Aches

Work beckons. Josh is driven to complete a kitchen project for a customer despite his aches and pains, despite the constant barrage of pills (OK, three twice a day) he downs to control the pain throughout the day and night.

So yesterday, all the beautiful chocolate-stained rift-sawn oak (did I get that right, Josh?) cabinets needed to be delivered to the customer's house. Josh says, "I can do it all myself." I say, "No way." But he would have. And smiled while doing it. Then regretted it later.

But instead both Julia and I help Josh load up the cabinets in a U-Haul truck, drive to the house, unload them, carry them up a flight of stairs, and line them up in the kitchen area in preparation for installation. Despite us girls' presence, Josh is doing the majority of the heavy-lifting. The drive home was quiet, but Julia's comment on the way back to the house with just me (as Josh took the U-Haul back) was "That felt really good to help Josh today. I got to see what my American Dad does for work."

So he didn't do it himself, smiled through it all, but he still regretted it later. Returning home around 3:30pm left Josh feeling aches and pains throughout his body, so much so that it's all he could do to get to the couch and veg the rest of the day. And this morning is no better. So instead of pushing it and getting back out to the customer's house to start the installation, Josh is spending a much deserved day of rest on the couch. Good choice.