Staple Removal

Two weeks after surgery, we return to the Doc to have the two dozen staples removed. The process involves specialized pliers that grab the stable in the center and bend the middle down forcing the sides up. Katie says it will pinch. I think she needs a little remedial pinch training, since her concept of what a pinch feels like is pretty far out.




Without all the surgical packing, the knee now looks just a little swollen. but the zipper effect down the center is a little strange.

Bummed about having the knee immobilized for another five weeks -- that's through the end of May! At least the Doc gets his next look in just three weeks.

Healing Up

So this is five days since the surgery. Pain is decreasing and mobility is increasing very nicely. But the full-leg knee immobilizer is growing its annoying-ness. I've had some feeling in the area of the incision and it seems well. Increasing the length of the daily walk also.

Surgery

The bike fall with clipped in shoes was a little more damaging than I expected. So the upshot is that surgery is scheduled for later today to repair the torn ligaments of my quadriceps. The recuperation and rehabilitation period is supposed to be long. In a small irony, the preferred activities include swimming and biking!

What's Cookin'?

Morty got us home in just two days, but the weather penalty says that we beat spring to central Ohio by a good margin. As we unpacked we found the Gephardts' Chili Powder that my brother requested, and we tried it for ourselves with a little home-made traditional chili.

Very good overall taste with many overtones that go well beyond the generic product we had been using. I just wonder if it could be picked out on a blind test. You would really have to come with your game taste buds on.

Highly recommended.

Turn for Home

We will make the turn and head for home tomorrow. We called Woody Acres home for 15 days which is probably close to a record long stay for us. But the people just kept being so nice, that we didn't want to be the first to leave.

My original prediction in mid February when Lynne wanted to know when to restart the paper was Sunday April 3. Now that is looking pretty solid, but it is the meteorological pattern that has the ultimate say. We are just along for the fine weather.

Today, by the way, was the perfect specimen of the perfect spring day here in Fulton. Perfect!

We invited Mark and Beth over for wine and cheese to toast the sunset and to thank them for their kindnesses. That was wonderful, and they even brought along dinner, an upside down pizza made with warm-and-serve rolls. Since it also contained low-fat ingredients, it was a double winner.

Required Eating

Our newest [due to yet more Spring departures of the intervening] neighbors Mark and Beth took us with them to the Tuesday special at The Big Fisherman Restaurant billing it as the not-to-be-missed food event of the week in Aransas Pass. Wow! Chicken fried steak, with mashed potatoes and coleslaw and rolls for $2.50 and small frozen margaritas for $1. This place is a destination in itself. We met up with two other couples from Woody Acres and sat at one of the many large tables. Other Tuesday special choices were chicken livers or gizzards for the same price and other specials like fried fish for a couple of bucks more. We were entranced by the experience, as were thousands of others who show up for the same deal on a regular basis. You can leave a 50% tip that's only $3!

We took the back roads on the way home looking for some Sand Hill Cranes or other unusual wildlife, but had to content ourselves with just one massive bull out grazing near the road in a herd of obviously contented cows. Still some pretty good fun.

Recuperative Solitaire

A discovery that you didn't see coming -- a new solitaire game for the Mac that actually improves your play measurably. The problem with most of the other solitaires out there is that they are dumb media substitutes for physical cards, with dealing and score keeping added in.

Try McSolitaire free from the MacApp Store. This game will tell you when there are no more moves, and if you don't see the move it will play it for you. Wow! Your game will start improving instantly. There are so many subtle moves that I never knew existed, but now look for routinely. Highly Recommended

Weather Ideal

Thursday the weather turned mostly cloudy at Woody Acres. Still, the temperature went up to its normal upper 70s and this evening it should cool to the mid to upper 60s. The humidity is around 70% and the breeze from the Gulf is fairly consistent.

We are now pretty much in zone-out mode, as we wait for the Spring to  establish itself in the midwest. The only negative is the bummed knee, which suffered an additional injury as I tried to enter the hot tub yesterday. Compounding the negative, is the fact that the renewed swelling, is a contra-indicator for the ultrasound treatment -- so it's back to the ice et cetera. Couldn't ask for a better environ for rehab, though.

To fill in a few of the RV park details, it should be noted that the restrooms are private, have soap and paper towels, and are fitted with granite counters -- pretty much everything I ever wanted in RV plumbing.

Android Apps

The iBird app now on my phone has been phenomenal in helping us identify birds by sight and sound. Now making apps even more available is the Amazon App Store which daily has a paid app for free. This will probably be a great source of competition that will undoubtedly lower overall pricing. Well worth checking out if your phone is an android.

Great Blue Heron Visit

We were favored buy an up-close view of a Great Blue Heron fishing both banks of our little lake. Lynne was astounded by all the different colors on this bird.

Death to the clip-in bike shoes! Hello Ultrasound!

With our new neighbor [caused by the departure of the one between us] telling me about the Great Blue Heron Nesting site in Rockport, I biked on out the five miles to explore. It was a little further than my average jaunt, but nothing remarkable. While checking out all the museums and aquariums and the like I was surprised to find an art center. So surprised that I fell sideways and wacked my good knee into a concrete curb -- hello strained ACL. It really is past time to give up on shoes that clip my feet to the pedals. I just can't react fast enough to get them unclipped in even a slow fall anymore. I had to beg a local sculptor for a ride back to Morty. The two days since have been devoted to elevation, ice and rest. I found a ultrasound machine that ought to provide some extra healing power like the time I was in physical therapy for busting the ligaments in my left knee. It looks pretty good, and is less than half the price of most such devices being sold on the internets.




Since we ate our last RV dinner last night we were desperate to unplug Morty and head to the local Walmarts [here that has a special meaning because the new supercenter is right nest to the abandoned old-style store.] In addition to stocking up on what will probably be the last week's worth of food for this trip, I also got a knee brace which I put on immediately -- pretty big help. The UPS guy brought the Ultrasound package right up to Morty's front step. I opened it and began the first treatment. It ran for 30 minutes and shut off automatically. Just like the profesional treatment, the immediate reaction is muted indeed, but the psychosomatic benefits are huge. Highly recommended, but watch this space.

Fulton, Texas -- Woody Acres RV Resort

Nineteen miles North and on the bay, is Fulton where Woody Acres RV Resort is located. This is an older but up-to-date park with extremely friendly and laid-back residents -- a very welcome change from Pioneer where the spring-breakers had the run of the place. Here, everyone wants to chat and find out about you. The sites are a little short, and that puts the rear window looking out on one of the several ponds where ducks and turtles have the run of the place.



On Tuesday evenings there is a resident staged country music extravaganza that was very impressive. This is a real "stop to smell the roses" kind of place, and we may just extend our stay to a week or more.