ON THE ROAD TO ANYWHERE
WASHINGTON MONUMENT LAKE MICHIGAN
STONINGTON
HERE ARE A FEW WITH JUST A HAND
Last night I was sitting on the glider on the new deck at Art's house in Raleigh, enjoying the after-cocktail, after-dinner, after-pipe stillness. I saw a couple of black flittery shadows and followed a pair of bats making widening circles in the grey blue dusk . As I leaned my head back to follow them, almost overhead on a limb not 25 feet above me was the unmistakable silhouette/ shadow of an owl. I said "Hello" and 7 seconds later it swivelled its head, shoved off and took a turning dive into the woods beyond the fence. Happy hunting!
WHAT IS HE THINKING?
THESE LAST TWO AREN'T SHADOWS. THE FIRST IS THE ANGEL OF EMPTY SPACE FROM LAST YEAR'S DISCARDED SLIDES. THE SECOND IS JUST ONE OF MY FAVORITE "SELFIES"
I GOT A MILLION OF 'EM!
I think that's about enough for this time out.
Now, if you're interested in the daily recovery notes for the first week or so, just continue reading below.
Wednesday - At the hospital at 6:30 AM, unconscious at 7:12:41, back among the living and on the way home somewhat after 10:00. A few unexceptional, common, but none-the-less annoying post-op incidents; suffice to say I think I can be pretty sure I'm the first person to vomit in Paul's new BMW. Just water thank goodness. The rest of that day and until the following morning was sleep in the corpse pose, pills, ice packs and chicken noodle soup. Art went to Rite-Aid to get the anti-nausea medication phoned in by the hospital. I mention this because the prescription required prior authorization (which it didn't have) for insurance coverage - original charge $127. Without the aforementioned prior, but with Ride-Aid Wellness card ( which Art did have ) - $66. I received a letter confirming prior authorization a week later in the mail (huh???), took it to Rite-Aid - $2.65. Refund to credit card. Talk among yourselves as to the meaning of this.
Thursday - Pills, ice packs, much horizontalism, every word of every article of a New Yorker, Flannery O'Connor short stories. Is there a single undamaged person anywhere in Southern literature?
Friday - Pills, fewer ice packs, ongoing recumbency, another entire New Yorker, onset annoyance with the whole situation. Pizza for dinner, I believe.
Saturday - Pills and soul-numbing boredom interrupted with brilliance by "House of Cards -Trilogy", the English original material for the Netflix series.
Sunday - Fewer pills, a few phone calls, and the first time out of the house since Wednesday...dinner at McCormick & Schmicks. I reread the notices on my pain meds and found that the only listed side effect to adding alcohol to the regimen was increased drowsiness. "Why, yes, I will have another Gibson."
Monday - Tuesday - No pills, cautious movement and an awareness shy of pain in a few places. The awareness keeps you focused on how little you should do. A degree of mental clarity starting to show up
Wednesday - Just post shower and pre post-op follow-up with the surgeon, I noticed some blood seeping from my navel, one of the entry points for this particular laparoscopic surgery. He acknowledged that they had worked that point pretty hard, assured me that nothing I was doing had anything to do with it and that I would be more or less symptom free in about three more weeks.
Since Then - On the mend.
