Recovery

J. is such a champ.  He's had two sessions of physical therapy and a post-op appointment with the surgeon.  Everything looks good.  A nurse removed the super high-tech bandage - it came with a small device that acted as a vacuum pump - kept the wound closed without stitches!  As we were told on his surgery day, the device stopped working around day 8 but it did it's job well.  The incision looks 'perfect' and will continue to heal.  X-rays confirmed all the things inserted in bone are where they should be and the new super high-tech joint looks great, too. 

Today, we headed out to get him a cane - easier to use in the house and it's time he starts getting the feel of not using a walker.  On the advice of our neighbors, we went to a restaurant in one of the tiniest casinos I've ever seen.  Tee Jay's Corner Cafe did not disappoint.  A mixture of Thai, Filipino and American.  We ordered two Thai dishes and something called Cheesy Noodles (Cheesy Noods - noodles is abbreviated Noods on the menu).  Everything was delicious.  

As we approached the counter, I said 'I think we'll need to order take out' because the only seats were at the counter and the chairs were way too high for J. to sit on safely.  But right away, one of the owners came out from behind the counter and said 'let me set up a table for you'.  It wasn't the biggest table but it did the trick.  

It was great food prepared by very nice people and they do take out as well so that's great!  It was nice to get out of the house for a bit together.  

I feel accomplished to have cut down the cardboard boxes stacked by the mud room door.  Tomorrow is trash day and I forgot that last week and had to do a mad dash in the dark.  But the trash bin is already on the curb and the two full recycle bins will be out on the curb mid-morning for their pickup.  

I had a heck of a time with the gate last week and J. put in a call to the builder's customer service guy - and the fence company showed up yesterday and did a brilliant job of fixing it.  Back to opening and closing perfectly without a huge amount of brute force needed.  

Also yesterday, the pest control company we used arrived to apply the pre-emergent product.  We hope to have rain in the next 30 days otherwise, we'll have to water it in ourselves.  Rain seems pretty likely at some point in the next 4 weeks.  

We decided to store Christmas in bins we can stack against the wall on the single car space side of the garage.  I don't plan to stack them too high and will have to do 2 or 3 rows to get it all put away.  We have so many spiral trees - always a favorite when we lived in Tracy.  But the wind bursts we have here really make things that are staked into the ground problematic.  I'll be researching options in October next year because the front and back would look beautiful with a bunch of lighted trees scattered around.  We didn't do as much this year because J.'s pain level from his hip was significant - but hopefully next year, he'll be feeling great and we can make it happen.

B. took his first solo flight a couple days ago - I felt so choked up watching the video as he took off.  So happy he's found something he's incredibly passionate about.  Like his dad - flying is his thing.  

I watched the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter special on HBO - felt choked up a lot during the show.  Watching those kids grow up on screen and reliving the joy of the books in all seven films was just overwhelming.  I don't think I've ever loved a book series so much.  

We have leftover Thai food for dinner and I'm also going to cook some chicken wings in the air fryer.  I've been craving them and bought some when I made a quick run to Savemart for some salad fixings.