It is NOT the last day of February!

Okay so the quality of the photo stinks BUT you get the picture. (clever right?)  I wanted to show what you get in SW Florida during the winter months if you decide to eat out.  We arrived at 4:35, early, right?  Well there was a half hour wait and that was not bad, Thursday we stopped at 5:30 and the wait was an hour so we left.  Terry and I do not eat out much but this place, Mel's, is so popular and I had never eaten there so I suggested we go.  Well, that was Thursday, yesterday Terry suggested it.  After a 40 minute wait in the chilly weather (69) we were seated and ordered.  I ordered grouper.  If I was asked to grade the food it would have been D+.  So much for Mel's!  While we were waiting I asked a guy if the place was popular because of the prices, the quality of the food or good advertising.  I would say they have a good advertising person!!!
I woke up to 46 degree temps this morning, chilly for here at this time of the year.  I think the weather is supposed to warm up this week.
I have pretty much remained pain free since last Tuesday so I will be on the court Monday for our league match.  I did ask my PT and was prepared to do what she said.  She said I certainly could play tennis but need to do exercises and not play everyday.  I was happy to take her advice.  I still have 2 of my top 4 players injured so I will play court #1.  I was hoping I could play court 2 or 3 but as it turns out that would not work. We will see what happens.  I had high hopes of finishing the season at or above 500 but with so so many injuries that may not be possible.  I would say that my top 3 players should have played 21 matches by now but because of injury or being out of town they have played 9.  It is hard to win like that.  Have we had fun, for sure but everyone knows that it is more fun to win than lose.
A little trivia.  One of my players is 72.  If he continues to play on Mondays the next time he will play on February 29th he will be 100!  Not sure that is important.
My FP coffee is almost gone but what is left is cold so I am finished.

Relief but for how long?

I attended our team match on Monday and then Terry and I stopped at Costco to pick up some Oxycodone to see if I could get some sleep as my leg pretty much aches 24/7.  I took one Monday night at 8:00 and tried to sleep by 10:30.  I woke up at 2:30 AM and took a second one.  I then  slept until 10 AM and have been pretty pain free since!  It is so nice to be able to walk and sleep at night.  Now I understand that Oxycodone does not fix the back issue BUT when it can give me some relief from pain that is great. I have a PT appt this afternoon and will see what advice I get.
Not a lot of news from FL.  Four of my top 6 players were not able to play on Monday and the result was disaster!  We lost all three matches and it is strange because I made zero unforced errors.  It may have made a difference as I was watching on the sidelines!!!  I don't know if I will get back onto the court this spring or not, will have to wait and see.
It looks like we will have a cold front coming through Thursday and Friday with highs in the mid 60's.  I would say that overall January and February have been pretty chilly for Naples.  I am not complaining.
I took my FP to the court this morning as I watched for a period of time so nothing to stimulate more thoughts at this time.

A moody day

I am in one of those moods today.  What about the past, what about the future and what about the present???
As I limp around the house I think about the past.  A time when I did not need to wear hearing aids, a time when I did not need those meds in the AM and PM, a time when the scale was better, a time when there was a spring in my step and not a limp, a time when there was concern about kids arriving home at night rather then getting up at night for a bathroom visit, a time when we got in the car to travel to a game rather than travel to the pharmacy or a time when 20 below meant a difficult delivery of papers while now a temp of 50 means tennis will be chilly!  Times change, family changes, friends change, circumstances change and pretty much we live in a world of change.
I have NO complains about my present life.  I am blessed beyond reason.  I have a great wife, wonderful kids, the means to live a good life and the list goes on and on.  But there is always an element of "what if?".
I found out yesterday that I have spondylolisthesis of L5-S1 in the lower back.  I felt that I could live with PT and excerise but after I played tennis for two days I have a low level of pain in my right leg that is pretty much 24/7 and it causes a big change in my life.  Sleep is elusive and activity is painful. I refuse to complain, I think, but thoughts race through my mind about "what if?"  What if I had not played tennis is the big one.  I have had so much enjoyment from tennis over the last many years I don't think I would trade it for anything BUT I hate pain.  Out of curiousity yesterday I googled surgery for the back and then viewed a You Tube of it.  I broke out in a cold sweat and could not watch all of it.  As they drew lines on the back and then cut, cut and cut some more through skin, fat and muscle I had to turn it off and lie down for a while to catch my breath.  So much for that!
Terry and I want to visit 4 more national parks but that darn back issue keeps coming up and I don't know what to do about it.  I almost tend to say old age is not good but then dying before old age is worse!  So I think I will go on for a while.
Perhaps I have said enough.  I need to get some IB for the leg and then take a rest, old guys have the right to do that I think.

For those in the north!!!

