Message 610

Yesterday I got a haircut and did my grocery shopping. In the evening I watched Obama's State of the Union Address. I hope he can get the country back on track. In the evening I watched a DVD of the movie P.S., I Love You. It was a chick flick about a young woman whose husband dies unexpectedly. It was based on a book by a young Irish girl, but I found it maudlin and silly, even though it is of course a serious subject. I give it 2.5 stars.

This morning I had breakfast at Heidi's Pies with Reggie, one of the regulars we have gotten to know there. Vanessa had to cancel out at the last minute because she had things come up that she had to do at Beech's school. Today is Beech's sixth birthday. Vanessa, Maureen, the kids, and I are meeting at Ten Fu for dinner at 5:30 PM. It had been planned that his party would be on Saturday, but this has now been cancelled, and we are having a small celebration at Ten Fu tonight instead. The plan now is for Julian to take him and his buddies bowling in a couple of weeks as his party. I should be back from Ten Fu in time for Josh to join me at 7:30 PM tonight to watch the Sharks game.

Message 609

Yesterday I picked Beech up at his school at noon and took him to McDonalds for lunch. His is now keen on collecting their Ice Age toys. He has decided to quit going to the after-school program called Annex. He insisted on talking personally to his doctor who had told Vanessa he should stay in the program because he needed the socialization experience. He was determined to argue his own case and the doctor told him he was free to make his own decision. Beech told me this while I was helping him with his homework after lunch. We then had a little discussion about freedom and that he was always free to think whatever he wanted, but that he was only free to act if what he did was not hurtful to someone else, except in cases of self defense. I pointed out that this was also part of the Kung Fu pledge that everyone had to recite before every class. He then told me he was quitting Kung Fu too, but his dad had told him he would have to pay him $100 if he quit because he had already signed and paid for him up to continue. I suspect that Julian and Vanessa may persuade him not to quit Kung Fu, but we shall see.

I did not watch a movie yesterday. Instead I watched Nova about archeology and the bible, and a rerun of the Frontline show on credit cards on PBS. I also read some more of The Economist. Today I have already done my exercises, for the second day in a row.

Message 608

Last night Joshua came over and watched 24 with me. He said he might go skiing today. If so I hope the roads are not too congested because of the snow. This morning I have done my exercises for the first time in several days. I think this is an indication that I am pretty much back to normal. I have discovered that somehow I neglected to put Message 604 on my blog, so I am adding a copy of it today.

Message 604

Yesterday I dropped Annie off at her day care and joined Vanessa for breakfast at Heidi's Pies. In the afternoon I picked Beech up at his after-school annex and took him to Kung Fu and pizza. He has returned to his afterschool program after discussing it with his mom. I did not eat any of the pizza since I was feeling a little sick at my stomach. In the evening I took the third of my new Sulfa-drug pills that are to be taken twice a day. Joshua came over and watched the Sharks beat the Ducks 3-1. He ate a can of chili that I had on hand because I had told him not to bring food for me. Between the second and third period of the hockey game I threw up. I have realized that I must be allergic to the Sulfa-drug because I vomited twice last night and a third time this morning, although nothing much came out the third time because I have not eaten or drunk anything since I took the pill before the Sharks game started. Also, I have a trace of the rash appearing on my chest like I get when I take Cipro. Anyway this long explanation of why I am so late in sending out today's message is to let you know that I am OK. I think I will continue to lie in bed for a while more even though I am feeling somewhat better.

Message 607

Yesterday I watched the Saints beat the Vikings. I like Bret Favre, but it was a close game of evenly matched teams, and the Saints won the toss in overtime which allowed them to put an end to the game. After football, I watched Part 1 of Emma on PBS, which is a four-part dramatization of the Jane Austin novel. It was very good. I look forward to the rest of the parts on successive Sundays.

Today I left the house for the first time since Thursday. I had a normal breakfast, showered, shaved, and picked up new antibiotics for bladder irrigation at PAMF. I also washed and dried my sheets, so my clean body will touch clean bedding. In short I am getting back to normal. I was told by my urologist that I can stop the antibiotics for the lump on my testicle instead of trying to find one that I am not allergic to. I am also following his suggestion to stop the medication that I have been taking twice a day to suppress bladder spasms, but I am continuing to take Flomax once a day. The upshot is that I am back to normal and hope Josh will be able to join me tonight to watch the continuation of the new 24.

Message 606

Except for sleeping an hour or two longer than usual, this has been a normal day. I had my usual breakfast. I read the NY Times. I watched the Colts beat the Jets. I had a normal lunch, and I have just finished watching the Vikings play to a halftime tie. I have also started reading The Economist. By tomorrow I think I will be ready to shave and shower. It is good to be back.

Message 605

In spite of my protests that it was not necessary, Vanessa brought me a couple of quarts of chicken noodle soup, a box of Saltines, and a bottle of Gatorade early this afternoon and supervised administering them to me over the next couple of hours. After a couple of days of vomiting and dry heaves, I have stayed in bed napping and watching TV since Joshua left Thursday night, I am now feeling better. I took a nap for an hour or so after Vanessa left, and I thought I might take a shower when I woke up, but I still feel a little shaky and light headed. Thus I have decided to stay in bed and watch the Sharks game from there tonight. I have not thrown up any more since last night, and I have not taken anymore of the Sulfa-drug since about 6 PM on Thursday, so I think I am well past the worst now.

I will keep you all posted.