What A Day

Sunday was a loud day in my neighborhood especially in the last few minutes of the Seahawk Championship Game.  Fireworks went off and there was none stop yelling as the Seahawk's came from behind with a few minutes left to take the lead only to give it up as Green Bay kicked a field goal to tie the game.  The Seahawks took a knee and the game went into overtime where the Seahawks ultimately won the game with a huge touch down pass.  While the Green Bay Packers did play better than the Seahawks they failed to capitalize on opportunities and there was not upset for the odds makers to run from.  Off to the Super Bowl after we find out how badly banged  up we are.

The leg is getting better.  Still having issues with getting up and down stairs but the majority of the pain is gone.  There is an nawing ache like a tooth that tries to drive you crazy when you can't find a position to put the leg in that doesn't hurt.  But compared to Tuesday evening I am doing really good.

Thanks for dropping by, hope everything is well.

Dinner

I said I might take a picture...I did....go Hawks

Our 2015 Trip

So these are tentative plans and depending on weather and other assorted items it may change along the way but we need a starting point.  Things that will not be left out include spring training in Phoenix, visiting cousins in Watertown, SD and Baltimore and anything having to do with history.  There may be some items deleted and others added as we cruise across the country but we will make those choices as we move.  In fact, I have already added one stop though not far from our travel route with a visit to Elkhart, IN home to the RV Museum.  I think this will keep us busy for a couple of months perhaps more considering it is a 10,448 mile trip that will chew up roughly $2,000 dollars in fuel costs along with using up much more than the 162 hours of driving time that is estimated on the map.

I am so ready to hit the road and see what we can find as we travel across the country and back.  I know the weather can disturb trips like these and we will keep a very close eye on the national weather news online while checking locally on the radio and internet.  I will pray for good weather, not too hot or cold and continued low gas prices.  The estimated fuel cost is based on the current national average of $2.14 per gallon with 12 miles to the gallon (we get slightly better than that) for the entire trip.

Our sleep number bed arrived however we cannot go to the trailer this weekend.  Mia has a memorial for a friend of hers today and tomorrow is the big game in Seattle for the NFC Championship with Green Bay playing the Seahawks.  The team the makes the least amount of mistakes (and both are known for making them) will win the game unless it turns out like the Oregon/Ohio game where the team than had the most fumbles won.  It could be an upset but the folks here in Seattle (7 1/2 point favorites) certainly don't think so.

I will be making some shredded pork nachos for the big game tomorrow.  I might show you a picture before I eat them....or not.

Hope everyone is having a great time.  Perhaps we will cross paths as we travel across the country.

Be safe and thanks for stopping by.

Ouch!!!

As I left my place of employment last night I noticed the bus that I needed to catch was sitting at the stop light just up the street from our location.  I decided that I should run to meet the bus since it was so close.  A sixty seven year old man who doesn't usually run, probably shouldn't run to catch the bus.  I got about ten steps, heard and felt something snap and my left knee went into terrible pain.  I had a hard time making it to the bus but I did and I found a seat and contemplated my next move.

I normally have to walk three city blocks in downtown Seattle to get to my transfer bus that takes me home to Federal Way.  I wasn't so sure I could walk that far so I began reaching out to family to see if I had an issue and couldn't walk to the bus stop, perhaps someone could pick me up and get me somewhere so my wife could come and get me.  I also contacted Mia to make sure she was aware of the troubles I was having.  As it turned out, I was able to make it to the bus stop (painfully) and catch my bus home.  Instead of walking home from the bus stop (3/4 of a mile) I decided to get off at the transit center and have Mia pick me up.  Seemed to me to be the safest place for her to come and get me.

I went home and had dinner but the pain was pretty bad and I felt like I needed to know what was wrong so we went off to urgent care in Tacoma.  Mia left me because the place was a zoo with a two to three hour wait to get into a room.  A lot of folks with the flu and upper respiratory issues.  I guess I was pretty lucky because I got in and out with a visit to the pharmacy in just over two hours.

The doctor walks in the room and looks at me and the first concern she has is how in the world she is going to access my knee without cutting my pant leg.  I chuckled and told her to close the door and I would just drop my pants.  I think she was wondering why someone hadn't already had my pants off but the gal that brought me to the room did nothing more than show me the room.  She never even closed the door.  The doctor and I had a couple of good laughs and then she inspected my knee motion and said the joint was fine.  She had me pose (I am not explaining that one) and suddenly created a whole bunch of pain that radiated up and down my leg from the thigh to the calf.  Of course I yelled and she yelled, Eureka it's your hamstring.  I had heard of pulled, strained and torn hamstrings but I have never actually experienced one.

