Rant #3,244: Cabaret

I do believe I am getting better, but the fact of the matter is that I am still planted to my bed as if I was glued to the mattress.

I get up here and there, mainly to go to the bathroom, but I am simply sitting on the bed for a large majority of the day.

I am a bit bored, but I have to go with the program ... I will find out more when the doctor/surgeon sees me on Friday afternoon.

So my world has become our master bedroom ... and based on how my wife set up our room, even though I am not moving around too much, my life has become a "Cabaret" based on how she configured the room up.

My wife is a huge Judy Garland/ Liza Minnelli/Lorna Luft fan, and through the yesrs, we have amassed a massive amount of memorabilia from these three ladies, including records, concert programs, and even clothing.

Now that we are in this two-bedroom apartment, we have had to squeeze a lot of our stuff in here, and among this stuff are posters of Garland and Minnelli.

Of course, the main way to make a residence a real "home" is to hang pictures on the wall, mainly family photos.

Throughout our new living quarters are a multitude of ohotos that are now on the wall, but after all the family stuff, the next things to hang were memorabilia stuff, like the Garland/Minnelli posters, much of which I bought fir my wife over our more than 30 years of marriage.

Over the past few days, she hung up many of these things on the wall, and as I lay here, it is almost like the two icons are looking over.me, or at least joining me as I try to get through this ordeal.

I think my wife did a good job, and it makes her feel good, so really, that is all that counts.

I wish we had room for even more stuff, but that corner really is all we have, and my wife did a good job with what she had to work with.

So as I lay here, Judy and Liza are with me ...

Kind of strange bedfellows, in a funny way, as I go "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" into the next chapter of my recovery.

"Life is a Cabaret, old chum, life is a Cabaret!"

Rant Rant #3,243: Getting Better

Did I see snow coming down yesterday afternoon?

Maybe that was a good sign for my family and I, and for all.of us?

I know I am reaching for things, but at this point, what else can I do?

After falling in the bathroom, my wife appears to be fine ... just maybe a little sore.

She believes all of this stemmed from her taking cold medication and then taking another medicine for blood pressure.

The two did not mix, and not only did it make her feel sick, it literally made her black out.

After 12 hours in the hospital, they really could not find anything wrong with her, so unless there is something they don't know about, we will have to go with this explanation.

And I was able to reschedule my doctor's appointment for Friday afternoon, so I will be able to find out my own status this week rather than next week.

I think I am OK, but let's hear what the doctor has to say, and then we can find out how I will proceed with my rehabilitation.

I have kept on working--lucky, I have the type of freelance job that I do entirely on the computer, so I have been doing it all through this nightmare--and it kind of breaks up the day for me.

Otherwise, other than getting up a few times during the day with my crutches, I remain bedridden, something I know I have to be patient with, but also, something I will never get used to.

Thank God for the newspaper, the TV and my family, all of which are helping me to get through this mess.

Hanukkah is coming up quickly, and I did order some things online, with still more to get for my wife and son.

This will be our first Hanukkah in our new residence, and I can't wait to light the menorah this year.

Those lights seem to mean so much more this year.

I really hope by then, all those who were violently kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist group will be back with their families, and that this war will be over.

I know this is a total pipe dream, but it is my holiday wish.

It would be a really nice way to put a bow on this worst of years, but let's see what happens as we approach Hanukkah and then Christmas.

Who knows what can happen during the last five weeks of 2023?

I do believe if all.of us can get through this year, and are able to close the book on it, we will all be better off.

Maybe the early snow is an omen ... and a really good one!

Rant #3,242: What's Going On?

I don't know what else to say.

We were victims of yet another mishap yesterday morning, and it appears that dark cloud that I thought we left at the old house has followed us to the new one.

My wife, who has said she did not feel well since Thanksgiving Day, passed out in our bathroom.

My son called 911, and within minutes, we had the police and the EMTs here.

They took her to a nearby hospital as a precaution, and she spent not only the whole day there, but a good part of the evening in their care while they performed many tests on her.

They don't know why she passed out, but her sugar level was elevated, and she has to seeca cardiologist. All of her other vitals were fine.

?????

During our nightmarish move, she worked herself down to a nub, and she was basically operating on fumes the past few days, so her body just gave out yesterday morning.

And all.of this happened, unbeknownst to me, as a close friend of mine had a similar mishap over the weekend. 

I am happy to say that he appears to be OK ...

But what is happening to my family and others connected to us?

(And no, i never got to the doctor yesterday for my initial examination after my surgery. It was postponed until next week, which is not good.)

