Again...

Quiet day. Wrote, rehabbed, worked out, picked up groceries.

Was talking to the boys when I got a call letting me know Mom was re-admitted to the hospital. Stroke this time, they think.

Had a long talk with Moya. We’ll see.

Hump day...

Up early to the cottage. Nearing the end of the book. Have a good idea what the next pass will bring. Getting closer all the time.

Walked over to the gym early afternoon for some cardio work. Laid off the weights today and kept to the stairmaster and lunges.

Tried to push, but the day was hot and I feeling wasn’t well, so I took a long nap. Arm was talking back today after the two-handed attempt at the keyboard yesterday. Good now, I think.

PT tomorrow. Maybe some more script writing.

Gonna pan fry a ham steak and some broccoli for dinner. Take it easy. See if I can’t get a good night’s sleep.

Three weeks in the sling tomorrow. Rehab a long time in the making.

What's the rush?

Got a good jump on the morning, made pretty good headway with the novel revisions. Afternoon meeting gobbled up the rest of the day.

Have come to the conclusion most folks have a different concept of time than myself. Where I can’t bear to lose a second of the day to BS, they make a profession of it.

One day deadline for the opening script. Oh, well. Guess that just puts me one day closer to billing it.

Not sure what’s going on in the world, and not sure I care. Talked to the boys last night and that was enough.

Busy day tomorrow. Need to check on my PT time.

Hoping for rain tonight to bring the temps down.

There it is, in a nutshell...

Another one, just like the other one. Decent night’s sleep, even though I stayed up later than usual. Up early to the keyboard. Good progress on the edits.

Took a long walk a little afternoon and put in time on the stairs at the soccer field. Came home, drove to King Soopers to pick up a few prescriptions, then showered and went back to work.

Meeting tomorrow, mid-day. Hope it turns into business. Gotta set aside some time to push last week’s projects out the door, too.

Got S to the clinic for an exam. Covid free, but fighting off respiratory gunk. Looking forward to seeing her back on her feet. Small but important victory. Tired of losing ground, physically.

Enough for the moment...

Quiet day. Up early, worked through rehab exercises, retired to the cottage and put in a strong morning on the book. Was looking to go out for an early afternoon walk, but decided against it because of the heat. Took a nap instead.

Found a new story in my N queue, but haven’t gotten around to looking at it yet. Same for Nickel Mountain, which I took down off the shelf yesterday and promised myself would be the next novel I read.

Took a long walk around the neighborhood just before five. Happy I did. Weather wasn’t the best, but it was good to get out. Maybe we’ll get some rain tonight. Clear the air.

Miss the mountains. Can’t wait to shed this sling and get back to water. Any water. Meantime, gonna keep pushing hard, but carefully, at the rehab.

Got a mind to ramble...

Another good night’s sleep. Two, back to back. Put in some good work at the keyboard, too. Only hitch in the day came when the big meeting got moved.

PT went well. Made progress. Got out for a three mile walk afterward and some good work on the stairs at the soccer field. Later, a trip to the barber and a quick shot to the grocery store for dinner fixings.

Governor’s making masks mandatory. Have the feeling infections are gonna start climbing hard and fast, so might have to make one more savage journey to Costco soon and buy up what we need before the next run on soap and tissue.

Glad I have my writing to keep me busy. No lawns now, no work around the house. No Anything. Can’t help but wonder what’s gonna become of the boys’ schooling this fall. And beyond.

Looking forward to the weekend. Don’t know why with all the days blending together. Must be habit. The vestiges of the old life.

Looking for rain again. Fingers crossed.

Okay for a Wednesday...

At last, a decent night’s sleep. Didn’t wake until four, and when I did it wasn’t because of excruciating pain.

Wrote hard for a good part of the morning, then caught up on calls. Later, walked to the gym. Showered when I got home, then went back to work.

Meeting mid-afternoon tomorrow.

Wish it were a haircut instead.

Big rain this afternoon.

Something to dream about...

Rough nigh't’s sleep again. Spent a long time looking at the Percocet, but deferred in the end. Gonna get through this as cleanly as I can.

Put in some good revision time, then wrote the last of my current N reviews. Weather sill miserably hot, but managed a walk around the hood before taking a shower.

PT exercises going okay. See Brian tomorrow for a reality check, but may stick around afterward for a workout. We‘ll see how daring I feel.

Was supposed to rain today, but nothing yet. Sick of this heatwave.

Gott a chance to talk to mom tonight. Wish there was a way to see her. The boys, too.

still here...

Not a bad one as things go. Sleep’s still tough, especially near morning, but maybe that’s gonna be the new norm. Anyway, up early to the keyboard, out for a an early-morning walk, then back to the keyboard again. Did some nice work on the book, then took time to write a couple of critiques. Also read a nice essay and a short-short. Tried to nap, but didn’t get far owing to the arm.

Looking ahead to a quiet night and early rise. Hoping for a big day tomorrow.

Time to reset...

The days keep adding up, but not to much.