The doctor said that if it was a torn hamstring I most likely wouldn't have walked into urgent care so her diagnosis was pulled or stained.  I asked her about the snapping sound and feeling and she said it is common with hamstring injuries.  Great, what's next? 

I was told I can continue to walk but that I should try to keep my weight off it as much as possible.  While I don't feel like an old man, I now look like an old crippled man with my nifty walking cane.

She gave me instructions to ice the back of my knee as much as possible during the first two to three days and provided me with pain meds to help me sleep.  Unfortunately I awoke each time I turned over during the night and while the pain wasn't real bad during the night by the time I got up this morning it was hurting again.  I can't take the pain meds for fear of drowsiness and I had to drive to work this morning.  I spent enough time sitting on my ass at home with the flu during the holidays and I just can't see myself sitting at home when this can heal and pass while I work.

So off to work I went.  Of course there was no bus involved in todays commute and I suspect I will be driving to work for the remainder of this week.

Life goes forward.  Hope all is well and thanks for stopping by.

Bedding

As we prepare to leave on our cross country trip in mid March there are some things that needed attention.  The primary one being bedding.  As we all know the weak, cheap mattress that comes with our RV's is about as worthless as a night of sleep on the gravel next to the trailer.  We have put up with it for the last couple of years because we weren't spending every night in the trailer and we put a mattress topper on it that kind of helped but now it has so many divets that it has to go.

At home we have slept on a king size deluxe Sleep Number bed for the past 17 years.  Both Mia and I have enjoyed the bed and with the exception of a bladder leak we have had very good service out of the mattress.  So last Saturday we decided to visit the local Sleep Number store and see what it would cost us to replace the flimsy short queen mattress with a deluxe Sleep Number bed.  Since is was less that we originally thought it might be, we placed an order and are now patiently waiting for our new mattress to arrive.  Of course, upon arrival we will have to take a weekend trip to Gold Bar to install and spend a night adjusting, sleeping, adjusting and sleeping some more to make sure we are ready for the big trip in March.

We are so looking forward to leaving.  Hope everyone is well.

Soggy and Wet

Monday started out soggy and wet here in the Pacific Northwest with some areas experiencing massive flooding.  In the Aberdeen, Hoquiam area, hillsides slide and mud took seveal homes off their foundations.  On top of  the hill are several hundred homes that are now stranded because the road that led to their property is gone with the slide.  Sadly the water rose and created all kinds of havoc in the region as  rivers flooded.

Luckily this morning is different.  While it appears to have rained last night this morning is slightly overcast with no rain.  Hopefully this will help those with flooding.  As I walked out this morning to catch the bus, the full moon was shining through the hazy sky and it was warmer with not rain. 

I am so looking forward to the future day when we head off into the sunset so to speak.  I just have to figure out which route to take from Federal Way to Phoenix.  I Google mapped it but I am not sure of the route they are sending me on.  1426 miles and 21 hours and 25 minutes without a trailer.  Thinking it may take a week to get there if I don't stop in Las Vegas.

Hope everyone it well and safe.

Flu Season

Well it might not be an epidemic here in Washington but Mia and I can tell you it isn't a fun flu to catch.  We did everything just the way you're supposed to.  Went in and got our free flu shot in October, washed our hands as we sang happy birthday to ourselves, and tried to stay healthy but the bug caught us the week before Christmas and we are still suffering some of the side effects.  Whatever strain this is, it is not something to be messed with at our age.  I spent the weekend before Christmas in bed completely wasted with no energy to even move.  Mia had to help me stand up whenever I got up.  At one point I told myself to move and nothing happened.  My muscles were jelly that refused to respond.  Our energy levels are slowly coming back but we still have some sinus issues.  If you catch it don't allow yourself to become dehydrated.  Drink lots of liquids and call your doctor at the onset of any symptoms.  If you wait two days it is too late for them to help you.

After being locked up in the house for a week and half, I decided that we needed to get out on New Years Day and what better road trip than to go up to Gold Bar and see how the lot and trailer are doing this winter.  It was twenty one degrees out when we arrived and needless to say we didn't stick around very long.  It was an exhausting trip and we didn't do much other than watch Bowl games when we got back.  I went back to work this past week though I am not sure why.  I should have stayed out a few more days.  I was so tired when I got home last night that I couldn't stay up to watch my Huskies lose their Bowl Game.

Going to continue to take it easy this weekend.  We have a couple of shopping trips but nothing more.  

Hope everyone is well and please take care of yourselves.