This has been absolutely the worst year of my life, bar none, and I really thought we were on the right road when we finally got out of the old house and moved to our new dwelling.

But evidently, that simply has not been the case.

2023 has a little more than a month to finally end, and I can't wait to close the book.on this year.

Can anything else go wrong? Can anything else happen to us that hasn't already happened?

What did we do to upset the "powers that be" in such a negative way?

Are we being tested in such a bizarre way?

I have no answers to any of these questions ... but at this point, I have one reply to these questions I have posed:

"STOP THE WORLD ... I WANT TO GET OFF!!!!!"

Rant #3,241: Stand Tall

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?

Mine was as good as it could be under the circumstances.

We celebrated the holiday at my brother in law's house out east, and it was really good for me to get out of the house, even though the long ride left me pretty sore the next day.

But I got up and down the stairs of our house without incident, and I had a good time on the holiday.

The food was great, and it was good to breathe in some fresh air once again.

I was pretty worn out on Black Friday, and for the first time in ages, I did not participate in Recird Store Day.

I just didn't have the strength to do it this time around, and after looking up and down the list of special releases fir the day, I honestly didn't think I missed much by not participating ... other than the camaraderie of those on the line waiting to get into my local record store.

So I left Black Friday to everyone else.

This weekend, I did finally put together everything I need for my computer, so the scanner and printer have both been hooked up and work like they always have, and yes, my son helped me; without him, Icoukld not have done this.

On Sunday, I hooked up the turntable. 

However, my leg was bothering me, and that, coupled with my hesitancy in trying out the turntable right then and there, prevented me from making sure I can continue to digitize my records ... but I should have time to fully test it out this week.

And today is a big day.

I go back to the doctor/surgeon later today, and he will give me an update on how I am doing and where this is all headed.

Sure, I have some aches and pains, but I think I am doing pretty well considering what I have been through.

And yes, I am.kind of getting "houseatosis."

I hate being shut in and not able to do too much, and the repetiveness of my day is beginning to get to me.

To boot, my wife is slightly under the weather, but she continues to march on and do what she needs to do without fail.

I am sure she will recover quickly, and our son will help her as he has been doing during this crazy time we have all been through.

Let's see how today goes at the doctor, and I will let you know tomorrow where I stand ... or more precisely, where I sit or lay, because I know I am in for the long haul.

Mo standing for me just yet ... .

Rant #3,240: The Turkey

I guess I am "The Turkey" this year.

I am bedridden, very uncomfirtable in both my mind and body, but I am in fairly good spirits.

I just have to be patient, and everything will work out.

And as we get closer to Thanksgiving, I have some other challenges related to that day.

The main challenges will revolve around my ability to get up and down the stairs here.

We are going to my brother in law for Thanksgiving this year, and the first thing I have to do is to navigate the stairs we have in our new home.

I got up the stairs when we first moved here with minimal difficulty, so if I am as careful.on Turkey Day as I was on November 15, I shouldn't have too much of a problem.

But it is very scary nonetheless.

Happily, we have a landing, so I can stop and take a breather in the middle if I have to.

We might take a trial run today, as I would like to get a haircut--even this baldy guy needs to get a haircut at least once a month--and that will necessitate me to go down the stairs, and when we return, back up them.

Turkeys can't fly, and I can't fly up or down the stairs either, so I will take my time in doing so.

Yes, I kind of feel cooked, but it is something I will have to do.

And it will be good for me to get out of the house a little bit. I feel.like I already have "houseatosis," even though we have been here for just a week.

So have a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

I will be back here on Monday, so have a great holiday, and a "fruitful" Black Friday.

And remember these words from this old song by the Raiders, "The Turkey":

I know where you are goin’
I know where you have been
I know when you go out
and I know when you come in

Because i am the turkey

Don’t try to get away
’Cause you know that you can’t hide
If you go around the haystack

I'll catch you on the other side

Because i am the turkey

I'll chase you up and down
I'll run you all the way
I'll chase you past tomorrow
Right into yesterday

Because i am the turkey

(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo, bop+bop+a+dop)
(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo, bop+bop+a+dop)
(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo, bop+bop+a+dop)
(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo, bop+bop+a+dop)
(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo, bop+bop+a+dop)
(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo, bop+bop+a+dop)
(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo, bop+bop+a+dop)
(shoo+bee+doo+bee doo ...

https://youtu.be/D3XITdSyLO8?si=4MAl3565npIXLFMB

Rant #3,239: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?

