Summer Roars in with Dragon Breath

Hello again.  Our last chapter concluded on Friday, May 31^st, as we awaited summer in Pahrump.  Saturday, the first of June, we had a chores day.  We did a quick shopping run and I spent time getting things set up for my recovery period after the surgery on my hip on Monday.  We went to happy hour.  Each week we lose a few more people to summer travels, pretty soon happy hours will be just a handful of us hard core heat monsters.  After happy hour we went home, watched TV and went to bed.  Sunday we had the Sunday paper and mainly relaxed around the house.  We went to ice cream social, then came home and spent the rest of the day and evening relaxing.

Monday, June 3^rd, THE BIG DAY.  We were up early, about 5:00, and on the road by a little after 6:00, heading for the surgical hospital in Las Vegas.  We arrived at the Valley Health Specialty Hospital.  This facility is set up and designed primarily for out patient, and semi out patient surgeries, mostly orthopedic I would guess.  They have a large intake and pre-surgical prep area, several operating rooms, recovery rooms and ten regular private hospital rooms.  The hospital rooms are for patients who, for whatever reason, cannot be discharged on the day of surgery.  This is strictly a surgical hospital.  I checked in and within 5 minutes was escorted to the prep area.  This is where I changed to the surgical gown and got in the bed to be prepped.  Lots of questions to be sure that I was the right person and they were doing the right procedure in the right place.  They had an excellent nursing staff in the prep area.  I was in there about an hour, talked to the anesthesiologist, but not the surgeon.  At some point the anesthesiologist gave me a shot and the next thing I know, I am in a recovery room. 

They let me recover for about a half hour after I woke up, I was a little loopy and disoriented.  Finally they helped me out of bed and gave me a walker and said, “let’s go over here.”  Surprisingly, I was not in any pain and could actually walk pretty well.  We walked around a small physical therapy suite, and then the PT guy took me to a set of steps, three or four up to a little porch, then the same back down.  He gave me a cane and had me go up and down a couple times.  I was able to do it without any problem.  After a bunch of paper signing I was released and walked to the car.  We drove home and I was able to sit in the car with no issues either.  I was still a little groggy, but we got home and I settled into my chair and watched TV for the rest of the night.

Tuesday, June 4^th, I woke up, got out of bed after a pretty good night’s sleep, and walked out of the living room with only the use of my cane.  The only problem with sleeping was that it is hard for me to sleep on my back, I am a side sleeper.  I spent the day in my chair, getting up from time to time to walk around the house.  Still very little pain and a lot more mobility than I expected.  I was a little nauseated, but still ate dinner.  Watched TV until bedtime.  Wednesday, I was sick to my stomach and didn’t have anything to eat but crackers.  I am sure this is a result of the anesthetic and the trauma to my leg, which is quite swollen.  The did give me a nifty machine that you fill with water and ice and it then pumps the cold water through a pad that you can put on the swollen parts.  I spent the day in my chair for the most part.

Thursday, June 6^th, D-Day anniversary.  Three days in and I felt much better.  I was now able to move around the house easily, sometimes without using the cane at all.  I felt better and started eating regular food again.  The day was much the same, some rest, some exercise, icing the swollen leg.  Still no pain to speak of.  We did go to the local Physical Therapy center at 3:30 so the PT guy could evaluate my needs and set up a schedule.  I was able to do all the exercises he had, various machines, with not too much problem.  I did get tired easily, probably from just sitting around doing nothing for a week.  Friday was exactly the same.  At this point I haven’t left the house, but I am beginning to think that I would like to.

Saturday, June 8^th, I am now completely free of the cane.  I walk around the house, with a little limp because the leg is still swollen and stiff, but without any pain or balance problems.  Jackie had a ladies lunch.  Sunday I actually got out of the house and went to the ice cream social.  Our friend Charlene is going back East for the summer and she lent us her golf cart for the summer since ours is still broken.  I was able to walk into and out of the clubhouse with no issues and it was good to see everyone again.  We had dinner and spent the night with the TV.  Monday was another house day.  I think I am about ready to stop the ice treatments.  Jackie has been doing a lot of work, hauling ice from the clubhouse and keeping it going.  She has been an outstanding nurse during this week and I am very grateful. 

