The In-Between Times

Elise recently posted a photo of Clementine on her Instagram. In the picture, she is laying on her makeshift bed on the floor of her room, reading. The caption reads, "The in-between times are still times." For me, who has been peppering the family with reminders this long, six-week span will soon be over, and we will finally be in our new house with our own, new spaces and embroiled in a new routine that is also, wholly, our own, this was a poignant reminder the kids don't care about our list of consumables items we have to buy before we leave for Sri Lanka nor do they care about the status of our residence visa applications; all they care about is knowing when we can go to the comic book store, if they can watch "just one more show", and when we are going to finally invest in a Nintendo Switch.

Though Elise and I feel very much like we are hanging in limbo, digital particles riding on an electronic rainbow, being beamed from one location to the next like Captain Kirk transporting from the Enterprise to the planet's surface below or Mike Teevee in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the kids -- as always -- live in the now. It has been that need to be ever-present, to be vigilant in the here and now, that keeps us grounded, for better and for worse. As badly as I just want to be there, I can't wish the next three weeks away. I'll be forced to make the best of them.

I may feel differently if I wasn't hobbled by an Achilles injury. It seems as though -- without fail -- everytime we move, I suffer a running setback. It first flared up on the hills of Betz Road on Cheney, but was manageable at the time. I didn't bring my running shoes on our trip down the Oregon Coast. When I tried running in Florida, it had completely tightened up. I don't exactly know how to rehabilitate it. I don't have the time to go the doctor or physical therapist before we go back overseas, so I did some self-diagnosis and watched YouTube videos to try and figure out how to properly do heel drops to strengthen my calf. I don't know if it's helping. It's the first week of a six week regime. I'm not sure if Elise's patience can countenance six weeks. Every morning before the kids wake and every evening after they go to bed, I have to do three sets of 15 heel drops with my leg straight and three sets of 15 heel drops with my knee bent. It's a lot. I try to kix it up with stretching, bit I'm tired. all I want to do is run. 

We have picked up right where we left off watching Amazing Race. We currently watching the season where the teams race through Sri Lanka to get a sneak peak at what to expect. It's been a long time coming. I think -- on some level -- we're all just ready to be there.