Other cool finds today were another notary seal for Tom’s collection, a couple of pretty plates for my eclectic/wierd table setting habits and (hehe) a keen cabinet to be turned into a half-scale miniature scene. There was one that got away - Tom had spotted a small one-armed bandit which would have been quite at home in Casa Blackburn, but it sold before we got to the display hall this morning.

Happy (but tired, hot & weary), we left the show around 3 PM to veg out in our comfy motel room. When we check out (tomorrow morning) and attempt to fit our suitcase into the car. . . . .well, that will tell us whether we are heading back to the Fair or aiming the car towards San Antonio:) This could be a reeely tight fit!

We drove in from San Antonio today, apparently with a ‘traveler’s angel’ riding shotgun:) Absolutely everything went absolutely right! Traffic was tame, our navigation was spot-on (Garmin sort of “misplaced Schulenburg”, but our MapQuest print-out covered that glitch) and we secured a motel room with no difficulty. Re-read the last eight words of the previous sentence; they are the proof that luck was on our side. I was aware that setting off from San Antonio without reservations at a hotel or motel could result in a bit of difficulty this evening. I was not aware that popular wisdom advises seeking reservations at least two weeks before the Antique Week, preferably earlier! At 3:00 PM, Tom noticed a Best Western as we passed through Schulenburg and decided to check on room availability. On one hand, it was 30 minutes away from Round Top. . .on the other hand, it turned out to be the last motel on our drive to Round Top! We secured the last room they had available for tonight and Friday night, deposited our luggage and set off for the show with the comforting knowledge that we had a “home” for the night. When we returned to the motel at 7:30 PM, tired and frazzled fellow shoppers were trying to decide whether to drive to Seeley or Houston (!) to seek shelter!!!

The show is. . . . . . .Huge! The best ‘guesstimate’ (as it is actually many different shows run by may different people and sprawling over several small towns) is 2,500+ dealers from all over North America & Europe. In fact, I don’t think we ever reached Round Top - apparently, we dove happily into the myriad enticing booths and tents in Warrenton, TX and surfaced several hours later with only a quarter of this one part of the Warrenton show explored! We have some goodies already(thankfully, Tom found a wonderful cane to add to his collection, as I forgot to bring mine!! LOL!), and we’re going to wade back into the fray again tomorrow morning!

Oh, yes - Our first bit of serendipity occurred some 15 feet from where we parked our car. I now own a wonderfully aged and battered bakery tin, with its glass front intact. With a little foamcore board (floor) and wallpaper, it will soon be the new home of “Warrenton Bakery”!

G’night, all

1. Do you like blue cheese?
Yes

2. Have you ever smoked?
Trying not to!

3. Do you own a gun?
A rather interesting collection of them (most non-functional).

4. What flavor Kool-aid was your favorite?
Cherry

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not really.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
Wish I could recapture the taste of a “Casper’s” hot dog (Oakland, CA - 1950’s) or the beer-infused creations of “Der Weinersnitzel” (Orange, CA - 1970’s)

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story - “Fra-gi-le? Must be Italian!”

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Coffee, black, no sugar.

9. Can you do push ups?
Not with my wonky wrists!

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
Have to enter a double answer: wedding band and opal owl ring.

11. Favorite hobby?
Create & collect miniatures, crochet, cross-stitch, read

12. Do you have A.D.D
No, I can stay on-task until I’m. . . .Oh, look! A blue jay!

13. What’s one trait you hate about yourself?
Built like a beanstalk.

14. Middle Name?
Ann

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
I need to finish ironing quilt fabric. I need to finish our food order. I need to finish cleaning my studio. (Hmmm - see a trend?)

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink.
Coffee, peach tea, Merlot

17. Current Worry?
Getting enough done before foot surgery.

18. Current hate right now?
Hmm, don’t have one!

19. Favorite place to be?
Home

20. How did you bring in the New Year?
At home with DH, with DD visiting.

21. Where would you like to go?
Ireland, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia. . . . .

22. Name three people who will complete this.
No clue.

23. Do you own slippers?
Yep.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
Brown

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
No - I like staying on the bed!