Tuesday, June 11^th, another home day.  Jackie and I both went to a meeting of the Silver Seekers Board, or at least the five of us still in the park.  We were doing some planning for July and August, which didn’t take long.  Jackie left about 10:30 for a mani appointment.  After the meeting I went home and had lunch.  Then I spent some time out in my office in the shed.  Got this blog caught up, updated the checkbook, and did a few other regular office tasks.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, my first happy hour since the surgery.  After that we went home, cooked a lasagna in the outside oven, then after dinner relaxed with the TV until bedtime.  Wednesday Jackie had to meet with our friend Kim, who is treasurer of the Silver Seekers, to get up to speed with the books of the association.  Kim and Lee are leaving for their summer travels soon and Jackie is taking over the treasurer duties until she gets back.  About 12:45 we left for my first PT appointment.  Jackie had to miss her Pokeno today because of the PT appointment because I am not released to drive yet.  The PT went about 40 minutes or so.  They had eight or so different exercises and/or machines in my chart.  Only a couple of them really taxed me or caused some discomfort in my leg.  After the PT we went to Smiths for some grocery shopping and I was able to walk around shopping without any problems.  After that we went home, then went to happy hour.  I had my first alcohol at happy hour since my surgery.  We had dinner and then spent the night with the TV.

Thursday, June 13^th, the housekeeper came about 10:00 or so to clean the house.  After she left we had lunch and then we drove out to a Rehab facility on the North end of town to visit with a friend of ours from the Co-op, Jon Albinson.  A couple of weeks before the surgery on my hip, Jon was getting ready for his summer travels.  He was climbing the ladder on his large toy hauler fifth-wheel to get to his Starlink antenna on the roof of the trailer.  As he neared the top the ladder broke loose from the trailer and down he went.  At first he thought he had broken his hip, but it turned out to be his femur.  He had surgery where they pinned the break, but his doctor sent him to a rehab facility to get better.  He lives alone, so he needs to be somewhere where help is available when needed.  He has been out there a week or two and will probably be another couple of weeks, so we went out to visit for a while.  It turns out, the difficulty he is having, and most of the pain, is actually not from the break in the femur, but rather the damage he did to his knee, which he had replaced some years ago..  They are still trying to decide what needs to be done to fix the knee.  After our visit we headed back home.  We went to happy hour, then came home and had dinner.  We then spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Friday, June 14^th we were on the road a little after 11:00, heading into Vegas for my surgery follow-up at the orthopedic center.  We arrived and I had the interview with the nurse and the PA.  They took the dressing off of the surgical site and released me for whatever I felt I could do.  I have to come back in a month for the final follow-up.  We left the doctor’s office and stopped for lunch at one of the Distill restaurants.  After lunch we headed back to Pahrump, getting home in time to rest for a bit and then go to happy hour and Bingo.  We both won multiple Bingos, including Jackie getting one of the special games for $35.  Between the two of us we won about $80 or so.  Yea!  After Bingo we went home and watched TV until bedtime.  Saturday we went over to the clubhouse at noon for a hamburger lunch put on by the Silver Seekers.  After lunch we did a few chores around the house and relaxed.  I went to happy hour at 4:00, although there were only four other people there.  Things thin out during the summer.  Jackie didn’t go because she was getting ready to go to the Ms. Golden Years pageant tonight.  Our friend Debbie Forrest, my friend Len’s wife, is one of the contestants this year.  I decided not to go because I didn’t think I could sit in one chair in a crowded ballroom for three or four hours.  Jackie invited our friend Genny to go instead.  About 5:30 I drove the two of them to the Saddle West Casino and dropped them off for the pageant.  I went out and ran some errands, got the car washed, stopped at the bank for some money, and then went to El Jeffe’s Mexican place for dinner.  I had a nice taco salad.  After that I went home for a little bit, then drove back to the Saddle West so I would be there when the pageant ended.  While I was there I gamed a little and hit it big on a penny slot machine, cashing out $375!  Yea.  The pageant ended about quarter to nine and our friend Debbie won!  Yea again.  She will now be the Pahrump Golden Years Queen for the next year.  I congratulated my friend Len for becoming the Prince Consort.  We drove back home, dropped Genny off, and went home and watched TV until it was time for bed.

Sunday, June 16^th, Happy Fathers Day, and happy birthday to my oldest daughter, Tye.  We had pretty much a quiet day at home.  We did go to the ice cream social, with free ice cream for the fathers in the group.  We went home, did some chores and just relaxed for the rest of the day.  We had a meat loaf for dinner, then watched TV until it was time for bed.  Monday was pretty much a stay at home day.  I did have to go to the gym for my PT at 2:00, but I was done and back home by 2:30.  We did a few chores and I went to happy hour at 4:00.  Jackie was feeling puny and stayed home.  We had leftover meatloaf for dinner, then spent the rest of the evening with the TV.  Tuesday was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie went to a ladies lunch at the Artesian Cellars about noon.  We both had big lunches, so we just had light snacks for dinner and spent the night with the TV.

