Friday, October 25, 2013

Good morning GH. It is just past 4:00 AM in "The City" and the current temperature is 39 degrees with a few showers falling. Yesterday, we had off and on snow showers. Nothing like Wednesday night. Today, the expectation is for a 40% chance of further rain/snow showers, but the high temperature is going to be 51. Saturday shows a forecast of 70% for showers and wind. Sunday the probability drops to 30% with a high temperature of 47.

I did get those lawn and leaf bags out to the curb and they were picked up. I had to spend some time getting the snow off the deck before Mary accompanied me to the orthopedist. Instead of raking leaves, I had to get back to snow removal duties. That made me go to the man cave to bring up the various snow removal tools and the pet friendly salt. I took the lawn mower down to the man cave, and Mary wanted to know what we would do if we needed one more mowing. I told her to plan like we wouldn't.

Speaking of that activity, that came after I go back from the orthopedist and while Mary and her friend were off to Holland. That gave me room to get things in and out of the garage. When she got back from Holland, she wanted to know why I was overtaxing my knees following the latest treatment. I told her, as I always do, that my knees would feel worse today. Plus, the garage being empty is a rare event around here. She had to agree.

Speaking of that orthopedist appointment, he gave me the news on my aching shoulder. Turns out that I have a slight tear of my rotator cuff, which I suspected and bone spurs in the joint itself. It is repairable, though it doesn't have to be right away. If it becomes a full tear, that would entail more extensive surgery. If I have the repair before that happens, my arm would be immobile for five to six weeks and then I could maybe lift a maximum of five pounds for a few months and then it would slowly come back to near normal. The whole recovery would take about a year with extensive rehab. I'm wrestling with the whole idea of surgery at this time. I know it won't get better, but I just don't like the prognosis for either the surgery or its aftermath. I do know that there is no quick fix. He offered that I am "young" at this time and it won't get any easier.

As he was describing the process, the pain became more livable as the minutes passed. I know that's a psychosomatic lessening of that pain, but when you have spent so much time in hospitals, rehab and the like as I have over the past few years, you'd be amazed what the mind can do. It is my belief that the bike crash I had twenty years or so ago, probably started me down this path. I'll keep everyone informed.

Later in the afternoon yesterday, Mary and her friend journeyed downtown and then called me from the post to tell me that Sally was there and she was all alone. So I went down to join them. A couple of Octoberfest ales and it was time for dinner. Mary's plans for the local gyros place were thwarted by the fact that they were closed for remodeling until next Tuesday. That sent us to our second favorite watering hole where they were having Chili dogs, which I decided I didn't want, and then on to our favorite place for more libations, food choices, and brews.

A walk home took a while and then it was time for me to go upstairs and to bed. I listened to the Red Sox and Cardinals on the radio before I fell asleep. I learned later that my beloved Red Sox had fallen to the Cardinals 2 - 4. Two errors on the same play sealed their fate. Games three and four take place in St. Louis on Saturday and Sunday nights.

Fortunately, there is college football coming up. The Northern Illinois Huskies are riding a seven game winning streak in teh MAC 10 conference and welcome Eastern Michigan to De Kalb on Saturday afternoon. Michigan has a bye week, before they journey to meet MSU at the Spartans home field the following Saturday. Speaking of MSU, they kickoff at 3:30 PM Saturday at Illinois, same time as the Huskies.

That's about enough for now. Sunrise will be at 8:11 AM today. The train went by about midnight, so unless I hear another train a'comin, that is probably all for today. Ciao.

P.S., I did hear a train a'comin, twin locomotives just went by heading north about 4:30 AM.


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