26. Can you whistle?
Nope - only one in the family who can’t.

27. Favorite color?
Foest green

28. Would you be a pirate?
Aye, matie!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
None - the cats would revolt.

30. Favorite Girl’s name?
Aislinn (Gaelic)

31. Favorite boys name?
Logan

32. Last thing that made you laugh?
Watching our newest cat investigate our house.

33. Best bed sheets as a child?
You’re joking, right? I’m 60!

34. Worst injury you’ve ever had?
Fractured pelvis

35. Do you love where you live?
Yes, but I’d love to do some work on it!

36. How many TVs do you have in your house?
Two

37. Who is your loudest friend?
Millie

38. How many dogs do you have?
None

39. Does someone have a crush on you?
No

40. What is your favorite book?
“Eats, Shoots & Leaves” - Lynne Truss

41. What is your favorite candy?
Dark chocolate

42. Favorite sports team?
USC Trojans

43. What songs do you want played at your funeral?
Something raucous & cheerful

44. What is your favorite place to shop? Amazon.com

I Really, REALLY dislike meeting new doctors! There’s always a “learning curve”, during which they flex their medical credentials and I counter with 26 years of my own experience with RA. It doesn’t matter, very much, if it is a dental surgeon or an orthopedic surgeon, an orthotics expert or a new GP ~ I have to give them a crash course in ‘Chris Blackburn - Informed & Stubborn Patient’. It doesn’t always go smoothly. . . . . OK - it rarely goes smoothly! Medical professionals expect their statements to be taken as gospel. Um, No. Not likely with this patient!

I met the orthopedic surgeon this afternoon - the man who will be operating on my feet and making it possible for me to walk with much less pain . . .maybe. Granted, he did have the good sense to recognize that joint fusion is not a viable option for me. (One point for ‘his side’ - - -if you have a chronic illness, you tend to develop a somewhat adversarial role with the parade of physicians you have to deal with; not all of them, hopefully, but new ones must always be vetted!).

We traded some of the usual chit-chat. . . .his opportunity to try to figure me out & my opportunity to listen for possible attitude problems and send up a few signal flags;) He then proceeded to explain what he would do - he even had visual aids (copies of the six x-rays taken minutes before I met him.) Total bi-lateral amputation of all ten toes. After a moment of silence (while I digested this rather welcome news), I realized that he was expecting me to either start sobbing or become downright hysterical……his right hand was resting on a box of facial tissue and he was “leaning” (OK - which family member can cite the movie title first?) toward me. I have no doubt my immediate acceptance, lack of drama and chuckled comment (”Shoot, I’ve been wishing for that for years!) branded me as a lunatic rather than a realist :o) Even I could recognize that my reaction was not “normal” - hehe, I haven’t been “normal” for a very long time!

I’d have been more concerned about explaining that I wasn’t nuts if the “dear doctor” hadn’t chosen that exact moment to place himself well out on a couple of ‘tree limbs’! Fortunately for him, one of his chosen limbs was sound and strong; he firmly stated that I must quit smoking before the surgery could take place. While I wasn’t happy about this edict, I knew he was right. (Cut me a bit of slack here,please - the only times I have managed to successfully cut myself off from the nicotine addiction have been my two pregnancies!) The other limb he ventured out on seemed immediately suspect/overly cautious/ridiculous - - - I had to be off of my Enbrel injections for six months before he would be willing to operate!? Excuse me? Enbrel is still the only drug which has brought about a remission in my RA activity! “You want me off of it for how long???

I left the orthopedic clinic feeling a mixture of relief and panic - relief that someone was finally discussing a solution & panic that I could potentially be off of the Enbrel therapy for 10-12 months (pre-surgical & post surgical delay). Called DH from my car phone , and then called my Rheumatologist’s office to request an Rx for Chantix (a stop-smoking aid.) Overall, I feel rather beaten up - hence the title.