SInce my injury, I have become a creature of habit.

Literally, for the first time since my school days, I am on something of a schedule.

My wife and I generally wake up a 6 a.m., and from there, I am on a schedule, pretty much dictated by what is on TV.

I have breakfast, and then I am off to the races ... laying in my bed, of course.

I watch, in pretty much rapid succession  a slew of old TV sitcoms that I still love, and seeing these shows act as something of "comfort food" for my mind during this very stressful period I am in right now.

Among the sitcoms I watch are "My Three Sons," ,"Leave It To Beaver," "Family Affair," "The Donna Reed Show," "Dennis the Menace," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "The Monkees," mixed in with a bit of news.

I read the newspaper in between, and of course, I get washed up and dressed for the day during this period, too.

As the afternoon comes, I will get away from all of this, as I do my work and try to do what I can do to get things ship-shape for our new living quarters.

And, of course how can I forget that in early morning, before the TV goes on, I type out this Rant?

In the late afternoon and evening, I watch a lot of news programs, and later, I watch sports shows, and I invariably fall asleep on these shows ... and then it all starts up the next day, and the next day after thst.

Look, I am not one for schedules, but when you are in the situation I am in, you are kind of forced into one.

Once I can start physical therapy, I am sure all.of this will change, but right now, it is what it is.

I just have to be patient, and one day in the future, I will no longer be bound by such a schedule.

But right now, I don't think I have very much of a choice in the matter.

"My Three Sons" is on in about 37 minutes ... .

Rant #3,238: In My Life

My 66 years on this earth have put me face to face with many challenges.

Being the first child, the first grandchild and the first great-grandchild, I immediately got saddled with a lot of hopes and dreams by my family.

I hope it all turned out all right.

And then through the yesrs, I had many other challenges to face, including the breakup of my first marriage and the need to constantly transform.and reinvent myself until I could find the right career direction.

I think I managed to circumvent all.of this, and sometimes things happen for a reason; you just have to see how everything eventually falls into place.

But nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for the past four yesrs, culminating with my family's move to new environs and the serious leg injury I suffered while helping us get to where we needed to be.

But while the leg injury persists, and probably will for months to come, our move is finally complete.

Just about every box has been emptied, just about everything has been put in its proper place, and I did just about nothing to help us get to this point, because quite frankly, I can't.

I still have to do our desktop computer, and hook.up everything to.it, but something I vowed that I would do this weekend continues to sit unattended, because I am still hurting from yesterday, when a mishap by the movers when transporting my records--just 45 RPM singles--forced me to spend three hours or so getting one section, in particular, in proper order.

I over extended myself, but once I got into it, I could not stop, and my leg was sore from doing this, so I vowed today would be a 100-percent rest and recivery day for me--

But all the while, my wife and son worked their behinds off doing other things to turn this apartment into our home, and while not everything is perfect, it is as good as it is going to get with just a few days here under our belt.

Some things we cannot find, and we found some things that we thought were lost for good.

Other things were damaged, but happily, most of our stuff moved to the new dwelling no.more worse for wear than they were in the old place.

But here I sit, unable to do anything, and on Friday, it really hit me.

I fell asleep, and promptly had the mother of all nightmares, as I dreamed of my accident but from a different vantage point, behind me.

So as if we had a camera on the stairs of the old house, I literally dreamed of what the accident looked like from that angle, and I woke up truly beside myself ... and I was kind of off the entire day, suffering from a depressed feeling about myself and just being down mentally the entire day.

That nightmare probably actually lasted milliseconds, but the aftermath lasted the entire day.

I kind of got out of it later in the day, but the fact of the matter is that I am doing the best I can do under very trying circumstances.

I am.in the new apartment, but I really can't fully enjoy it because I can't move around much.

But when I do see what was done by my wife and son, I am very impressed, in particular with the "can-do, must-do" attitude my family took.in getting this pretty much done without my help.

They had their own challenges, and they soared over them with lots of hard work and an equal amount of panache.

I cannot thank them enough for doing all.of this; I just wish I could have helped.

Perhaps this will.onecday be looked at as the largest challenge I have ever faced in my life, but my family has taken the bull by the horns and they did what they needed to do.

This was a very difficult period for us for a variety of reasons.

This was so difficult that my wife and I vowed that this would be our final move. Even before my injury, I think.our age definitely caught up.with us while we prepared for the move, eventually moved, and then when everything had to be sorted out as we finally relocated.

It was hard enough at age 66 ... but can you imagine doing this again at age 76, 86 ... this is going to be our final move.

