Kaleb woke up with a fever this morning. I’m trying not to feel guilty about making him go to school the last few days with the sniffles. He has been around 102-103° most of the day so he stayed home and just laid on the couch watching videos and/or sleeping. Kory was home with him so I went to school. The Good Teacher Inga is still sick too so we had her son for a teacher again. It was a slow day in class and half the students left during the lunch hour. I enjoyed the slower pace, as it almost allowed my brain to soak up a few new words. Man, it’s getting tough.After school today I walked down to the harbor and there were five fishing boats in, all full of Torsk (a type of cod). The fishermen were filleting the fish right on the spot so I stopped to watch the process for quite a while. One of the old fishermen started to talk to me and then asked me how long I’d been in Norway. When I told him six months, he seemed genuinely impressed I could speak Norwegian so well. I bought some fish from him. He’s a good salesman.
The crocuses were blooming today, as the sun was shining brightly. There is a special little crocus here I’ve never seen before that’s white with some green inside that is so small and delicate and just the cutest little flower – it perked me right up to see them blooming everywhere. I saw them when I was outside during my lunch break. I wanted to get some sunshine and exercise so I set out to make it to the top of Fjellstua, the mountain behind my school – all 418 steps! I made it all the way up and back down within 25 minutes and I was so proud of myself. Then I sat in class for the last hour and thought the room was a little too warm. I hate to sweat. I also hate pain. My butt certainly needed the exercise but apparently, not my knees. My knee caps started to swell and now my knees are popping and extremely painful to move. I did a little internet research tonight and it seems I may have damaged them. Ugh. I’m wondering if I damaged them first when I fell on the ice a few weeks ago, and now I’ve overdone it with all the walking last week in Rome (they were pretty sore then, too) and now the big stair climb. I came home and just laid on the other couch all afternoon with ice on my knees so I hope that helps. Did I mention that I hate pain? I also hate immobility. Lord help me. Kory had his hands full taking care of both Kaleb and I, plus making dinner and cleaning up. What a guy.
Kory had to go in for some x-ray type pictures on his heart today. They will be sent to the cardiologist at the heart center in Trondheim. His appointment for the x-ray was at noon and he was in and out within 15 minutes. They don’t make patients wait here like they do in the U.S., it’s apparently a much more efficient system. Kory also went to the NAV office (some government place that takes care of all the socialized programs they have here.) He had to ask about transportation to Trondheim, since they don’t recommend he drive home afterwards. I still haven’t driven much since being here so that would be a heart attack waiting to happen if I were behind the wheel (for both of us). In order for me to go with him, he had to have a note from his primary care doctor here (a “fastleger”, they are called). Cousin Odd talked with Kory’s doctor and got the note so I can go along (it helps to know the right people.) But rightly so, Kory doesn’t want to be alone for this and he usually can’t remember anything doctors tell him anyway (or he gets it all mixed up), so I’m happy to go with him. NAV schedules twice daily flights to Trondheim just for medical appointments, so we will fly up on Monday afternoon (for free!). We will also stay for free at the hospital hotel until Thursday morning and then they will fly us home again. Such a deal., but it cracks me up that in the U.S. an angiogram is a couple hour out-patient procedure and here – it’s taking four days to accomplish.
Filadelfia Church has an evangelist in this week for a series of talks every night until Sunday. I so wanted to go, as the guy speaking is known as “Norway’s pastor.” He has his own TV show and used to be a Pentecostal pastor but now he just does TV and seminars. With Kaleb being sick, I had to stay home. Kory went though and said it was excellent and that the guy was super funny. He also said the church was packed out to the rafters as all the churches in the area were invited. I’m especially bummed I didn’t go because he talked specifically on forgiveness, and I need all the help I can get in that area. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow night, - but then the subject matter will be something else - perhaps healing. I could use some of that too.
