LORD, NURSE, AND BUTLER

Wednesday, December 28

The trio left St. Simons Island on around 1:00 pm and made it to Atlanta around 6:30 pm safe and sound.  Everyone was tired and crashed for the night.  All were glad to be home.   Some chicken soup, a sandwich, and salad hit the spot.  All went to bed early.  FOG (father of the groom) was given a very comfortable room, with a most excellent mattress.  The bed is better than his back home, and FOG may not want to leave unless he can take the mattress with him. 

Thursday, December 29

Early in the morning FOG left to get Starbucks coffee and allow Sherry and Mario some alone time.  He returned later and found that the newlyweds were getting into their semi-normal routine.  Both were working at their computers getting caught up with emails and work backlogs.  It was nice to see them semi-normal again.  FOG was planning to return to Asheville, to give Mario and Sherry their space and get a break for himself, but was asked to stay another day to be around if he pathology results came in and he thought it was a good idea. 

Nurse Sherry changed Mario’s bandage and asked FOG to look at Mario’s wound.  FOG declined this request.  FOG does not like to see wounds unless absolutely necessary.  In any event he prefers to remember Mario’s butt as it was during Mario’s diaper changing years.  Sometimes it is better to keep the memory of what something looked like, rather than seeing it again 30 or more years later.  Derrieres, unlike wine, don’t usually get better with age.  At least FOG thinks this is true of his own and of most others.  Perhaps Mario’s is different. 

In the afternoon, Sherry drove Mario to visit his mother and had a nice visit.    As soon as Sherry and Mario left for Jane’s place, FOG took a much-needed nap.  However, he was awakened by the phone about an hour later.  It was his Lordship Mario needing something from the computer.  It seems that the servants in this castle do not get any time off even when the master and lady of the house are away.  They probably check to see if he has been taking a nip from the cooking sherry.

That evening FOG made a healthy meal of roasted chicken and vegetables for Sherry, Mario and Anna.  Support from friends and family are a big help and Anna and Charlie’s visit certainly fell in this category.  Anna’s visit made for a great evening.  There was almost no cancer talk, just mostly wedding plans for Anna and Dan’s and fun things.  It was good to see and hear things getting back to normal for Mario and Sherry.    Friends’ visits seem to be real good for them.  FOG noted that Mario was laughing again and Sherry was having a fun evening.  He had not heard that for many days.

Friday, Wednesday 30

FOG drove Mario to the office to get his computer running again.  After the diagnostics were run, it seems that the hard drive will have to be replaced.  Mario’s boss, Jaime was there working, but there was no one else at AT&T.  FOG wondered how we still had cell phone service when everyone at AT&T was celebrating the holiday.  It must be automation, he guessed.

On the medical side, there is little new to report.  The long awaited pathology report is perhaps stuck in Mario’s sick computer but inaccessible until AT&T tech staff return to work on Tuesday.  Alternatively it may still not be available to us since it is still reviewed by the doctors.  In any event, we don’t know yet what it says.  Just as well.  A break in the cancer talk and New Years with friends is better for Mario and Sherry and probably for the rest of us also.

Mario and Sherry will enjoy New Year’s weekend with friends visiting them, watching football, and celebrating a little of New Year’s eve at a friend’s house.  FOG is left his Honda Element now turned into an ambulance with Sherry and Mario, since it is already set up for transport.  Taking Mario’s Tacoma, FOG has his own New Years party in Asheville and expects to be back in Atlanta on Monday evening to chauffer Mario to work, doctor’s appointments, etc…

The doctors will tele conference at 7:00 am on Tuesday (January 3) and our Miami doctor will call Mario afterwards.  Also on Tuesday Mario will be heading to Piedmont Hospital for a couple more tests requested by the Atlanta neurosurgeon.  On Wednesday Mario will see him, the Atlanta neurologist who studied under the Miami surgeon, who will examine the wound and probably discuss treatment options.

FOG had an OK drive to Asheville.  Gas in upstate South Carolina was at $2.91 at a Wal-Mart.  Mario’s truck got a tank full.  FOG’s cat is angry with him that he went away for so long, but she will get over it and be affectionate again.  All is well in Asheville.

See below for the Theatre and Arts section of the EMAIL EXPRESS GAZETTE

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EMAIL EXPRESS GAZETTE

THEATRE AND ARTS SECTION

Lord, Nurse and Butler is a new pilot sitcom about a father who moves in with his newlywed son and daughter-in-law to offer help during a family emergency.  It is similar to set up in King of Queens, but has the husband’s father versus the wife’s moving in.  Hopefully FOG will not be as goofy as Arthur, the husband’s father, but perhaps it is too late and he probably already is.  Similar to Seinfeld it is a show about nothing, just the day to day challenges the trio faces and life in general.  The first episode of Lord, Nurse and Butler sets up the characters as the trio is settling into the roles they will play in the coming weeks.

