Spring has sprung here in northern Arizona and the daffodils are blooming both inside and out. I’m done doctoring for now; six weeks out from thumb surgery, up to 6-8 hours a night using my CPAP machine, lost 10 pounds and am fully vaccinated against Covid. April is slated for more dieting and exercise; we’ll see how I do.
To celebrate we hit the road to visit family. First off, we made a stop in Phoenix to visit my niece and her fiancé in their new home, spent a few days in Tucson so Paul could hike in the desert and then headed to southern California to visit family. We spent four days with my sister in Orange County who is enjoying resort-style living in a lovely new 55 plus community. After a year of isolation I got to the hairdresser, enjoyed several other self-care services and engaged in some retail therapy. Then it was on to San Diego to visit my mom, sister, niece and her young family. It was great to spend time with the little ones who are 2, 4 & 6 with another one arriving soon. Got to the beach; I don’t know what it is about kids and water but it keeps them engaged for hours. Had lots of great meals together so, suffice it to say, the diet went out the window during the trip.
My mom spent too much time in isolation this past year so we loaded her up and headed back to Flagstaff. The traffic gods were not with us on the trip as we were delayed driving south to San Diego and again driving north to LA and then east toward Arizona. Mom will toggle between our house and my brother’s thru April travel to the lake with us in early May and then back to Arizona in mid-June for my niece’s wedding. We will see how cohabiting with her for almost three months goes; it’s not easy for either of us due to different temperaments and life experiences but, so far so good except for abandoning her on the street in Kingman, AZ when I rushed into a restaurant before she even got out of the car. Approaching 90, she stiffens up after sitting in the car for hours and moves a little slow. I am starting to seriously empathize due to my own stiffening. Puzzles and cards are on the schedule and I can’t believe how often she beats me at 500. I’m trying to get her on my diet but Paul laid in candy and ice cream for her visit neither of which is very well hidden. I haven’t gotten back on the scale yet; maybe tomorrow.