Party room- a place for fun, pity, commiserating, or any other thing you come up with

[Mark N]

newcervie, the coma days aren't good as I don't wake up for anything including no going to the bathroom for 24 - 36 hours. I have slept through a plumber cutting out a 6 foot trench in our concrete basement floor [just 8 feet from me] and I woke up with concrete dust on me and my laptop computer. Sorry to hear pain is keeping you from sleeping very well. I usually don't sleep well because of the pain but lately I have been sleeping quite a bit and keeping the pain under control. How long before you go ahead with the surgery on your arm?

I was up and about for several hours today but still feeling sleepy most of the time. It was cool, damp, and windy so I didn't go outside today. Penny was in a good mood and we had a good time being together so it was nice be stuck in the house today.

[newcervie]

Mark,

We are looking at July for surgery due to my work schedule. The optimal times for my work is either May or July. My guess is I'll be off work for about 4 weeks. Since I won't be able to lift Steph for a long time, we are going with July as my husband won't be taking classes so he'll be around to help.

Okay, you definitely slip into a "coma". I'm out on those nights but couldn't say if I'd sleep through concrete work.

[Mark N]

newcervie, I hope you can keep the pain level down until July. It is so hard for our kids to understand that we can't pick them up and I am seeing it right now with my granddaughter that wants her pregnant mom to pick her up even though she can't. I hope your surgery goes well and the recovery goes easy on you so you can get back to work in the time plan you have.

[Mark N]

Guido, looks like just you and me so bring me a cold coke and I will tell you about my granddaughter. My wife and I watched her while her parents were shopping so we took her to the park to go down the slides [she loves slides]. She had a great time and laughing so much wanting us to hide and not get her. Then we took her back home and she made sure each of us had our stuffed toys to hold. Then her grandma started playing "round the posey and we all fall down" that is the short way. She would run around her grandma as she spun around and then fell down with her grandma. She wanted grandpa to do it so I got around a couple of times then my duty was over. Emery was just having a great time and didn't miss her mom or dad. Thanks for the popcorn to go with this coke as it is something good to munch on.

[mrsQ]

Hi guys. I have not forgot about you all just still having computer issues. I hope my new hard drive shows up this week. I have the desktop but using it just doesn't work out well with the back so I end up just checking email/facebook on it.
Still just getting by day by day here. Taking care of my mother in law is getting to me. I only get to sleep 2hours at a time and we are going into month 5 of it.
I had a major scare with the spinal stuff today, it was a good reminder that I'm not ok no matter how much I try to pretend. Glad you had a good day with your granddaughter Mark.

[Mark N]

Karen, sorry to hear about the computer problems. Our spines have the nasty habit of reminding us that all isn't well no matter how we try to pretend it is. Taking care of your MIL has to be putting you under a lot of stress including the stress of not sleeping well enough.

I had a good day today after sleeping yesterday. I hope to sleep tonight but we will have to wait and see. The rest of the family will be leaving me on Thursday to go to our nephews wedding. It is a 6-7hour trip up there and I can't survive those trips any more unless we stay for several days. We are getting storms this evening; they haven't been too bad and the rain was needed. It is supposed to be up in the high 80s the rest of the week.

[Mark N]

I sit here all by myself as the family is up North for the nephews wedding. It doesn't feel much different right now because I am awake and the others are asleep at this time. Tomorrow I will feel like I am alone but I will find enough to do to keep me busy. It doesn't look like I have anyone else here either so Guido set me up with an ice cold Coke and heat up some of those ribs from earlier tonight. Not much on TV so bring my stuff out on the beach please. I can listen to the surf coming in and see the moon shining through the palms. I always love to be on the beach at night when I was on an island and just listen to the sea and world with the stars so bright and so many of them out that get washed out around the cities and towns. On the ocean it is a dark night except for the stars and the moon. Guido if anyone shows up send them out my way please and bring out what ever they want as we will watch the tide come in.

[Mark N]

Guido, it seems as if we may be the only ones around any more. This sure used to be a happening place but I understand that times change. I slept yesterday away so I didn't miss the family but I was up today and it was strange not having Penny and Tyrel here. I did get out in the yard and do some work along with going to the mart and getting a tomato plant to put out which I did. We are supposed to be getting ripe tomatoes by the 2nd week of July as this plant only takes 62 days to mature. I got some stone around the new planting area [this is the last new area as there isn't any more room to add more] and it dressed it up quite a bit. I have some low laying shrubs planted along with some irises. I need to come up with some major plant to anchor the bed but I haven't decide which plant I will steal from the back bed or buy an inexpensive plant at the end of the season. Well Guido get me an ice cold Coke please and I think I will take the nice rare Prime Rib tonight with an extra large baked potato.

Guido, we might have to bring in a new motif to get the crowd back in the room or do think people have just gone their own way.

[Mark N]

Guido, you an me pal. The family got home late this afternoon and it is good to have them back. They sure were tired after the long car ride back so we didn't do much together but it is good to hear them in the house. It is hot and rainy today as we had a couple thunderstorms roll through this afternoon. The new tomato plant survived okay and the rest of the flowers and plants needed the water. I guess I will head back in Guido as I am tired and ready to sleep. If anyone stops by tell them I said hi.

