Day 31, Post-Op Back in the Stationary Saddle Blues: Sunday, October 16th!

By words the mind is winged. -Aristophanes, dramatist (c. 448-385 BCE) 

Hi UN Survey Man! Last month, a world-wide telephone survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was:- “Would you please give your honest opinion about possible solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world.” The survey was a complete failure because: In Eastern Europe they didn't know what “honest” meant. In Western Europe they didn't know what “shortage” meant. In Africa they didn't know what “food” meant. In China they didn't know what “opinion” meant. In the Middle East they didn't know what “solution” meant. In South America and Russia they didn't know what “please” meant. In the USA they didn't know what “rest of the world” meant. And in Australia, New Zealand, Britain and Canada everyone hung up as soon as they heard the interviewer’s Indian accent! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Cyndy does not know Mary however I do or did very well in my youth, from age 5-about 19 when I attended Deer Lodge United Church. We were in Sunday School, Explorers, CGIT, choir & Young People's. Don't think Kings went to church. Mary is my age. Cyndy is about 6 years younger. Her second husband, Jim LeVander, passed about 5 years ago of ALS. So sad. Great guy, an American. He was only 49 & died at 51. 

Hi Maggie: Thanks for update. I'll mention you to Mary next time I'm in touch. Had lunch with her mother, Vera, this past June when we were in Winnipeg. She still lives by herself in the home she and Merv, her husband, moved to on Aldine, after place on Woodlawn. Merv died about three or four years ago now, in Deer Lodge, as he was a WW II vet.
 

Just finished 30 minutes on the stationary bike and it felt terrific. Didn't have any resistance, just the motion of pedaling. Will do this for an hour over the next few days and then gradually begin to dial up the resistance as well as the length of time for each session. Now, all I have to do is figure out how I am going to feed the cats once Lady Dar is away. I can pick up the small bowls we use for their dry food when empty but am not sure if I can lower them to the floor, without spilling contents all over the kitchen tiles! Must away to practice before their dinner feeding. Cheers, Patrizzio! 
 

Pic: Vera with Lady Dar and Jim Sutherland, friend I knew when at UW although he attended UM. He did an honours degree in French there, along with an unfinished MA on Proust!

Vera looks great. She would remember me as Margaret Anne Leslie. My parents were Pearl & Don Leslie. There were 10 kids in our family. Dad was a SS Superintendent in the early years. 

Do you remember Bob Ainslie? Pretty sure he went to UC. Died recently from colon cancer, 72. Saw obit in Wpg Passages. Sad!! Nice guy! Too young. If u knew him, just google his name, recent obits, Wpg. Was a science teacher in Calgary. I'm pretty sure Vera was an Explorer & CGIT leader. Likely SS too. Nice lady. Don't really remember the Dad. Mary lost a sister to cancer, I think, Susan maybe or perhaps Allison. Mary is very attractive, always was!! Married an Aggie, Terry Cowan. She may have been a Home Economics Grad.
 

Good to hear how well you are doing after new hip!! Of course you were very active & fit before. How long before surgery did you have to stop drinking wine??😱😳😩�� 

Hi again, Time-Machine Maggie! Found Bob's obituary but I didn't recognize him. Not sure if we would have overlapped as he was probably three years ahead of me at UC. Merv was a geologist so he was away for most of the summer, most summers, when they were finally in Winnipeg. Susan was closer in age to me and she attended UW. Younger, she was a year behind me. She married Will Gorlitz who ended up teaching Fine Arts at both Waterloo and latterly, University of Guelph. He became and still is, I gather, quite a well respected and sought-after artist. [Before we left for BC and they for Ontario, they lived off Wolseley Avenue, on Clifton, across the street from Wolseley Elementary School, and we on Chestnut, off Westminster. We stopped by the house this past June and owners gave us a tour of place. Memory Lane!] We visited him a number of times when visiting relatives in Brantford.
 