Wednesday, June 19^th, Jackie went to Pokeno at 1:00 and my friend Len came over for guitar practice about the same time.  Later in the afternoon we went over to our friend Millie’s house for a visit because her daughter Dion and her husband were in town visiting with Millie.  We had a nice visit before leaving to go to happy hour.  Millie and her kids also came to happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and had dinner, then spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Thursday was pretty much a stay at home day.  Dion and her husband stopped by just before lunch to say goodbye as they headed down to Las Vegas.  I spent the day doing some office work and other chores.  It was a quiet day at home.  I went to my PT at 3:30, so I missed the first half of happy hour.  I did get over to the clubhouse about 4:30.  We went home and had dinner, then we watched TV until bedtime.

Friday, June 21^st, the first full day of summer.  Today was a stay at home day.  Got a few chores done, mostly just relaxed around the house.  Went to happy hour at 4:00, then home for dinner and night with the TV.  Saturday we went out about 1:00 or so and went to the Roadhouse for a late lunch.  We both the excellent liver and onions.  After we ate we stayed and gamed for a while.  I broke even, thanks to a late jackpot on a penny machine.  Jackie lost her $20 investment.  After that we stopped at Goodwill to get our yard skeleton, Bob, some new clothes for summer.  He got new shorts and a Vegas Golden Knights tee shirt.  We decided to skip happy hour today and just stayed home and watched TV for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  Sunday was a stay at home day for me.  Jackie went out early, about 9:00, with a couple of the other women in the park, to Secret Sisters for a sidewalk sale.  Secret Sisters is a high end resale boutique that many of the “ladies of Pair-a-dice” like to shop.  I put a bit corn beef brisket in the crockpot for dinner.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00, then came home and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing. 

Monday, June 24^th, Jackie spent some time with our friend Kim out in the shed office working on Treasurer stuff for the Silver Seekers.  Kim is the group’s Treasurer, but she and Lee are going away for a couple of months this summer and Jackie is taking over for the time they are gone.  Kim was showing Jackie how she keeps the books.  I went to my PT at 2:30, getting home around 3:00.  We went to happy hour at 4:00, then came home and had leftover corn beef and cabbage for dinner.  We spent the rest of the night watching TV.  Tuesday I spent most of the day at home doing chores.  Jackie went in the morning for a manicure.  About 3:00 we left and ran a couple of errands and then went to Nicco’s Italian restaurant for the monthly park dine-out.  We only had six people today since a big proportion of the park is gone for the summer, and another big proportion of the park are older people who are pretty much shut-ins.  After dinner we went home and spent the rest of the night with the TV.

Wednesday, June 26^th, Jackie went out about 10:30 with Kim to go to the bank for Silver Seekers business, then out to lunch.  She came back just in time to go to Pokeno.  My friend Len came over about 1:00 and we played guitar for a couple of hours.  We went to happy hour at 4:00.  Our friend Jon Albinson, who had fallen off his RV a month ago or so, was back home recovering and made his first appearance at happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and had leftovers for dinner, then spent the rest of the night with the TV.  Thursday was mostly chores and relaxation day.  Jackie went in the morning for a pedi, leaving about the same time the housekeeper came to clean the house.  I worked in the shed while she cleaned.  I went to my PT at 2:30, then we went to 4:00 happy hour.  After happy hour we went home and Jackie made an excellent chili relleno casserole.  It has been a while since she made one.  Part of the reason is that we can no longer find whole green chilis in the large, 21 oz can.  We finally got three of the small cans, which provide the same amount of chilis, but the size of the individual chilis is smaller.  In the casserole it doesn’t matter, so it came out good.  After dinner we watched TV until it was time for bed. 

Friday, June 28^th, was pretty much a stay at home day.  We did a few chores but mostly relaxed.  We had leftover chili relleno for dinner, then went to Bingo.  Both of us won again, I won one of the special games for $30, and one of the regular games for $4.  Jackie also won a couple of regular games.  After Bingo we went home and watched TV the rest of the night.  Saturday we went out about 1:00 for a late lunch at Chat Thai Bistro.  After lunch we ran some errands, including a trip to Home Depot for some supplies to fix a broken stair, and Walmart for some supplies.  After shopping we went home, then went to happy hour at 4:00.  After happy hour we went home and spent the rest of the evening watching TV.

Sunday, June 30^th, the last day of the first half of the year.  Wow, time flies.  We had a relaxing day at home.  We mostly relaxed all day.  We went to the ice cream social at 2:00 and one of the other members, Bob, surprised us by paying for everyone’s ice cream.  (It’s a dollar each).  Turns out, he just won $4,500 on a penny slot machine at the Lakeside Casino just down the road.  Wow, I thought I was doing well last week when I cashed out $275.  After ice cream we went back to the house and stayed in the rest of the afternoon and evening.

It is now the end of the month, time to get this episode posted.  Until next time, have fun, stay cool, be safe.  Bye for now.