Both this year and last, Jake has been with us at our home on his birthday. There obviously is nothing like spending time at “Camp Gram” for the Christmas-to-New-Year’s break from school. It is sort of like taking a “stress test” to evaluate one’s heart condition.
You’re probably thinking about the kind of stress test that your physician administers while you are hooked up to any number of devices to evaluate the physical condition and functioning of your heart. You know the kind I’m talking about.
A stress test basically provides data to your physician regarding how well your heart handles its workload. As the level of physical difficulty and need for stamina is increased, your body works harder and requires a little more pizzazz on the part of the heart to pump more blood. Doctors use exercise stress tests to find out:
- If you have an irregular heartbeat.
- If your symptoms (such as chest pain or difficulty breathing) are related to your heart.
- How hard you should exercise when you are joining a cardiac rehabilitation program or starting an exercise program.
- If treatments you have received for heart disease are working.
- If you need other tests (such as a coronary angiogram) to detect narrowed arteries.
Although it is not covered by “health care reform”, the kind of stress test I’m suggesting has only a minimal financial impact regarding the testing and is guaranteed to determine your heart condition. (Please Note: Depending on the number of grandkids in care and the number of times you opt to see a movie at the theatre can negate the ‘no appreciable costs’ disclaimer previously made. That is particularly true if you throw in soft drinks and popcorn).
If you want to find out if you have a good heart, all you have to do is set up a Camp Gram or Camp Granddad and take care of grandkids for the week between Christmas and New Year’s or for a week at any other time of the year. It will definitely determine the condition of your heart. You'll also know why people opt to have children when they are young. How's that for a word to the wise?
The General always passes the test with flying colors. She has a good heart. I’m not sure how she does it. It could simply be that she has lots of practice. She frequently operates Camp Gram for the two labs belonging to my daughter and son-in-law. Just listening to the “baby talk” she exchanges with those two dogs is enough to re-enforce the fact that she has a heart of gold. Either that or she has one oar out of the water. If only she’d cut me the same kind of slack! I know what you're thinking. You're think I'm barking up the wrong tree if I think the General can be manipulated through anything I write in my blog.
I got home from the office earlier than usual yesterday. Why not? It was Jake’s birthday! He contentedly was playing an electronic game on the iPad when I walked into the living area. He acknowledged my presence, but was unmovable from the iPad. His older brother and sister were somewhere in that in-between-zone. If you’ve ever had kids, you know the zone. It is closely associated to seeing what they could get by with by aggravating-the-other. It was somewhere just short of declaring all-out-war. The body language was pretty clear, both theirs and the General’s.
The General looked at me and said, “It’s cold outside. They are bored.” I wanted to process that as “Hello Sunshine! We’re glad you’re home.” Five minutes later, I’m thinking, “Was there really a good reason I left the office early? The kids should be the ones in trouble (at least the older two) and I’m the one who is catching the flack. She’s treating them like royalty and it’s my fault its cold outside and the sun isn’t shining.
Of course, I may have messed up when I asked if there was a good reason why the four of them didn’t take down the Christmas tree yesterday? What was I thinking? The fact that it is still decorated is obviously not causing the General a truckload of stress. On my part, we are four days behind schedule going-on-five.
I gave the General some space. She gave me one of “those looks” and some space and the two older kids lightened up. I’m taking the credit. At least their change of attitude occurred when I was partly in charge of their watch. Actually, I can’t take any credit. I caught … (what's the correct word?) I guess you could say, "the ire of the General when I asked about the Christmas tree".
As the day ended, dinner, the birthday cake, and remainder of the evening were delightful. The General obviously has a good heart. She passed the stress test. I should know. I am the cause of most of her stress.
All The Best!
Don