Road Trip

I woke up with the alarm on Tuesday. It wasn’t necessary, but I’m still trying to get back into the groove.

It wasn’t necessary because I had a 9:30 AM appointment with my spinal doctor. So, I took a half day off as vacation. Since I had the time, I made some soft boiled eggs for breakfast instead of my usual weekday oatmeal.

I finally left at 8:30 AM (you never know what traffic will be like) It was cloudy with occasional snow showers. I didn’t mind the cloudy part as I was headed east (no sunglasses, remember?).

I got there at 9:15 and didn’t have to wait very long (I only got to page 30 in the book I brought before they called my name). I got some x-rays taken and then talked with the doctor.

She told me happy anniversary and asked how I was feeling. I told her my back had been really hurting and mentioned Margaret’s theory that one of my vertebrae was out of line. So, she took me to another room and pulled up my x-rays from both today and last year on the computer. They were damn near identical, except the gray areas of bone graft back then were now white.

So, we went back to the room and she had me take off my shirt. She asked where it was supposed to be and I said right in the middle of my scar. So, she ran her hands down there and said that was the location of a screw and that’s probably what she is feeling.

She said, “This was supposed to be your last appointment, but do you want to come back?” I said, “Why don’t we wait and see what the infectious disease doctor says. If I need to, I’ll make an appointment with you again.” She shook my hand and said that I was the first thoracic spine surgery she ever assisted with and she would never forget me (which was kind of sweet). I told her, “Thanks. Me too. No offense, but I hope I never see you again.” She laughed.

I drove back home through snow squalls and got there about 11:00 AM. I watched some of the live coverage of the events in Rome. I find these old rituals and the backdrop (Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, for God’s sake!) fascinating.

I had another brat for lunch and then went to work. It snowed off and on all afternoon, but it was warm enough that it didn’t stick to the ground.

It was a long day for only being four hours, LOL! But, I finally got home, retrieved my trash can and went inside.

I worked a little on the clock (I need to get the circles perfect now). Then I returned a call from Acenter. I didn’t notice I had voicemail until late Sunday night.

I warmed up one half of the second steak and the last baked potato. This time I sautéed a whole sliced yellow onion in oil and butter to top the steak with. And, I did learn my lesson from yesterday: This time I warmed up the potato for two minutes, added the steak to the plate and warmed it all up another minute. That way the potato was warm and the steak was still medium rare. It all tasted great!

I did some reading on the couch until 9:00 PM and then went and (finally) watched the taped Sunday episode of the Viking on the History Channel. I went to bed when it ended.