Thankful Thursday!

Ever since I started swimming at the Y, I've been swimming with Dean, currently age eighty-five.  And since I've been swimming with Dean, I've got the stories down pat:

• "I'll swim over here with the guppies; you swim over there with the sharks."
• "It's Valentine's Day.  After I swim, I'm going to get my wife a single red rose.  Just one.  And take her out for dinner."
• "It's fishing opener.  I'll be out with the boys next week so I won't be swimming."
• "I swam another hundred miles.  I'll get my (100-Mile Swim Club) t-shirt and a marker and put the right number down on that shirt."

Unfortunately, we found out late last year that Dean was TOTALLY deaf (not like we didn't already have a clue!); however, he was getting hearing aids that, of course, he could not wear in the pool so we still yelled with him.

Fortunately, he was the most crooked, kind, slow, friendly swimmer in the lap lane and no one really minded.  

So when Dean disappeared this fall, none of us (his lap buddies) knew where he was and all of us hoped he had not died.  The buzz was, "Have you seen Dean?" and no one had. 

I am thankful that Dean came swimming this morning.  It turns out that he got what he calls his "defibrillator" and had to stay out of the pool for five weeks.  Then he gave me the Dean punch line, "Yup, they said the battery was only good for fifteen years, so when it stops I'll be 100 and that's long enough." 

Dean, we're thankful you're back and you're well!  Hugs to you!