Thursday Morning Coffee Break

Good morning everyone!  I was thinking about taking the week off from the keyboard and just clearing my head, but where's the fun in that?  Besides, that would be kind of selfish, wouldn't it?  Everyone has been so kind and supportive since I got the medical smack-down that I feel obligated to try and tap the creative keg even when I'm not so thirsty.  So here I am!

It's been a good week for me, convalescing here at Casa de Amy y Scottie, but it can be a little dull at times.  Oh, I've had much to keep me busy, and the slightest effort still kind of wears me out, but I'm making good progress.  This morning, I've got another appointment down at Vanderbilt at the blood-testing clinic.  Yep, another needle.  I told my sister that I've had so many damn needles stuck in me these past couple of weeks that I feel like a voodoo doll that's got a lot of bad karma to burn off.  But it won't take long--they're pretty organized down there and the first time I was in and out in less than 20 minutes.  And I'm so used to getting stuck that I don't even notice anymore.

But that's not for another couple of hours.  Right now I'm chillin' in the living room, watching the squirrels mock the pugs from the top of the back fence, while sipping on some damn fine toffee-macadamia nut gourmet coffee.  Unfortunately, I'm limited to just two cups, but I'm getting maximum enjoyment out of 'em.  Angy and Andrea sent me a huge care package while I was in the hospital, and part of the goodies included in the box was a selection of four pounds of different flavored whole-bean coffees.

So on Sunday I ordered an electric bean grinder off of Amazon, and it got here yesterday.  I was anticipating making coffee so much this morning that I set my alarm for 6:30 to be able to get up and make a pot before Amy and Scottie headed off to work (yeah, they like it, too!).  Besides relaxing with a cup of good coffee, it's been a pretty good morning so far.  I'm just waiting for Mamasan to make the trek down from the North Country, and once she gets here, I'll do a couple of laps around the back yard (it's HUGE) and then take a shower, neither of which chores I'm allowed to do when home alone. 

Yeah, the medications I'm on are somewhat dangerous--all of my 'caretakers' are very worried that I'll take a spill or cut myself somehow, so they don't leave me alone much.  And I'm not allowed to go anywhere, not even the bathroom, without my cell phone on my person.  But the most serious danger is deep in the rear-view mirror, and I'm recovering nicely.  Way ahead of schedule, actually.

Anyhow, part of my recovery process is to get my strength back, and that entails a lot of walking.  I do laps around the yard in the morning, and laps around the cul-de-sac in the evening.  But I feel like I'm starting to 'outgrow' both places and want to expand my horizons a bit.  There are a couple of really nice parks nearby with lots of walking trails, so I'm hoping it won't be long until I'm able to exercise with some better scenery.  Besides, I know I look like quite the goober circling the cul-de-sac with my hiking stick.  But who cares what the neighbors think, right?

As far as the weekend goes, it should be a fun one.  Tomorrow night a few of us are heading over to the Full Moon Pickin' Party just down the road at one of the local parks.  For $20, you get four beers and four hours worth of live bluegrass entertainment.  I'll be giving my beers away and just parking myself in a camp chair in front of the main stage, but it'll be nice to get out, get some fresh air, and hear some banjo music without worrying if I'm gonna get Deliverance'd out here in the woods of Tennessee.  I'll see about taking my camera with me and maybe getting some pics and such.

On Saturday, I think there is some sort of family gathering to go to, but I'm not quite sure what that entails.  But I know that's on the agenda, also.  At some point, I have to get back up to Mamasan's storage shed and get a few things--like the coffee percolator and some more of my clothes--and we're also going to pick up her old backyard fire pit.  She doesn't use it any more, and since the weather is getting nicer at night, we figured we'd be able to use it out here on the weekends.  I won't be roasting too many marshmallows, but a campfire is always fun.

Anyhow, that's about all for now.  It's time that I got up and ambulated over to the kitchen and made some real breakfast--coffee doesn't count all by itself.

More to come...

Mikey