaay crazy, silly fun. When I told Em all this, she said it was all a good reason to buy a used BMW, so one wouldn't have to pay for all of this overhead!! Smart girl!
We went to the orthopedist today to get a reading of Jim's MRI. He really messed up his knee in the fall! He tore his posterior collateral ligament away from the bone. The guy said it was better than tearing the ACL, but still not good. We have to go next week to a Sports Medicine specialist to see if Jim needs surgery on his knee before they do his hip. We thought that's what they would be telling us today, but another specialist has to take a look. In the meantime Jim has to be on crutches all the time. It's a drag, but he's actually trying to comply.
We are going to try to go see Ryan start his swimming lessons again this Sunday. In this class it's just the kids in the pool without parents. That should be very interesting.
I met Jimmy at his work today to give him a couple of little things from Mom's house. I told him about Jim's knee and he chafed that Jim was doing too much walking and then he asked me why I wasn't wearing my sunglasses! I told him I took them off to chat with him. He laughed and told me that he had to worry about Dad and his leg and me with my retinas! I told him that when Em found out Jim and I were sleeping until 9 am she was shocked. I told him that I told her we were "reverting into our teenage years". I think our kids may be morphing into our parents! Scary/Funny!! :-0
I did a ton of errands today. Returns, package mailing, groceries, cleaners, Target, etc.
We got a beautiful condolence card from Tracy Robinson, a FB friend to me and a dear "real" friend to the Blocks. Anna and Maria share their lives with her.
I hope you all got to see Katie's videos of her trip to Colorado with her mom. I think they were on either FB or her blog. They were really funny. Kathy, the navigator, told how they had to to turn around and go back to get a picture of a state sign they missed. Priceless.
According to the news tonight Atlanta is due for 4-6 inches of snow on Monday. Monday was to be Mom's interment. I think it will be postponed a few days. I can't tell you the number of times in the past few days that I've wanted to pick up the phone to her. I know a lot of you are feeling the same way. This is a bit of selfish therapy, but I figure she would have passed all this on to you. I hope you will copy the above addresses and let me know what you are doing. Also would you please tell me who I've missed with this email. I don't have Andrew's, Luke's, or Heather's email addresses. I've included Shannon Inouye's address since she has asked to be kept in the loop. I posted a couple of pics on the Block Picassa site. Not great, but I used a fun iPhone app.
Stay well. Stay warm. Stay connected.
Lots of love to you all.
Nan
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