My son will be going to Fort Hood in Texas….he is at Fort Bragg. 

Just a quick update….still having a lot of knee pain, but it isn’t as bad as it was.  It is still stiff and hurts to walk, and now so does the other knee! Glad I don’t have to do steps, I would never make it up or down!

There is a website where you can go to read about everyones experiences with knee or hip surgery.  Thank heaven for that, at least I know I am in a small catagory that does not heal fast and well, so I am not the only one.  Misery loves company!

My son will be coming home from his second mission to Iraq in a week!  He has rejoined the army and will be sent to Fort Bragg in Texas in October.

My daughter has passed an exam and has been offered another job in the Brokerage company she works for.  She also got an employee of the year award!

Summer is almost here, we are looking at our first 100 degree mark this weekend.  Next surgery I do will be over the summer when there is nothing going on!

It has been 7 weeks since my knee replacement.  I am not doing all that great.  It has turned out to be so painful and being alone does not help to push me to do more things.  My doctor does things a bit different as far as physical therapy is concerned.  He puts you in a knee exerciser right after surgery that bends your knee the whole time you are in the hospital.  Then, if you are doing okay, after 3 weeks of home PT, he says you don’t need to go to PT after that.  Being a big baby, (I’ve heard horror stories from others of how painful it can be) I am glad, but I am having a lot of nerve pain which I guess not everyone has.  I can’t stand anything to touch my skin around the knee so it is painful to wear long pants.  I went to the doctor and he said that is normal and I am doing fine for 7 weeks.  Not what I wanted to hear but decided to go back to taking pain pills and that has helped.  I wanted to get off them as they really screw up your digestive system, and of course that caused me a lot of gas pain and indigestion.

Now that I am getting around better, I realize how bad my other knee is.  I just really dread thinking about having it done.  At least I know to write off at least 2 months of my life.  Whoopee.

 Besides the pain, the depression is the hardest part of this ordeal.  Everyone says that once you are recovered, you forget how bad it was.  Hope so.

It’s been awhile, not much going on anyway.  Still volunteering at the Red Cross and enjoy it….somedays anyway.  It is very interesting.  Can’t comment more than that…signed a confidential agreement.

I have scheduled my knee replacement surgery.  I put it off since July when the doctor told me both knees are bad…which I knew of course, but I dread the surgery.  It’s pretty painful and a long rehab so not looking forward to that.  I go under the knife Jan 28, 2008.   Recoverery is 6 weeks…hope I can do better than that and go back to work at the Red Cross.  Its the only thing I have to do to keep me sane.  At least I will have my daughter here to help me out and we live close!  Yea!

My son was on leave..finally after 7 months over in Iraq and we had a good visit.  He had his 40th birthday while here.  He is trying to decide if he wants to stay in the Army.  I will support him whatever he decides to do.  The army has been pretty good for him.

I just had a unreal experience.  I felt like I may have been in a Stephen King movie it was so spooky.

A couple of nights ago I was wokeup by one of my cats scratching at the door.  I yelled at him and then I realized it was very dark.  I have a night light in the kitchen that helps me move around at night when mother nature calls.  It was so black I couldn’t see anything!  Even the clock was off.  Okay, I figure…the electricity is off, but boy is it black!

This is my new house, and I have only been it for about two months so this is a new experience and kinda spooky.  I feel my way into the kitchen and whew, I find my flashlight.  I go to the front window and look out.  Total darkness, and its so quiet!  Nothing, and no one about!   The things going through my mind…sometimes it not so great to have an imagination, especially if you live in Phoenix and your life depends on the air conditioning!  

Its funny all the things that go through your mind to do like …  turn on the radio to see whats on the news…turn on the fans to cool the house, duh.  I went out to the car and turned on the radio and there wasn’t any terrible news I was dreading, so I went back into the house.  I tried to lay down and go back to sleep, but couldn’t.  I wandered around for awhile and wondered if I shouldn’t call the electric company.   I was getting really frantic.

 Then the calvary came!  Yea!  Two power company trucks and men!   It was a local power outage and they ran a temporary cable in front of my house.  They are out there today digging up everything to put a new one in!   Thank God!   It wasn’t the end of the world….yet.

I have moved into my new home and I am 98% settled in.   I have been busy scheduling people for quotes on A/C, landscaping, patio cover and buying new kitchen appliances.  I was going to go with the patio cover but turns out the A/C is pretty old and does not work too well.  The Home Inspector really messed me up by missing several items…

I really like this place, it is bright and interesting.  I love my back patio and enjoy going out in the morning and letting the cats roam around while I drink my coffee.   Even better, it is close to my daughter and I really like the area I am in.

Now the long hot summer draws near, and I have to find something to keep me busy.  I just don’t have any motivation to write so haven’t done anything. 

I have purchased a new home and move in on May 1st.  It is a much smaller house, but it is bright, airy and has windows in the front.  Also, it is much much closer to my daughter and grand daughter!  It has been a long haul and can’t wait to get moved!

I have a contract on my house.  It should be for sure by next week as they are doing a home inspection and appraisal but don’t see anything to stall it.  Now I have to look for a new home and it is so exciting.  I sure hope I find the perfect place!  I have until May 15th which is good as it gives me time to find something and make sure it is the best choice for me.

I am going to participate in my first book fair April 14th!  I went downtown and got a temporary sales tax license and what an experience…downtown Phoenix has changed so much!  They are also installing a rail system and the streets are all torn up and have been forever, and it will take until late 2008 to finish it. 

Being retired has been nice, but have a lot of extra time on my hands now that the house is sold.  Course, its the lull before the panic, but wish I had something to do.   Kind of putting off finding something until after I am moved and settled.  Oh well, be careful what you wish for!! 

It’s my birthday.  Another year already and a lot going on right now.   My son, Brian, is on his second tour to Iraq and will be gone for a year…or more.  More is likely and it is so depressing. 

I have put my house up for sale…the sign is supposed to go up today.  I hope it goes quick and I can find something out where my daughter lives in North Phoenix.  It will be so great to live closer to her, especially that I am now retired!  Yes, don’t have to work anymore!  

 I hope to have more time to promote my book and see what happens.  Hard for a introvert, but got to go for it!