Of Pizza & Nematodes

Dear John,

 

The right wrist feels better, the left hand is almost back to normal, and my right hip is killing me. It's nice to have some variety in my life. And I look respectable - this morning I took my one-handed shower and washed my hair. I actually put on jeans instead of sweats today. I am making progress. Except for the hip. And I'm really, really tired of this sling.

 

Richard picked up a pizza and then me, and we watched Duke at his place. It felt so familiar to get into a car that smelled like Pizza Hut. After all your years with them, I was used to everything in my life smelling like Pizza Hut - the car, the laundry, the house, and of course, you. There are years of good memories in that smell. I had supreme on my half. I still remember what's on supreme, meat lovers, veggie lovers, and most of the menu. I can get quite sentimental about Pizza Hut. Good memories.

 

There was a commercial on tonight that had children's songs in the background. I heard the words, "Head and shoulders," and immediately started singing about worms. Remember that? When we were in college, we were studying together for finals one evening and were tired and punchy. Somebody - I don't remember which one of us - started singing:

 

          Head and shoulders, nematodes, nematodes.

          Head and shoulders, nematodes, nematodes.

          Flat worms are Platyhelminthes,

          And round worms are nematodes, nematodes.

 

Only another biology major would understand. But we were still singing that song as long as you lived. We'd see an earthworm or hear about somebody who had a tapeworm, and we'd start to sing. And tonight I sang it all by myself, remembered, and giggled. That's the kind of silliness that happens when you've studied way too long. And it's wonderful.

 

I always loved the fact that we had such closely-related majors. And since I changed from biology to nursing after my second year, we took exactly the same first two years of classes. It gave us so much shared experience and education. And made us sing silly songs about nematodes.

 

Tonight I celebrate pizza and nematodes, two things that will always make me thing of you and smile. Since we can't make any new memories together, I'm glad we have such a vast and varied stock for me to think about and smile over. I'm smiling big tonight.

 

Thanks for the memories, the pizza, and the nematodes,

Joan.