Minette

LONG DAY

Saturday, 3. January 2009, 05:54:46

My friend Jim Hollis played at Goosefeather’s Pub which is upstairs in the Spruce Lodge at Mount Sunapee Ski Resort.
Jim is a great musician and performer as well as a friend and I was looking forward to seeing him since the last time was mid-October although we keep in touch with email.
I planned to get there early to get the table right in front of where he sets up but not only was I unable to get there until 2:30 but the Mountain had a huge day with over 5000 ticket sales.
I was lucky to get the table next to where he was set up and was thankful that the gentleman sitting there was gracious enough to welcome me and also Kevin who came a little later.
Jim wasn’t even set up yet though because they’d had to wait for a table of people to finish eating and leave so they could break down the table to make room for Jim’s equipment.
For me this was good because it meant I didn’t miss any of the music.
Between Jim and my friend Reid I don’t think there was ever even a song written that one of them doesn’t know if not both. It’s such a treat to see their performances and both of them are hugely talented.
I am sometimes amazed at the quality of music we have here in my little area of NH.
We aren’t near either of the two, major cities yet we have some of the best music going and it’s usually free or at worst there might be a small cover charge.
I almost never pay a cover; I usually get to the venue before they start charging. If you’re there you just get stamped and if you’re going to buy a meal you usually don’t have to pay the cover either.
But often the music is worth an admission price higher than most cover charges I’ve ever seen around here.
Jim and Reid are two of the best, I consider myself lucky that they are also friends.
I almost didn’t make the performance today at all though.
My brother ended up in the emergency room at the hospital near where I live. I went over there are around 11:15 to find that he was short of breath and his heart rate was too high.
He has a rapid heartbeat anyway and is already on medication for it. So it was frightening to find that it was happening despite the meds.
I sat with him until 2:00 and then he told me I might as well go to the show, he had wanted to go himself and couldn’t see both of us missing it. The staff said that he wasn’t going anywhere for a few hours anyway so I did leave.
That’s why I didn’t get there until 2:30, which is when Jim was supposed to start playing.
All day long I was on the phone either talking or texting to people who cared and wanted to know what was happening and also trying to get some information regarding another treatment they had originally offered when he was first diagnosed.
I was thinking that if the meds weren’t working anymore then perhaps we’d better consider whatever else was available.
Anyway I checked in with him mid-way through the afternoon and he was still waiting for test results.
I left Goosefeather’s at about 5:15 and went to Andre’s. I was only there maybe 15 minutes when he called for me to come and get him.
He has pneumonia and they are saying that everything else is related to that. I’m relieved but reluctant, I think that he still needs another cardio evaluation just to be sure and he has agreed to see his cardiologist when the pneumonia is cleared up.
I drove to Claremont to get him, we went back to Newport to get his car and then back to Andre’s to have dinner.
He was planning on staying at his condo tonight but my cousin George, my chosen brother Kevin and I all told him we’d be more comfortable if he stayed with George at least tonight if not longer and he agreed to do that also.
He has some other health issues, we worry about complications from any illness he gets.
I finally left to come home to Claremont at about 8:40, it had been a long day that seemed even longer and more tiring because of the emotional part of the waiting and worrying.
It’s nice living in a small town though. You tell one person the news and before long the phone is ringing and the texts are coming in proving the love that binds all of us together as friends and extended family.
And there are prayers, which are important especially when there is illness involved.
Everyone loves my brother and worries about him. It seems every January since 2005 he’s been in the hospital, at least this time it was just for the day and not several or longer.
I’ll take that as a blessing and sign that just maybe 2009 is going to be a better year than 2008 at least for us here in my little corner.