Mary and Allison, (Coquitlam), had just been in Winnipeg to see their Mom a week or so before our visit. Sorry to have missed them as haven't seen either of them for quite a few years, five at least, I think. Really must away now as Lady Dar is plying me with wine. Had to stop drinking at midnight. before operation next morning! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Former side entrance to our suite upstairs. New owners returned staircase to original, inside state. Front view of hosue from sidewalk; screened-in second story porch where we used to sleep on muggy summer nights; owner remembered me from a visit about six years ago when I took our grandchildren and Chloë to see where we once lived with Ayn.

I can't recall if he went to UC. Think so. I dated him a couple of times. Two years ahead of me. Funny guy!! Good to hear I don't have to give up wine too far before surgery.��😜 How long is the surgery? How long before you can get up? I hate catheters. Not really a fan of surgery and do terrible with nanaesthetic. Get very sick to my stomach!!

Hi Short-Term Teetotaler Maggie! Glad you are glad you won't be on the wagon for long! If you have a spinal, (Which I recommend, most certainly, as I had much better results than with a general for an anterior cruxiate operation back in 2003.), you may well not experience any negative side effects. I didn't with spinal in 2010 and this time around as well. Of course, everything varies with the individual.

 

If all goes well, you are up the day after the operation. No weight-bearing but on crutches. Called "weight-bearing to tolerance" , or some such, which means put as much weight on your operated legs as is comfortable. Every day, thereafter, more movement possible, greater distances, etc. Again, if you can stop taking opiates, etc, the sooner your bladder and bowels will be back to normal. I was fortunate, this time, that I was able to use the plastic bottle, [Guess you'll have a bed pan!], about four hours after the aesthetic wore off so I didn't need a catheter.  My bowels started working day after i took my last opiates, three days after surgery. Of course I hadn't eaten al lthat much, post surgery, so not much to evacuate! You'll be fine, back playing pickle ball in no time, devouring Franks's fabulous meals! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Nancita and Guillermo! Great evening last night. We both enjoyed it immensely. Trust you made it home safely! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Time for dinner, shrimp lasagna, courtesy of Lady Dar,. Will dine in the Rumpus Room as she would like to continue watching Indian Summers. beleive we have two more episodes to catch up on. The The Wire. Heard a wonderful interview on The Sunday Edition, CBC Radio 1, this morning with Michael Enright, talking to Steve Earle. I didn't realize that Steve played a recovering junkie in Season One!

Hello Hello Patrick: How are you doing? Hope that hip is getting much better and you will be on the hiking trail again soon. I'm busy, busy as always.
I was out with our Naturalist group today. It was actually quite a pleasant day. We hiked in the Oliver area. Close to home. And now it's miserable and raining again. Hope there will be blue skies for tomorrows hike. Have company from Nelson for a couple of days this week. A funeral on Friday. Next time I'm in Penticton I'll try and pop in to see you guys. Send me your phone number and address ok. Get well real quick. Cheereo and Hugs to both of you. from St. Hildegard Von Bingen.....:)

Hi Von Bingen! Great to hear from you and know you are as busy as ever. Would love to see you anytime. See you soon Von Bingen! Fondestos from Lady Dar. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Senka with expensive, organic cauliflower! She said I could have the wine you are owed for helping bottle as statute of limitations has expired in terms of picking it up. Don't worry, I'll serve it to you when you visit! 

Before dinner, kittens wanted out so I opened the patio door and they shot outside. Closed door and went to have dinner in Rumpsu Room where we watched an episode of Elementary. Forgot all about Etta and Duk eand it wasn't until just before 10:00 pm, when we couldn't find them anywhere in the house that I realized that they were still outside. Lady Dar was very upset, accusing me of wanting them to freeze to death. Tough Love in action! Didn't cool them down enough, apparently, for as soon as they devoured their fashionably late dinner they started to race around, hell bent for leather!