I can't guarantee that ... I can only hope.

Rant #3,237: If This Is It

Things are moving fast where I am right now, and it is truly hard to believe, but today is the last full day that we will spend in the old homestead.

We moved here as a family on July 28, 1971, so we were here--in one form or another--for nearly 52 and a half years, but that ends tomorrow.

So today is the final full day here. 

Having been here myself for 50 of thos years--less two or so years when I was elsewhere--I have some incredible memories of this place,  with the good outdistancing the bad by quite a lot.

I remember my parents, who lived in New York City their entire lives, saw what was happening to the city they loved in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and did not want that for my sister and I.

When we settled in here, I remember the yearly barbecues we had in the back yard with all my parents' friends from the old neighborhood and beyond.

I remember when i wss living day to day somewhere else, not knowing where to turn, and my parents going through the rigorous process of adding a second floor so we would have a place we could really call home.

I remember all the birthdays, the anniversaries, the graduations, and all the great times we had here.

I also remember the bad times, but I guess if 90 percent of your 50 yesrs in one dwelling are great, you are going to have some bad times, so I really can't complain too much.

As I sit here not being able to move around much, all of these memories are going through my head at a rapid pace. 

But it is now time to move forward, and make new memories at our new place.

My heart will always be here, but all good things must come to an end, I guess. 

And we are going to start fresh in the new place, certainly leaner and meaner than we were in this house.

It is time to.pass on the baton to others, and I hope they have 50 grest years in this house as I had.

I wish the new owners the best of luck, and I hope it all works out for them.

The rest of the week.is going to be dodgy because of our move.

I don't know exactly when we will have Intrrnet access all set up in the new dwelling, nor how I am going to hook up our computers being in the condition that I am in.

So, please give me a few days until you hear from me again.

I am sure I will have plenty to tell you about the new place, and how it feels to actually be sleeping in a real bed after three weeks of sleeping in a lounge chair.

So I don't know if I will speak to you again this week or next week, but whatever the case, my family and I will be in our new abode ...

And maybe for the first time in a long time, we will be able to breathe again.

Rant #3,236: Hats Off To Larry

 

Here I am again!

This is where I belong. As my family spends its final days in its long-time abode and sashays into another residence.

I just wish we could really "sashay" into the new place.

I survived surgery, am laid up unable to move much until about the end of this year, and then will have to go through many weeks of physical therapy to be able to walk again--

So right now, at least, I am.not "sashaying" anywhere.

The surgery supposedly went well. 

I not only had major damage to the quad in my left leg, but also to surrounding tissue, so it was like the surgeon was wrapping a package, making sure that all ends met perfectly before affixing it all together.

And supposedly he was able to do that just fine.

I wasn't nervous about the surgery at all. But I have to admit, as it got closer to happening, I was starting to think about it a bit too much for my own good.

I was rolled into the pre-op area, and there were two other people in there with me. I did not have my glasses, but I think one was a woman going through arthroscopic surgery of some sort, and she went to the operation room first.

Then there was another guy going fir surgery, but he had to wait a bit like I did.

Some people came into talk with him first, including the nurse and the anesthesiologist, and in whatever I could pick up from their talking with him that I could hear, "Bob"--I think that is what his name was--was having some sort of cancer surgery.

When I heard that, I thought to myself, "What are you worried about ... this guy is having CANCER surgery ... your surgery is nothing compared to what this guy is going through."

It kind of settled me down a bit.

"Bob" went in before me, and then it was my turn.

I went from the bed to the operating table, was told to take some deep breaths--

And I don't remember a thing until.i woke up about 90 minutes later.

Still under the anesthesia, I remember the first thing I asked for was a hot dog.

"We don't have a hot dog, but we can give you ginger ale and some Lorna Doone cookies," the nurse said to me.

I took her up on her offer, and they tssted so good.

I was out of the hospital that day, and I am now recuperating.

I really can't move my left leg at all, so while it doesn't hurt much. I am a little uncomfortable, more so during the evening, where I am not sleeping much, including on the night of the day of my surgery.

An hour here, two hours there, 45 minutes or so another time.

If I get five hours a night, I have to consider that a good night's sleep.

And as we all prepare for the big day on Wednesday, all I can do is sit here, and bide my time

And it isn't something I am finding very easy to do.

Rant #3,235: Say a Little Prayer

Yesterday evening, I got clearance by my doctor for my operation, so we are a go for tomorrow.

I still don't know the time, but if one can be said to be "looking forward" to an operation, it is me.