Took a nice early-morning walk over to the Safeway for a latte. Sat and drank it at a picnic table at the Tasty Freeze. Came home, worked on the book a while, took a shower, and made a miserable trip out to Whole Foods to buy a fillet of arctic char.

Temps in the high nineties again, along with a hot wind. Together with the political doings and all the rest, an absolutely suffocating week.

One bright spot. Had a long FaceTime chat with the boys.

Making the most of it...

Crummy night’s sleep, but up early and at the keyboard by six.

Took a long walk, came home and spent the rest of the morning polishing the CSP job. Pushed it out the door a little after 1:30. Took a shower, did a little research, finished my PT, and made a leisurely drive over to the gym and grocery store. Good to get out for a while. Even if the temp was near 100.

John S holding another socially distanced concert online tonight. Looking forward to kicking back with a slice of pizza and watching. Hoping to get a better night’s sleep afterward.

No fiction writing in two days. That hasn’t happened in a while. Eager to jump back on the novel tomorrow.

Did it...

Dropped yesterday’s post. Wasn’t feeling well.

Woke early and got back to work. Took my first shower since the surgery, then went off a four-hour meeting downtown. Also found some stories in my N queue. Haven’t finished the projects currently sitting on my desk, so I guess I’ll need to get back in gear. Fast.

Need to put in a good day, tomorrow. Make some progress.

Today? Just thankful it wasn’t a repeat of yesterday.

Gonna take it easy tonight. Watch a little TV, go to bed early.

Where is god in all of this?

So. Tough day yesterday. Arm came on with a vengeance. Muddled around at the keyboard, got in a couple of walks, but paid the price in the end.

Saw the doc’s PT team this morning. Nice folks. They removed my bandages, checked the wounds, and passed off a few exercises. Got home and went to work on a new project. Tried to nap, but no go. Arm hurt too much. Went back to work, and, later, tried to catch up with mom.

Will be able to bring both hands back to the keyboard soon, but with limited mobility. Was cautioned several times to take things slowly, or risk re-injury. This is not a push-through, make it hurt therapy. At least not for the next six to eight weeks.

We’ll see what comes next. Have PT with Brian tomorrow.

Here’s hoping for sleep, an easy rise and a quiet night.

Another sunday...

Yeah, so, the nerve blockers wore off. Had a lovely fourth, nonetheless, with a splendid dinner at K’s. Up a little later than usual. Wrote a few quick lines, then went for a nice walk across the CC campus. Got in a few more lines after coffee. After that, surrendered to the arm and took a short, painful nap.

Muggy day. Overcast.

First rehab session tomorrow morning. Eager to see what the scars look like, how many of them there are. Temps are supposed to blow up this week. we’ll see what comes.

testing the waters...

Made it through the night without much discomfort. Nerve blockers still holding, though feel a knife scratch along the top of my shoulder, which I believe will present itself less gracefully, and more potently before morning. Woke later than usual, but got in a nice early walk and a short chat with Robin, who’s been looking out for us.

Managed some time at the keyboard, but most of it housekeeping. Got a wonderful and unexpected call from the boys that went nearly two hours. Made my day.

Took a long nap this afternoon, made a brief jaunt to Walgreens then Starbucks. Lovely neighbors Trudy and Hank surprised us with dinner.

Couldn’t ask for a better day. Here’s hoping the night goes as well.

Alive!

Okay.

Pitching southpaw for a while now. Went in for surgery at 9:45, hit the OR at 11:45, and woke from the most wonderful sleep around 2:00. Home before 3:00 and out for a walk. A little discomfort on the inside of the triceps, but the nerve blocker is still holding so the real pain hasn’t set in yet. So far, so good, right? Here’s hoping the worst part of the next three days will be the doc’s non-shower orders.

Woke early from a combination of the arm and the 30 pound cat lying on it. Made some decent revisions before abandoning the keyboard. Looking to do the same again tomorrow if all goes well.

Know what the difference in cost is between Medicare and non-insured prescription Percocet? Wth, it’s $5. Without, $183. Who says the healthcare system is broken!

New installment tomorrow. Gonna chill with a bowl of chicken noodle soup tonight.

And there it is...

Keeping this short.

Surgery tomorrow.

Today, up early, good work at the keyboard, disappointing rejection, happy phone call from Jack and Matty, and more work to finish out the day.

Short walk this morning.

Nice day—except, you know, for the heat.

Be glad to get the next few days in the rearview.

Yup, it's official...

Stuck in the dead zone now.

Worked on the book this morning, then got in a short walk around the neighborhood. Nothing too exciting.

Worked a little more when I got home, then whipped up a pot of vichyssoise, talked to the surgeon’s office and laid down for a nap. The life of Riley, right?

Looking for a quiet night. Stuck at home until the COVID test comes in, but have this strange feeling something’s going to go haywire. As in, the surgery’s going to be postponed to next week.

News around the world too depressing to watch. So guess what? I won’t watch. Queue up the Great British Baking Show.

Weather wasn’t bad today. A little hot, but not bad. Even so, couldn’t quite muster the energy to get out there for a second walk. What the arm hasn’t taken out of me, the respiratory thing has.

So the strange days go on.