[newcervie]

Mark - It's nice to read your posts. I try to visualize the work you describe doing around the yard. I hope the tomato plant produces tomatoes on schedule for you. Tomatoes don't tend to fare well around here due to our hit or miss summer/warm weather.

I have booked my surgery and even got the surgery time. What is surprising is now there's the remote possibility of only one night in the hospital. I distinctly remember what it was like last time so I'm figuring it will be two nights. Now, I've got to wait for the insurance company to approve (or deny) the surgery.

[Mark N]

Newcervie, you got the business part taken care of now comes the hard part - the surgery. Good luck, I hope the procedure has improved enough that one night in the hospital is enough. I remember how nice it was to get back home and take it easy. All the yard work has been easy things to do and things I can do a little bit at a time. Our house is well known in town for our planting beds as most people just have yards and don't do a lot with them. It is getting better than the last time we lived here as more homes are working on landscaping and you can really tell the places that do.

I need to get out in the morning so I can get my blood drawn to get my 6 month check on liver functions. I will get my weekly testosterone injection while there. It was raining a good part of the afternoon and evening so are plants are going to be taking off again.

[newcervie]

Mark,

Regarding the surgery, there's been no change to the surgery. The surgeon said if I felt well enough I could leave the next day but he said most likely it would be two days for this surgery. It was the scheduler who said it was one night so we'll just see what happens. I distinctly remember what it was like last time so I'm prepared for two nights. There were complications during surgery so I ended up with a chest tube.

I was a driver for my son's field trip today. They went to a place that supports organic gardening. It was an interesting trip. The kids got to dig through dirt and pick up worms. They had some edible plants that the kids could try. You should have seen the kids going to town on the plants as it was right before their normal lunch time.

I hope your liver function tests turn out okay.

[Mark N]

Newcervie, my liver test comes out good every time it is just something I have to do to take the med I am using. I don't have any other liver red checks so I don't expect to have any trouble with it at any time. Your surgery time in the hospital sounds like the insurance wants it to be one night but your doctor wants to be sure you don't have any issues before going home. I think it make it easier to go through a surgery you already have had. Please try not to have a chest tube as I had that with my thoracic spinal surgery. It is just a buggy thing as far as I am concerned but it would mean you have some blooding that the doctor didn't count on. Give kids a chance to eat something when they are hungry and they aren't to picky so use it for a chance to give the vegetables is a good trick.

My wife brought home some flowers that do well in the back area planting bed so we put those in today. I also spent 4 minutes getting our yard mowed as I have eliminated most of the grass. I have kept enough grass to look nice but not so much that I can't get it mowed when I can get out. Today was primary voting in Indiana so my wife and son were off as the city gives their workers that day off.

[Mark N]

The liver test came back in good shape so no worries for another 6 months. Today was a good day as I was awake and had some energy. Body functions kicked right in just as I hadn't been off my feet for most of 2 days. I got out and did a bit of yard work mainly deadheading the rose bushes but also looking at how things are and making plans for a few small changes. Penny and I went for a walk after she got back from shopping. We started in a slight sprinkle that stopped with the idea of circling the block in case it started raining harder. We got to the first corner and decided the rain was holding off so one more block instead of making the turn around the block. Same thing happened at the next corner. As we were heading back it started becoming a steady rain, no umbrella, but we had trees along the way with a couple of overhangs keeping some of the rain off of us. We made it home without getting too wet but we didn't want to be out for another block. Tyrel joined us out at the local Mexican place for supper and that was nice. He actually broke away from his friends to eat with mom and dad. We will have Megan, Darrin, and Emery over for mother's day. We are planning on a cookout but if it rains, it is forecast, I will get the George Foreman grills out as we have a large on and small one. I will do burgers on the big one and hot dogs on the small one. Megan wants her mother's potato salad plush we will have a few odds and ends.

I hope all the mothers here have a wonderful day and you have your family around you or at least as much as can make it. Mothers play a major role in all our lives and I think it is a more important role "job" than many think it is. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

[mrsQ]

Morning Mark & New Cervie

My computer is back up and running....lets hope this time it lasts for more than a month.

It is good to hear you have been able to be so busy in the yard mark. Ours is still grass for the most part. It is all I can do to keep the 1/2 ac. mowed and do the trimming. I hate having to use the weed trimmer and MrQ does it some times but he is back on the wound vac & last week his MD said he can only be up 2 hour at a time. Between that news and MIL we will not be doing much this summer.
Our garden is still a small fenced in area that is growing every possible type of weed and thorn. What did you mean about deadheading the rose bushes Mark?

Hope your surgery goes well New.

I don't think it is just braintalk that has slowed down. I'm active on a local messege board and it recently has split and now is very inactive. I think people spend so much time on ''social '' media now instead of messege boards. I still miss it when chat rooms were full of folks, now it is impossible to actually talk to anyone online, it is all ''like'' or short comments.

I'm just waiting for the sitter to show up then I'm going to the store & hope I can get a nap in before she leaves this afternoon. Hope you all have a good day .
Guido, I need some coffee & I'm sick of paying what they want for these k-cups. My keurig was a gift and I liked it but the way my life is now I need a few pots of coffee a day not cups .