I want to get onto the road to recovery ASAP., and getting this done and over with is the answer to my prayers, if you will.

I realize I have a long road to recovery--I was already told four to six weeks, and then physical therapy--but I am ready for it, because I want to be able to walk again.

Also yesterday, i was fitted with like my fourth brace, and this one is the one that I will have to wear after surgery.

I have it on now ... it is uncomfortable, but I guess it will have to suffice.

All I want to do is to get this procedure done and to be able to move on with my life, so whatever it takes ...

Sorry for the brevity of today's Rant, but honestly, there really isn't much more to say to you.

I think that I will be stepping down from my perch here for a few days while I get the operation and begin to recover. 

But I do hope to be back on Monday, all ready to go into the wide blue yonder.

I just want to close out today's Rant by wishing my wife a happy birthday.

She gains a year on Friday, and let me tell you, without her, i really don't know where I would be. 

And I mean that in general.

She has been remarkable through this travesty, but she has been remarkable through our 30 years of marriage.

I love her and wish her the best on her birthday.

And next week, we finally move to our new apartment, so I will have plenty to talk about related to that situation.

So I will speak to you again on Monday.

In the interim, please say a little prayer for me, and for my family in general.

We can use all the help we can get.

Rant #3,234: What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round

That is exactly what I am doing ... hangin' 'round until.i have my surgery on Wednesday.

I literally cannot do much of anything.

I sit in a recliner with my legs up, and I can't go into my bed because I might not be able to make it up the stairs, so I am stuck downstairs until the day we move into our new apartment ... and again I am faced with getting up the stairs that the new place has.

But I won't have a choice then ... I am hoping that the surgery allows me more range of motion, and that I can get up the stairs and not down until I have to.

I can't sleep, taking catnaps more than anything else.

So as I type this out, I have slept about two-and-a-half hours, and that is it, and it is about 1 a.m. in the morning.

Maybe writing will make me tired and I can get some more sleep.

Later today, I have to go to be fitted for a brace for my soon-to-be-repaired left leg, and then later, I have to go to by doctor to get fully cleared for surgery.

It is a mess, I am a mess, and I am still days away from being able to post on Facebook, and that is why I am not there.

What I did do this weekend is to get my records organized and ready for the big move.

Look, I had to compromise.

We simply do not have the room for 10 000 or so LPs and 45s, so the LPs will have to go into a storage area in plastic crates--I hope they do not warp--and the 45s are coming with us to the apartment.

Before I hurt myself, I bought a nice, heavy plastic drawer to transfer as many of the 45s to these drawers as possible.

This weekend, my wife went out and bought another such unit, and you can see them in the picture accompanying this entry.

Anyway, I decided that no matter how much pain and discomfort I was in, I was going to transfer as many 45s as possible into these two units.

With the help.of my wife and son--who brought down to me the smaller bins I had these records in in perfect alphabetical.order for years--I actually got up from my chair and filled up these two bins with 45s, again in perfect alphabetical order.

Those two bins have three very wide and deep drawers, and I was able to get all the 45s into the bins working from the bottom and starting with the letter "Z" and working my way forward, I got the bins to hold all the 45s through the letter "E."

(Each drawer is wide enough for two rows of 45s, so the two units house six rows each of 45s, or a total.of 12 rows between the two of them.)

Well, what about "A," "B," "C," and "D"?

In a perfect world. I really could use one more of these bins, but we simply do not have the room.

Prior to my injury, I threw out a lot of clothes, and the clothes I did keep were pretty much put into the top two drawers of the bedroom dresser my wife and I share--and that includes shirts, pants, underwear and socks.

So that leaves my end table--which had housed my socks and underwesr--which is niw completely empty ... but not for long, as this unit will now be used to house the remainder of my 45s.

Whatever excess i might have can go in the bottom drawer of my part of the dresser, but I am hoping that they will all go into the end table.

And I won't know until someone can bring down the end table and I can work.on that--hopefully after my operation.

So at least I was able to do something to contribute to the move even though I really can't move around too much.

It made me feel real good inside.

Rant #3,233: What I Am

Today, I get an MRI on my bad left leg, all.in preparation for my upcoming surgery on Wednesday.

I had another restless sleep, just a few hours of dozing off and nothing more.

But I guess I am holding up as good as I could be under the circumstances.

When I went to the pre-opp session, I was asked a variety of medical-related questions about my health background, but one of the questions i was asked had absolutely nothing to do with my health.

I was asked my religion.

