Week Thirty-Three

(Picture is the Grays in Grants Pass, Thanksgiving 2017)

 

Howdy all,

Well, I’m a day late again.  Today is Saturday, Friday was busy with stuff and then 9 holes of golf in the afternoon.  I practiced chipping this past week, and it paid off yesterday.  In 9 holes I chipped close enough to the pin to get 4 one-putt pars.  How about that!  But I was really pooped after 9, and that was with a cart.  I am definitely not yet ready to play 18 holes.

Carol and I joined the YMCA health club, courtesy of the Silver Sneakers program, where MediCare pays for your health club membership in an effort to keep you healthy with less medical problems down the road.  Very forward thinking, eh.

Carol did Zumba and yoga Thursday night, and I went in Friday and did some ‘spinning’ on one of the machines.  I’m going to have a personal trainer run me through all the equipment on Monday and design an exercise program for me.  The physical therapy person I have been seeing said I should join the Y, as the PT outfit does not have that much in the way of equipment to help me get my strength back.

My weight has been pretty steady all week…125.0 last Saturday, and 124.8 this morning.  I got as high as 125.8 during the week, and as low as 124.1 lbs.  Eating is getting easier..i.e. I can eat more at one sitting, so each meal is not quite as crucial as it was a few weeks ago. Although I do have a tendency to eat too much occasionally, and then I suffer with a very full and uncomfortable stomach situation.

My attitude is good, I’m feeling better physically each week, but still very weak and easily out of breath.  Going up stairs I huff and puff for a few minutes afterward, and I was really surprised how tired I got playing golf.

Not much in the way of pain…except for a pain in my back that I get occasionally, I guess primarily from leaning over in the kitchen fixing something to eat or cleaning up.  It sometimes comes on when I’m walking or playing golf and it is very uncomfortable.  I think there’s some healing that still has to go on regarding my back, as the surgeons had to cut through some muscle in the back to get into my chest cavity.

We are going down to San Francisco next week to see USF play St. Mary’s in basketball, and to visit with some old college mates, and to do a little dining out.

So, I think that’s about it for this week.

Here’s kind of a gruesome poem, but it was an interesting exercise in putting it together…finding the right words to keep the rhyming going.  I’ll try to be more cheerful next week.  Maybe I’ll have something about death then.

 

          A Grim Reaper

Yes, he’s just a small town cracker

With a chip upon his shoulder.

 

He’s a monumental slacker

Who can’t wait until he’s older.

 

Then he’ll find himself a backer

And become a whole lot bolder.

 

With a Glock he’ll be a packer

On the streets he’ll be a soldier.

 

With the smoothness of a lacquer

He’ll let his feelings smolder.

 

And his heart won’t be a factor

As his countenance grows colder.

 

To some poor soul he’s a whacker

And his victim gets no older.