Life in Cayuga

 I’ve told you about being an “esteemed” judge at The Tailganator World Championship Freestyle Wing Cooking Contest Of Newton County, TTWCFWCCONC. This year’s event was this weekend.  As usual, it was outstanding!  Wings were great but the “Mystery Mix” cocktails and the “One Bite Wonders” were unbelievable!  The only controversy was trying to remember if this was number 12 or 13! My favorite cocktail was a chocolate drink that was a variation on a mudslide.  Another was a piña colada that was really good. My favorite “bite” was fried  pimento cheese balls, followed closely by salmon burnt ends.   The best part, though, is spending time with good friends and making new friends. I don’t get to see my friend Todd but a couple of times a year and it’s  always good visiting with him.  Michael Wayne and Tracy, our hosts, are the same.  Great people and dear friends.  Here’s some pictures of the drinks and bites.  

 I had my knee replacement surgery on September 17.  Surgery went fine, no problems or complications.  They had me up on a walker taking a few steps that afternoon.  That’s when the fun began!   I’ve had a good bit of pain, about what I expected, but it gets better every day.  I have pain meds if I need them but I try not to take them unless it gets really bad.  I’ve been using a walker since the surgery. They are planning for me to “graduate” to a cane sometime this week. I’ll be glad. The walker is great, but I can’t do anything with my hands while I walk and it’s hard to get in and out of some doors. While I’m on the cane, they will help me learn to walk without it.  That’s the ultimate goal. I had home physical therapy starting the day I got home from the hospital.  I did that for two weeks then started outpatient PT.  I had heard all the horror stories about PT following knee replacement and I was a little apprehensive. It hasn’t be...

I have a new knee. Brand new, never used before! I’ve had it a week now and so far so good. I have a 12 inch incision down my leg that looks like they put me back together with duct tape! The surgery went well and I was up walking that afternoon. Spent one night in the hospital and came to my sister’s.   The rehab is everything I’d heard it would be.  It hurts.  I’m not going to lie. It hurts like hell.  They want me to keep the knee as flat as possible but also bend it as much as I can! I’m trying! Ice every 2 hours. Pain meds every 6 hours as needed. The therapist says I’m doing great and that I’m farther along than most of his knee patients at this stage. I have home physical therapy three days a week and I also have a stationary bike they sent that is connected to wifi and I have to ride it and follow the online program up to 5 times a day.  I’ll go back to the doctor in another week.  They will redress the bandage and set me up with outpatient rehab. ...

 Last year I told you about going with Susan to the high school football game and how much I enjoyed it.  We went back last night, and I enjoyed it even more! I had a ball because I was sitting by the two cutest girls in the stadium! They were about 5 and were adorable!  They were best friends and when they saw each other, they ran and hugged and were so happy!  And they were so sweet!  They were curious about the oxygen cannula in my nose, so I explained that it helps me breathe. Then I took it off and let them feel the air coming out.  They were fascinated!  But I enjoyed sitting by them.  This year was different, in a couple of ways.  First, Susan retired after last school year. She had been teaching for 30 years and she realized it was time, and she’s happier than she’s been in a long time. But she stays in touch with all her teacher friends there and even with a few students, and keeps up with what’s going on at the school. And as I said...

 I’m back from Chicago!  It was an absolutely wonderful and amazing trip!  We had so much fun!   Before I tell you all the highlights, I have to make a couple of observations. First, the entire state of Illinois is one gigantic construction zone!  The entire length of the state, from Cairo to the Wisconsin border was all construction.  We go 5 miles with both lanes open, then 20 miles of one lane.  Traffic never stopped, but it was slow-going.  Second, I made a terrible mistake when I was younger.  I should have gone into the orange barrel business!  I’m not exaggerating, I bet we saw a million orange barrels on this trip!  If I’d gone in the barrel business, I’d be richer than Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates combined!   Now.  Our hotel was 2 blocks from the Red Line train station so we walked over and took the train straight to Wrigley.  We went a little early and wandered around Wrigleyville before the game. ...

 I love the Chicago Cubs.  Back in the day when TBS carried Braves games, most people in the south followed them because they’re the southern team. I always preferred watching the Cubs on WGN.  I loved Harry Carey!  And I guess I just wanted to be different!   In 1999, I had to make a business trip to Chicago.  I took the family and we went to a Cubs game.  We sat in the right field bleachers at Wrigley with all the “Bleacher Bums”!  Between innings, the outfielders would warm up and throw the warmup ball into the bleachers. Sammy Sosa was the right fielder, and he was still competing for the homerun title. Between innings once, Stephen and Lee went to the restroom and Dan stayed with us.  When Sammy finished warming up, he tossed the ball into the bleachers again and this time Dan got it!  His brothers were so jealous!  We buried that ball with him a year later.   As I’ve told you, I’m turning 70 next month. And I want recogni...

 Update on my upcoming surgeries: Knee replacement will be September 17. They have to consult with my pulmonologist and cardiologist, but we don’t anticipate any problems.  Skin cancer surgery is October 29. Honestly I’m a little more stressed about this than I am the knee.  I’ve had 2 basal cell carcinomas removed.  Basal cell grows slow and rarely spreads.  This is a squamous cell carcinoma.  They are more likely to spread to other organs than the basal cell.  Not always, but the chances are more than the basal cell.   I was thinking today about all the surgeries I’ve had.  The knee and the skin cancer surgeries will be my 8th and 9th surgeries, both outpatient and inpatient. That doesn’t count things like colonoscopies or stitches or other procedures. I had hernia surgery in 1956, tonsils out in 1962, testicle surgery, 1966, first knee surgery in 1975, second knee surgery in 1982, parotid gland surgery in 2022, skin cancer surgery in 2019 ...