This is a Catholic hospital, and I guess that they feel they have a right to ask such a question, as they prefaced it by stating, "You do not have to say if you do not want to," but honestly, why wouldn't I tell them?

I told them I was Jewish, and we moved onto the next questions, which were much more important in the grand scheme of things.

That happened during the initial phase of the pre-op, but it then came up again later, when the nurse was taking down my information.

"You don't have to tell us, but do you need special accommodations for your religion?" she asked, and again, I told her I was Jewish, but no special accommodations were needed.

(I mean, I am not going to light Shabbos candles or need kosher food in the relatively short time I will be there.)

Again, I guess it is standard procedure to ask a patient's religion in a Catholic hospital, but I can't figure out why this question is being asked in the first place.

If this was a Jewish hospital, would the same question about religion be asked?

I have no idea.

And in these troubled times we live in, where anti-Semitic incidents continue to spiral out of control and upward, why wouldn't I tell the hospital that I was Jewish?

Will I not put up a menorah in the front window of our new residence when it is Hannukah?

Will I be hesitant to reveal my religion to people because I am scared of retribution?

I am not scared, not scared at all of any backlash for being what I am.

And if anyone has anything to say about it, that is their problem, not mine.

I am Jewish, I am proud of that fact, and whether you ask me about it in a hospital or in passing conversation, it is not something that I am ever going to hide or lie about.

If you are hiding who you are, you are playing into the hands of those who want to rid the earth of you---

And why would I ever want to do that?

(And on a much lesser note, if you are wondering why I am not on Facebook at all, the social media network police did not like my post yesterday, stating it violated their rules, so they gave me six days for the violation. 

Please read what I wrote yesterday right here below today's Rant. If you can explain to me how I violated their rules with this post--or any post I have put up there during the past two months--please let me know, because I am completely dumbfounded by all of this.

And yes, someone did bring up that perhaps I have been targeted by someone because I am Jewish, and in today's world, I can't discount such a possibility.)

Have a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,232: Get Ready

Yesterday, I went for the surgery prep at the hospital that is performing my surgery next Wednesday.

I just want this entire nightmare to be over.

Everything went well yesterday, so I am ready to go.

My leg actually isn't has sore as it had been, but it still is out of whack, which the surgery will certainly correct.

Since I am in somewhat if a contorted position, my neck and back are hurting me, and not being able to get upstairs and sleep in my bed isn't making me feel any better, both emotionally and physically ... and mentally, too.

I still go over the entire accident in my head I've and over and over again, and it makes no sense.

But it happened. It is what it is, and I will get through all of this.

My wife and son have been great about all of this. They have helped me at every turn, and they keep keeping going.

About the only good thing about this mess us that I can continue to work, which is a good thing for me.

It takes my mind off of things, at least for a little while.

Will I ever get upstairs in this house I have called home for the past 50 years? 

I simply don't know. 

But what I do know is that I am going to have to get up the stairs in the new place, and once I get up those stairs. I will be beginning my new life in our new residence, finally closing the chapter--hopefully-- on the mess that the old house had become to myself and my family.

And that is the goal now: to get out of here in one piece.

I know I can do it ...

There is no alternative.

Rant #3,231: I'm Down

In the condition that I am in, I simply cannot do much of anything, and it is beginning to get to me.

I am sitting on a recliner, with my left leg propped up and really immovable. My left leg has an uncomfortable brace on it, and since I really cannot get anywhere, I am using an old pickle jar for, let's say, emergencies.

I only have to go a step or two to the table, where I can eat and do my work on a laptop computer, and of course, I can type out this Rant right on my phone.

But since I can't get up the stairs of the house I am going to call home for at least the next two weeks, I can't even sleep in my bed, nor can I be around my family unless they come to me ... which they do frequently.

Thank goodness for the laptop computer and the phone, both of which allow me to do "something" and not sit here and do nothing.

I can do my work on the laptop, communicate with others and watch TV on my phone, and I always have the newspaper--which we still have delivered and which my wife gets for me outside in the driveway--to keep me going.

I am managing, but I am not sleeping, maybe taking catnaps but that is about it.

I miss my family being down here 24/7, and I feel terrible that I cannot help out with our move two weeks from today.

One week from today is the day I have my surgery, and yes, I am looking forward to that day, because I want to get back to normal so very badly, and this should be the first step in doing that.

But until then, I just feel like nothing more than a lump.of flesh, and I try to keep my spirits up, but it is darn hard to do so.

I am down right now, but if anyone can kick this thing, it is me.

I promise my family and myself and you that I will do just that.