It worked out for the best.

Yea!  The surgery is over.  It went so much better than I hoped it would.  I did NOT have to have bone taken from my hip!!  The surgeon said that there was a small chance that there would be a bone spur big enough to use.  And guess what he found right in the middle?  So I am thankful for a big bone spur!  Of course that probably was what was hurting me too.  So I think it is poetic justice that the thing causing me pain for years was used to fix me. 
I didn't plan this "vacation" very well.  I should have picked up a stack of books.  I could have bought photo albums and put years worth of photos away.  Maybe I can get someone to go to the store and buy me a few photo albums.
I have been ordered to not do any housework.  I am so upset that I can't do any dishes.  ; )  Y'all should know how much I love to do dishes.....
I am not supposed to lift my arms above my head or bend over and pick anything up off of the floor.  Of course that makes it difficult to do anything with my hair.  Plus I have already dropped several things on the floor.  I am not graceful and taking the pain pills just exaggerates my clumsiness.  I wish I didn't have to take the pills.  They make me very sleepy.  I have drifted off several times sitting up.  It isn't like I have to hold my head up.  The neck collar does that for me.  : )~
The surgeon did say that I could go on short car rides but to limit them as much as possible.  He said the vibration keeps the bones from healing as fast.  I think I will stay home and let everything heal faster. 
I am done for the night.  I keep drifting off. 

Good night
from the doped up purple pin cushion

chop chop

Thursday morning at 8:15 is when my surgery is supposed to start.  I have to be there at 6:00 am.  Supposed to be one night in the hospital so I should get to go home on Friday.  I was told that I would have to stay home for 3 weeks and not even be a passenger in a vehicle.  Today I found paper work that said I only had to stay home 1 week.  I am gonna have to ask the surgeon about that one.  I know I won't be able to drive but it would be nice to get out at least a little bit on the weekends.

Just one day older

It was a nice birthday.  Spent most of it in Collinsville at a fund raiser.  Collinsville has such a cool old down town.  I love old buildings!  I saw an Antique shop that I would like to take my little sister in.  Lisa loves the shops that have all kinds of old odds and ends.  I snuck outside when it stopped raining so I could take pictures. 

The Silver Dollar was full most of the day.  I enjoyed spending the day with co-workers outside of work.  Still didn't get to talk much because the live band that was playing.   

This is C C & Company.  The old dude on the drums is our retired Capt.  I can get away with calling him old because he is retired.  Hahaha! he can't fire me anymore. 

Here is the reason so many people worked so hard to make this day happen. 

It was nice that he felt good enough to spend part of the day with us.  I saw him grinning several times today.  I could tell he was grinning, even with the mask on, because I could see his crow feet. 

Tomorrow I am going to Stillwater to see Kita for her Birthday for sure! 

I need to dump all of my photos from today and charge my camera. 

I need hundreds of pictures to go through for when I am stuck at home. 

Quick trip

During lunch Friday we realized that if we did not go to Missouri this weekend I would not be able to see the Grandson until Thanksgiving.  I panicked a little bit.  That is just too long to not see him. 
Next weekend is Birthdays and the fund raiser in Collinsville.  The week after that is the surgery. 
So a quick call to see if Mattie could watch Shy and off we went Saturday morning.  It was a decent trip and we made good time.  There are flowers all over the roadside.  Yellow ones, purple ones and some type of plant that has red foliage.  I just itch to stop and take pictures but it is not safe.  I was finally able to locate some of the yellow flowers on the hillside behind our hotel. 

I took just a few moments and snapped a few photos on the way out this morning.  Sure makes me want to see what the other flowers looked like.  I was able to get a picture of the old red barn that I admired last time.  BT parked across the road and I took a few with the regular lens then I loaded the zoom lens.  Still not as close as I would have liked.  But I am pretty sure the owners would not like me walking around on their property. 

It sets up on this hill with a busy road that runs behind the property.  Rob told me last time that we visited that the owners had rebuilt it not long ago.  I have an itch to get closer and explore what kind of rock foundation was used.  There is a little bit of it visible but I would really enjoy walking around inside of it.  I haven't been inside of a barn since I was a young girl and for some reason I find I miss it.  I used to love to play inside the one in Colfax WA.  I didn't realize how cool of a building it was back then.  Sure wish I could go back and see if my memory of that place is right.

It was a nice visit.  I got to snuggle with the cutest little guy ever.  I am so glad that Rob and Carrie let me hold him so much.  I really have fallen in love with him.  I love the way he curls up next to me.  He makes the cutest faces and new baby noises.  Yep, I got it bad.

It was too cute when he put his hand and foot on my chest and fell asleep.  I kept missing parts of the conversations because I was lost in grandma land.  I don't know who took the photo on the right but I think it is the best picture of me that I have seen in years.  I need to show that side more often.  No wrinkles show and my double chin is gone.

I also got to see Kita today.  She was in town for just a little bit so I got to spend about an hour with her.  I think Mattie and I are going to try to go to Stillwater next Sunday for Kita's Birthday.  Where did the last 20 + years go.  I can remember when she was small enough to curl up on my chest.  Now she is almost a quarter of a century old.  Wow!  Putting it down like that is an eye opener.  Crap I am O L D.