Here is Trunk Bay on St. John Island in the Virgin islands.  We spent some time there on our cruise.  The sand was the softest and finest sand I have ever seen.  The water was blue blue BUT the waves coming in were too strong for fun snorkeling.  I think it is part of the national park there as about 90% of the island is the park. 
I have been able to get out on the tennis courts again, some.  I played for an hour Thursday and then another hour and a half yesterday. Perhaps 2 days in a row were too much.  I have scheduled myself into our league match next Monday so we will see how that goes.
I had an appt yesterday with a neurosurgeon and he was right to the point.  I have spondylolisthesis of the L5-S1 which is in the lower back. For now we will go with exercise, PT and maybe a shot once in a while.  I googled surgery of that and watched YouTube.  I almost got sick so I quit half way through.  So much for that darn back.
It looks like a great day here.  As I look out the back the pond is like glass and the trees are still.  I think the temp should get into the low 70's.  
Not much news here so I will take my FP and get into my book for the day.

We welcome some warm weather again

Here are some of the tennis team members.  We have had 5 meets which means we have had 15 matches.  I had hoped for at least a 500 season when we begin and we now are sitting at 6-9.  Last week we won one of three matches and that was without 4 of our top 6 players so I guess I should not complain.  Our # 3 court won, our #2 court lost 5-7 and 5-7 and our #1 court played 4-6, 6-1 and then lost in a 10 point match tie breaker.
As for me, I have not played tennis for 3 weeks now and I have SOME hope to play next Friday.  I do have an appt next Thursday with a neurosurgeon and am in the process of getting an appt with a second one.  As the days go by I am becoming more convinced that I will have to go under the knife.  I am hoping that is not the case BUT 2 days ago I felt I was pain free when I walked--yesterday and today not so much!
Over the last many days we have experienced high temps in the 60s but starting today we are looking at highs in the 70s.  I rode my bike over to watch some of my team in a clinic and today it is perfect.  Sunny, no wind and temps by noon in the 70s.
That is enough for now.  I did make my FP before I left for the tennis courts and brough a cup with me.  As I sat down to the computer I heated the last of it up and now it is gone.

We are now a quarter into February!!!

Received this picture from John M. yesterday.  I remember well the pliers technique for pulling teeth but also the string around the tooth and then the door knob.  I think Dad did the pliers but perhaps we kids did the string and door knob technique!
That is Esther, the oldest of the grandchildren. 
We had a rainy day yesterday but the sun is in full force today--the temps, well a bit cool as the smart phone shows 55 at 10:30. 
I am guessing that people are going to be eating too much and drinking too much today as the Super Bowl takes place this evening.  We will venture out to some friends but probably will not stay for the entire game.  Makes no difference what the game is, I can watch about an hour or so and then it is on to something else. 
Terry and I finished reading the book, The Martian, and then last night watched it on DVD.  A fun book and a fun movie.
Enough for now.

update

melting glacier--picture from our 2014 Alaska trip

Just a short update.  I had my 9:15 Dr. appt yesterday.  We arrived about 9:00.  After taking about 10 minutes to write paper work I was called back for the procedure.  After a bit of cringing (I hate pain) I was done and we were on our way home by 9:30.  Now that is about as fast as any Dr. appt happens.
I rested most of the day and enjoyed my first pain free sleep in the last many days.  Am I back to normal, I doubt it but today it is much better.  I think it will take 2 or 3 days to know how effective the cortisone shot was.  I will try to not rush things.
Again I asked the Dr. what the MRI looked like and he  said it did not look good so we will see.  I am hoping and praying that exercise and being vigilant with my exercises will keep the knife at bay.
Today is the first day of a week long cool down.  We expect the temps to be in the 60s for the next week.  Normal would be about mid 70s.  For sure I am not complaining.  Maybe I should complain as I will be missing my second tennis match Monday but there is hope that perhaps by February 22nd I will be on the mend.  We have a bye the 15th.
Enough as I drank warmed over FP this morning and it did not totally do the trick!

I Cor 6:12

I read this today"
Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial

It seemed to be written just for me.

The local tennis shop could not figure out how to string a cane for the court so I decided to go another route and get that darn back better.  I will be getting a cortisone shot this morning or as my PT gal says, "a cocktail for the body!"  I did have one last May and it helped so I am expecting, hoping and praying for the same result.  When the back is better I may decide to curtail the tennis to 3 times a week and do the exercise room or swimming pool on other days.  So I am almost off to get that bolt of lighting down my leg!
Warm weather has made a reappearance for a short time.  I think the last couple of days it has been in the 80s but I think the 70s are around the corner again.  Maybe even the 60s.
No, the FP is close to gone and the cortisone is calling.

Happy February

Ruby will celebrate her 6th birthday today.  She is getting to be such a big girl.  She is in K and in a Spanish Emerson class in school.  She has the distinction of being our only February birthday! Ruby, Grandpa Lee and Grandma Terry love you.  Like Mom said once, when someone said you had big eyes, "Ruby, your eyes are perfect!"