Thursday, February 4, 2010

In Which Jer Proves His Sainthood

Tonight Jer and I went out on a date to see A Prairie Home Companion broadcast live in one of our local movie theaters! 

For those of you who don't know about A Prairie Home Companion (and if you don't, shame on you!), it's a comedic variety radio show that's been on the air in one form or the other since 1974, and its heart and soul is a man named Garrison Keillor.  The man is a incredible sort of English major Jack of All Trades, a tireless promoter of the English language in general, and one of my personal idols.

Jeremy taking me to see the show?  That's proof right there that the man really, really loves me-- though I could have told you that already, of course.  It was raining and nasty outside.  He doesn't really like folk music or gospel music.  The man mostly listens to 80's heavy metal.  He could care less about the news from Lake Wobegon (even if the children are all above average), and yet he not only willingly went with me to sit in a dark theater for two hours to listen to all of the above, he actually encouraged me to buy the tickets, and he went without a single complaint. 

Major brownie points earned, right there. 

He's getting around much, much better these days-- spending as much time as possible up on the crutches.  I'll have to take another video so that you can see the drastic improvement!  He's still having some issues with swelling and he's still in the wheelchair most of the time, but he's really making some major progress.  We can often be found together in the mornings in cycling class, and while he has to lean on the handlebars quite a bit he's able to stand up on the pedals!  The next big step will be to transition to crutches full time, and from there he'll be going to a cane.  I think it's a big relief for him to actually be able to do something; he likes to keep busy and it was pretty hard for him to be off his feet for so long.  Can you believe that on February 11th it'll have been six months since I got that horrible phone call?  It just doesn't seem possible.

I bet he'll be using a cane by the time I drag him to the live production of A Prairie Home Companion when it comes here in March!

~Jess

9 comments:

leah said...

Six months! It hardly seems possible. He has made a LOT of progress in that amount of time- he's a true soldier, even when recovering.

Have fun seeing Prairie Home Companion in March!

Tom said...

I just wish they did live shows of Car Talk.




Also, by is not buy. At least you didn't screw up lose and loose.

xraevision said...

Ah ha ha, my husband sat through an hours long Vinyl Cafe show when they toured through our area a few years ago. (I know you are a fan!) I had an amazing time, and G was forced to admit that our special date was not the ordeal he expected, that he actually enjoyed the concert.

Amazing news on the progress - both of Jer and Connor!

MFA Mama said...

Awww GOOD MAN, JER! So glad you two got to do something so cool together (even if only one of you appreciates it, hee!).

Jess said...

See, this is what happens when I stay up too late watching the production of A Prairie Home Companion and don't get home to blog until 11:00pm. It affects my spelling and grammar. I'm thrilled that I even sound remotely coherent.

Fixed.

~Jess

Jess said...

Oh, and I LOVE The Vinyl Cafe.

I'm also a total nut for This American Life, Car Talk, The Splendid Table, The Writer's Almanac, The Swing Years and Beyond, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and Says You.

Basically I'm a public radio junkie.

~Jess

~Jess

Jess said...

So much so that it makes me sign my name twice.

Julia said...

Oooooh -- PHC! Longtime fan. I assume you have your POEM membership card? We saw it live in Buffalo a few years ago. I still cherish a live TV broadcast of the show from about 1988 or so, featuring Jean Redpath and Chet Atkins. So here's a personality test: Whom do you like better, Guy Noir or Lefty?

Jess said...

Guy Noir all the way!

~Jess

 
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