Sunday, July 24, 2022

 Sunday, July 24, 2022

I got up by 6. My leg felt as it had yesterday. Aside from the pain limiting my movement, I worried about a possible blood clot. The sharpest pain is just below my knee on the inside. I finally Googled the leg arteries. Maybe I didn't have anything to worry about. Arteries run down the back of the leg behind the knee, not to the outside edge where I had pain.

  I stayed in bed to do some of the recommended exercises, lifting one straight leg at a time and lowering it slowly. It had been a while since I had done the exercise. I focused on tightening my upper thigh muscles as I walked, hoping I did the same thing. I was pleased that I was stronger and had a much easier time doing the exercise than before. I also did the glute exercise. This time I pushed into a bridge as Katie recommended. I hadn't done it that way because it caused leg cramps. Katie told me if I pressed my heels down to prevent the cramps.

       While water boiled for my morning miso soup, I stretched my hamstring on both legs. That relieved the pain along the inside of the knee. I could walk longer than I could before I did that. I tried this once before with success. I had no idea why I didn't do it again.

  I got calls from both Jeans and Damon. Damon had a little disaster, a very little disaster, given what was happening to many people worldwide. They booked a BnB on the coast for the weekend. The house was a block from the beach and had excellent reviews. The pictures from the inside of the house were fabulous. However, when they arrived, they discovered their neighbors' houses were four feet from theirs. That was doable. What was not was the constant loud noise coming from the houses. Damon, Cylin, and August spent some time on the beach and went out to dinner. When they returned to the house, the noise level was the same. They packed up and went home.

    Damon reported the temperature in LA was bearable in the 80s. I checked the weather app here in Kona. It gave the temp at 80, but that was at the airport. The airport is at sea level. We live at 1000 feet. The temperature here is always a good five degrees cooler. While I was comfortable without a sweatshirt, it was not so warm that it would be too hot if I put one on.

   Jean, my Hanai sister, reported the weather was hot in New Jersey. She bought an alarm clock to get up early before the day's heat set in and walk the grounds. She had been exercising regularly in the gym and swimming pool in their development. It's a good setup, but she needs to get out into the open air.   

  Jean, my friend in Tucson, reported they had a hard rain. The downpour relieved some of the extreme heat they had been experiencing.

  I heard a woman's voice call, "Hello!" I couldn't figure out who it was at first. Judy and Paulette came in, returning the chairs they had borrowed when Judy's son was visiting from Lana'i with his family and to pick up the tomatoes I bought for them.  

  When we talked yesterday, I remembered the tomatoes. I forgot to give them to Paulette when she dropped off the water. Judy said they would pick them up when they came back from church. We both knew we would have trouble remembering. I sent her a text and told her not to open it. If it was unread, it would attract her attention the next day when she looked at her phone. Well, that trick worked for her, but I forgot it.

  I was glad she thought to return the chairs. Yvette was coming home on Tuesday, and we were promised a driveway yoga session on Thursday. I needed the chair to do the yoga. I needed it before I had my THR. I wouldn't know what I would need now. Given I'm still in recovery and have some balance issues, it would be a good idea for me to use the chair and the walker for support.

  I bathed Elsa today. Her back and neck looked pretty good, but she had terrible lesions on her chest, and the ones on her stomach didn't look better.  

   I ate a tuna fish salad sandwich for dinner tonight with a large salad. Who says I can't cook? Ha! You should try my tuna salad. Well, it was good enough. I made enough for a least two more dinners. Tomorrow night I would broil the chicken back I defrosted. Then I would go back to the tuna salad sandwich the next night. I bought a large package of sweet kale salad at Costco the other day. It would be salads daily until it was gone.

  I continued watching The Baker and The Beauty. I love this series. The Latinx cast is outstanding. They create a wonderful sense of family. I could watch them forever. The Beauty cast members are good, too, particularly the character of Lewis. The woman who plays Beauty is beautiful. More importantly, she is watchable. I like the sound of her voice. I don't know if she is a good actress or just spectacularly good-looking if that look appeals to you.