Busy!

Is it really only Wednesday evening?  Wow it has been busy!  I feel like I have already worked a whole week. 

I went to a great wedding this last weekend.  My co-worker got married Sunday.  They did a great job organizing their wedding.  Wonderful location, nice ceremony, great food and everyone was just so nice.  It was casual but elegant.  Can you tell I enjoyed myself? 
Of course if the co-worker was married over the weekend that means that he is not at work this week.  I have been "handed my backside" several times and I have 2 more days to get through.  I didn't give out many reports on Tuesday because just about everything people asked for was not ready.  That means I spoke to them again today.  Boy did I hand out the reports today.  The phone wasn't as busy so I did get some reports checked in but very few scanned. 
Sorry, enough boring work details.  Here I am complaining about doing 1 week by myself and the co-worker is going to have to do 3-4 weeks by himself.  I am trying to get as much done this week so that I can work on cleaning up any loose ends for while I am off.  I have so many loose ends I am afraid to start a list.  I know it would depress me if I saw how long it was. 
I miss getting to watch FB this week.  I just don't have the time.  I usually watch while scanning but I haven't been able to scan much yet. 
The boss came in this afternoon and told me that I would be off during the time that the budget for the next year is worked up.  He said he would just have someone call me at home for my input.  I think I could squish him.  I don't think it would be hard at all.  I won't go into detail but I have planned it all out in my mind.  hehehe
Anyway my head is swimming with all the details and it seems each day someone wants to add a job that will take days to get done.  I don't think I am going to get 1/2 of it done.  I have never been off work for this long of a time frame.  I think I dread what it is going to look like when I get back.  There is only so much one person can get done and it will pile up on the co-worker no matter how hard he tries. 
Oh well, nobody will die over it and the mess will clean up with enough washing.  It will.  I know it will.  I am just dreading all of the washing! 
The shot may have been a bad choice but it did get the surgery scheduled sooner.  The shot has caused me to be in more pain and nothing seems to motivate me more than constant pain.  Not even embarrassment.  The doc's office did call me back this week and told me that it will be a fusion not a joint replacement.  WAY to much arthritis in the area.  That means I do not get to have the cool replacement part and get to have bone taken from my hip.  OH JOYFUL! 
Does anyone know of a place that I can hide and cry for awhile?  I know I can't hide for long but a few days would be nice.  The thought of me having way to much arthritis in any area is depressing.  Really don't like the idea of them cutting on my neck and moving everything around so that they can get to the area they need to work on.  ( I wonder if I will set of a metal detector after is is all done? )
  Here I am fussing about 1 surgery and I know someone else that is going through so much more.  I feel silly and foolish.  Glad he is in Texas and not here to laugh at me.  I will put on my brave face.  Get as much done as I can.  Let the rest wait and try not to worry about it.
So I will try to look at the bright side.  I am getting used to having a headache all of the time.  I don't like it but I can still get things done.  I DO know that many people have it much worse. 

There, but for the grace of God, go I. 

Thinking and praying for you & the family.  Keep smiling friend. 

He stole my heart.

I am a Grandma.  Rob & Carrie had the baby Sept. 25.  He is cute.  WAY cute.  I am talking dimple, blonde curls & brand new baby cute.  I got to meet him this past weekend.  I kinda hogged him.  If nobody else was holding him I figured I would.  It was hard to put him down.  If I started hurting too much I just laid him on my lap.  He is such a calm little guy.  Here he is stretching. 

Before we left to come back home I got to take some pictures of old buildings and bridges.  There was 1 old barn that I really wanted to take a picture of but it set way up on a hill right beside a very busy road.  I just couldn't get a drive by photo of it and there wasn't a place to park. 

This old Mill was a really neat building.  It is all closed up now and the water wheel is no longer there.  They had most of the back roped off so I could only take photos of this view from across the road.  The bridge on the right is still open and was very busy little roadway for a Sunday afternoon.

This old bridge was built in 1909 and it is closed now.  They are tearing it down soon.  I am so glad I got some pics 1st.  It was so quiet there.  There are some great trees all around and there were so many birds.  I could have stayed for hours.

But the best part of the weekend, hands down, was Cohen.

Here he is on my lap. 

And here is his little toes.

And his little hand.

I love love love my new camera.  I still have lots to learn but I am happy with what I was able to take.  I need more practice.  I want better focus and I need to work on my lighting.  

On a more boring and whiny note, I finally got surgery scheduled.  It is at the end of the month and doc said it would take me 3-4 weeks to recover.  On a plus side I have to stay home for at least 3 weeks.  I can not even go for a ride in the car other than to get home from the hospital.  I love being at home.  But I am pretty sure that I will be ready to get out of the house at the end of 3 weeks. 

Not feeling so great tonight.  So I took a muscle relaxer after dinner.  I think I am going to go lay down. 

Please excuse any errors that I missed.  I just don't have much tolerance to pills or alcohol.  I did try to proof read and I did catch a few errors.  Pretty sure I will have missed some too! 

Night all!