I’m alive and feeling every second of it, finally have a date set for surgery if I don’t catch Covid again. It’s is easier to survive with 2 shots and 2 updated boosters.The inability to catch my breath was a true PITA for a couple of days.The 3-week self-imposed quarantine was also same. flFinally have food and coffee 🥘 in house.

Sometime on August get my pre-surgery Covid test and lab work for day surgery 👍 and battery. Personally can’t wait , getting to be a major posterior pain falling 34” to sitting or fetal position.

Have been busy updating my network and computers.

Forth of July will consist of learning how to sit as intended vs laying down. Last fall put me in brace again, only for mobility, and to lessen my cussing (really, really colorful) language.

Hope everyone enjoys the forth, a virtual ribeye to all. Doctor recommended for my diet too many salmon filets from lake.If lucky maybe I’ll gain some weight.

Froze

Wow, time has flown since I last checked in.  But these days every day is like the next.  Have one bad day every two weeks -- day after the infusion pump is removed, I am just resigned to staying in bed.  It's like having a really, REALLY bad hangover.  And since I haven't drank any alcohol for 30? years, I really hate the reminder.  But I keep telling myself, one more session down, one less to go.

@Frozenoem , glad you're getting the surgery finally.  Yeah, surgery is a PITA, too, but once you get it done, you can focus on moving forward to better things and better days and putting it behind you.

Got to enjoy the noise and fireworks from surrounding neighbors.  *said facetiously*  But at one point just before dark, I thought I saw someone sitting in a lawn chair on the side of the street.  Wha...???  I live at the end of a dead-end street and I wandered down the driveway to investigate.  A guy who lives across the street had set up a mini-fireworks show in the middle of the cul-de-sac for his mother.  Nothing grandiose, mostly set up in cans, little sprays and booms, but I thought it was very cool that his mother was enjoying their own private little display and I almost grabbed a lawn chair, too.  Of course, fireworks started blasting from surrounding areas and you could almost see them over the tops of the trees.  Cats were gone, but this wasn't their first 4th, although it is still traumatic for them. They always show up later looking wild-eyed and discombobulated and some yahoo always has to set off that last firecracker late at night and send everyone into a panicked frenzy again. 😒 I'm sure there will some leftovers tonight, too.

@catwoman500 , great fun to play those old games, isn't it?  Especially those old board games.  My neighbor and I will do that every so often.  It is funny how we will remember the rules differently though, and usually have to pull out the instructions for a refresher course.

Good morning to everyone out there on this sunny Saturday morning. We are expecting a strong storm this afternoon/evening..

I again tested positive for Covid this morning for the 6th morning in a row. 

Hopefully it is running its course and I should be able to get out and about next week. 

Hoping everyone out there is doing well.

@DaveMcK , sorry to hear about your positive test.  Thank God for being vaxxed, at least, to avoid more dire consequences.

Hot and miserable here too.  Northeast suffering record heat, but this will be the norm I'm afraid unless we do something about it.

Chemo on hold, because now I have hepatitis. 🤷 Liver enzyme count was up, so had to get an ab ultrasound (inconclusive), then MRI which came back clean, but other labs showed the hep C. Another doc appointment in near future to determine treatment.  Another little speed bump.

However, my friend and hiking partner, came to visit and we went for a short jaunt at the Civil War Park in Stafford.  It is the site of a Union winter encampment in the winter of 1863. It is a extraordinary place if you are in to that type of thing. It was hot and it was actually my first adventure in months.  Trails through historic remains do not total more than 2 miles (if that much) and it's in the woods so plenty of trees to provide shade, Having not been there for awhile, we decided to check it out and see if anything was new.  I really wasn't sure how much I'd be capable of doing and my friend does not tolerate heat well, so we figured easy enough to test our current limits and bail if things got too intolerable.  Well, my friend and I who normally go look for old homesites and forgotten cemeteries off the beaten path inevitably got distracted.  I don't think either of us know how to stay on a trail.  There is always something you see off trail and have to go check out and before we knew it, we were god knows where.  There is another network of trails through old winter hut sites which haven't been marked yet (the park is maintained by volunteers, not the state or county, and with Covid, projects got slowed down), but they usually all interconnect each other.  However, following a road trace, we got lost and looking at maps on my phone, we weren't even in the park anymore! 🤦An already long story shorter, we finally did find our way out, but we had logged almost 5 miles.  Interestingly, although we were dying from overexertion, dehydration (suppose to be a short jaunt, not a 5-mile bushwhack), I felt energized.  It was the best medicine just to be out in the great outdoors and moving again.  I was amazed how good I did feel and do, despite the chigger bites (you don't leave the trail for grassy areas in the summer).