THE LORD

Mario for sure is the Lord of the house.  He is the center of attention and activities are centered on his needs and well-being.  The show, much as Seinfeld, is about him.  However with a lordship comes responsibility--heavy is the brow that wears the crown-- and he will have a lot of challenges facing him in the weeks to come. 

The Lord, who is stricken with gout, still has to run his Carrier Pigeon and Communications (CP&C) empire, and keep peace in the castle.  Although Mario is the Lord, he is mostly responding to petitions and repeated entreaties from the Butler and Nurse.  He actually gives no orders to Butler and Nurse, or at least very few that will be obeyed.  He can however say “no” to their entreaties.  His favorite tactic is to use delaying techniques when he does not want to do something.  He also sometimes uses endless questioning of the logic of doing something he does not want to do, but knows should be done.  

Perhaps not surprisingly, Butler and Nurse are allies and agree on most things, especially those affecting the Lord’s health.  So the Lord is often dealing with two close advisers whom he knows love him, making it very hard for him to refuse their counsel, especially if both agree.

In years gone by Lord Mario might have looked like one of these images.

However he might have looked, our Lord is benevolent and very good-natured.  He is in pain, and has a lot of battles to face, but is polite and a civil to others.  Most other Lords would be complaining, cursing, threatening to throw servants in the dungeon, wallowing in self-pity, or taken to drink.  We are lucky to have a good Lord.

THE NURSE

Sherry has settled in to a caregiver role and quickly proved she is not just another pretty nurse.  She changes Mario’s bandage daily, makes sure he has his medicines, reminds him to call his doctors, and asks key questions that lead to other questions often of increasing complexity.  She also is attentive to detail.  As an example on the drive back from St Simons Island, FOG had given Mario Pepto Bismol to help settle his stomach from the pain medications.  It was a medicine he totes along when he travels.  The Pepto Bismol did not work for Lord Mario.  Eagle eyed Nurse Sherry noted that the Pepto Bismol bottle had an old label and design.  Her further inspection by showed an expiration date in 2007. FOG   recalled that after the Mario and Sherry’s wedding he too had used the same Pepto Bismol with no results.  FOG is into natural remedies so he started with his probiotic cultures and these did the trick and thought no more about the Pepto Bismol.   While both Mario and FOG opined that medicines often are good well beyond their expiration dates, it seems clear that Pepto Bismol is not one of these.  Thank you Nurse Sherry.  FOG will look at and discard many of his old outdated medicines.

Although given the Pepto Bismol story, Sherry may not need a nursing role model, the following nursing notables may still be helpful.

Of course the legendary Florence Nightingale, who selfishly tended to the wounded during the Crimean War, may represent the highest standard of nursing, excepting perhaps for one’s own mother.

Another role model is Nurse Betty, both in film and fictional character reference.   The tight dresses and the cotemporary fashion sense of Nurse Betty is more line with Sherry’s tastes than the austere Victorian garb of Florence Nightingale.  Probably Lord Mario would agree.

Lastly and the one that may stick, is Hot Lips Houlihan from MASH fame.    Hot Lips is a strong, intelligent woman and a very skilled nurse.  Unfortunately she is often dressed in an olive drab military uniform, which probably Sherry will not like.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=8V2gBzV7R-E&NR=1

Likewise FOG does not like the traditional butler attire and there is no chance Mario will not dress as a Lord should.  So the trio will likely dress as they please for the show. 

THE BUTLER

FOG’s role is one of a butler helping Mario and Sherry type though a family emergency.  Successful butlers who were able help their employers though life’s challenges often use a combination of humor, tack, and wisdom.  Butlers however, need to be discrete and should not interfere with the life of employers.  This will be very hard for FOG.   Hopefully he can keep his job and get good references for his next job.  Butlers also usually learn valuable life lessons from their employers. However, FOG will not wear a uniform, but will dress neatly, unless it is his day off.  On these days he will dress as he pleases.

FOG will be studying TV sitcom role models he can use to pattern his acting for the show.  The top three butler role models are:

Mr. French from Family Affair   A pillar of decorum strength, Mr. French helped a bachelor with his nieces and nephew. And don’t forget the popular Mrs. Beasley.  

Alfred from Batman and Robin is a very good role model.  He is a father figure to the orphaned Bruce Wayne whose parents died at the hands of an arch-villain.  On occasion he saved Batman and kept the Bat Cave tidy, or at least as well one can keep a cave tidy

Geoffrey from Prince of Bel Air was perhaps the most normal person in the show.  His dry sense of humor may be his character’s best trait. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaKsC2AwFt0

The cast of Lord, Nurse and Butler welcome fan mail and will send autographed photos upon request.