@Frozenoem , nothing wrong with old clover and wild strawberries.  Native plants?  Many peeps are opting out of green manicured lawns, and going native.  Win, win, as far as I am concerned.  Migrating species have a place to "naturally" take a break.  Less maintenance like constant watering which is a REAL problem in some areas and even downright prohibited.  Less fertilizing and putting other questionable chemicals on the lawns.  Less mowing.  I'm all about letting nature do her thing.  Well... to a certain extent.  Don't want everything to get overgrown with invasive weeds, so some work required.  (OK.  OK.  I'll get off my environment soapbox now. 😁)

One day at a time.  One step at a time.  Eventually you will start to feel somewhat normal again and back to doing 'fun things' like 3-mile hikes and 5 miles and the sky becomes the limit. 😄  (We can all hope and dream -- the best motivator.)

@LaDolceVita , I agree -- moving is NOT fun. 

It's summer time and mountains are always cooler so maybe the frenzied traffic and pace will slow down when vacation time is over.

@catwoman500 , I am on a break from those "yucky days", because I have hep C.  Need to get treated first, since chemo suppresses my immune system.  Never thought I'd be one of those immunocompromised peeps. 😒  Saw doc today and have to get more blood work and another scan of liver and back to see him next month, so looks like treatments of one sort or another will be dragging well into next year when I was hoping to be done by November.  Ah well, it could be worse.

@ 

JaniceD293047

It would be nice if you would post some pictures and information about the lights you have seen. There should be a topic about lighthouses I've seen. 

@Frozenoem , no Northern lights here with the cloud cover. 😶‍🌫️

The type of Wordle I hate.

Wordle 428 6/6

🟨⬛🟨⬛🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Got the last 4 letters by 2nd try, but took me all 6 tries to get the 1st letter.  I once had another one like this and I never did get the final letter and that was the end of that streak. 😖

(P.S. If the little squares appear all awry, that's a AARP Community glitch. Looks fine until I preview. 🤷)

Back from our 5 day Labor weekend with our family at our timeshare at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. We had four suites with 9 adults and 2 rug rats.

Much time was spent at the pool and a trip over to a park with swings am slides.

We ate our way through the long weekend with each couple fixing a breakfasts and a dinner. 

Some went on walks, worked out at the exercise center, did some biking or went for runs. Two of my son-in-laws went golfing.

Watched Wisconsis first football game of the seasons. Some games in the evening. 

With a lot of times spent talking.about the good old times. 

We spent some time celebrating Mary and my 56th wedding anniversary on Saturday. 

It took 9 people to keep this 2 year old entertained.

Nice view overlooking the golf course.

Tuesday definitely morning 60* with 100% humidity, 👀 ng forward to rain and high winds. Great day to visit coast and see Doctor at 7:30am.

With luck my happy juice will make it ez to see the 

doctor this morning, for Mt final checkup. Finally completed my paperwork and smartphone apps for the turbo booster in my chest👍.

Been playing at camps and taking a couple of boats out, couldn’t take the house anymore. Slowly getting used to, and losing my nervousness of hiking . You just drop for 3 years, you’d understand.

Haven’t looked under the couch since August 1, also called no stopping of My heart. Next comes the joy of hikes of 5 miles to begin.

Colors have not begun changing yet, October maybe. But, the drought is officially over👍 Still not allowed to mow the lawn, neighbors have been doing it for me👍, no  movements of shoulderand still no lift, push or pull more than 10 lbs.👎🏻.

In theory that ends next month, just in time to mulch the leaves, or snowblow.It’s Maine and always a roll of the dice.

Froze

Fall colors still on hold.  But starting to get bombarded by acorns from all the oaks around here. Squirrels definitely on a flurry and scurry hoarding -- making me nervous about the upcoming winter. 😬

My neighbor installed and subscribed to a yoga app on her iPad and wanted me to join her for daily workouts. I'm in and even though yoga is not on the top of my list, I have done it. 🧘 We cast it to the TV and started out with the Newbie and Beginner sessions.  Boy, found out in a hurry that the flexibility and balance ain't the same when I was 30, 40, even 50!  In fact, after a session or two, I was feeling like I hurt myself more than feeling relaxed and at one with my body and breathing. 😄 Namaste.