The rest of the “maintenance visit” went fine; we’re both delighted that I have responded quickly (again) to the Enbrel therapy, the Dexa scan (bone density test) read rather well for an old broad and he was impressed at how well the ‘attempted amputation’ had healed.

Then I told him I was scheduled to see Dr. B. on August 13th, to discuss surgery on both feet - that is when he began to growl! I understand (and agree); we’re both expecting the proposal to be joint fusion, and that’s a very bad idea on so many levels!

We’ll see:)

Oh, BTW - I drove myself to my regular appointment with “Dr. P” this afternoon. I’m back to running most of the errands, though it’s very tiring. Cannot operate the accelerator or brake with the walking boot on, so it’s 1) Drive with the right foot protectively wrapped, 2) Park and put the boot on, 3) Return to car and begin again with #1. Tiring, but it works.

Sundance and his sister, Cassidy, came to us as near-newborn kittens after a huge rain storm in the summer of 1999. When son Thomas brought them to me, their eyes weren’t open yet, and their ears didn’t “appear” for several days. We bottle fed the two of them, and Sundance’s playful but assertive nature showed up from the very beginning. Cassidy would nurse hungrily, but it was easy to keep a grip on her and on the bottle. Sundance? He would wiggle, squirm, and quite often yank the nipple right out of the bottle! There we would be; suddenly bathed in formula, and Sundance demanding “more food - right NOW”!

He and his sister grew up to be very large, affectionate cats. . . .but Sundance was always the one who gave kisses and stole everyone’s heart. He nearly always wanted to be where his people were, and he carefully investigated the work of every repairmen who ever entered our house! He would station himself on a table or counter, waiting patiently for one of us to walk by. . . .when we did, he would stick out a paw and bat at us, clearly saying “Hey! I need petting!” When he really wanted attention, he would wait till someone (most often his “Daddy”, Tom) petted him and then he would walk his front paws up the petter’s chest to their shoulder; “Carry me, please?”
He had other traits which were unique among the many cats which have ruled our home: he would meow (for a snack/a faucet drink/ a cuddle), or just be hanging out with us and yawn, and leave just a little bit of his pink tongue sticking out, sometimes for quite a long time:) I called it his “bliss mode” . He would also express complete contentment with a “lip smacking” behavior - I’ve always attributed it to his ‘bottle baby’ start in life.

Sundance had cancer surgery in 2005. We so easily could have lost him then. I am so very grateful for the extra years of his affection and companionship we were given! I am so glad that our darling grand-daughter learned “Kee Kat” (Kitty Cat) while pursuing him through our house, and learned how soft cat fur is by burying her face in his soft fur.

Recently, he hasn’t quite been his usual self, and he’s been losing weight. In a been-there-done-that sort of way, we knew the cancer had probably returned. . . . .but he’d survived this once before, right? He’s stronger this time, right? I took him to our wonderful Alamo Feline Clinic at 9:15 this morning. (They performed the surgery in ‘05, and have saved our “grand-cat”, Blanco, twice.) Even though he wasn’t feeling well, he gave cuddles to the vet and the technician, making new friends. When the vet carried him off to the surgical suite, it was in Sundance’s favorite shoulder-perch mode.

At 10:15 am, I got the call - Sundance was still asleep, but the cancer had spread much, much further this time. . . .chemo would give him (at best) nine months, and they wouldn’t be good quality, comfortable months for him. I had to make the decision that was best for him, and I did. I asked the vet not to let him wake up from the anesthesia

Goodbye, Sweet Sundance. Play with the other loving pets at the Rainbow Bridge and wait for me; I promise I will come get you when it is time.

Today has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride! I had an appointment with our family doctor this morning…… although I had scheduled this before breaking my toe and had planned on discussing other issues, I knew The Foot (which won’t fit into a shoe or slipper) was going to garner attention the most attention. Oh yeah! Dear, sweet Dr. R sort of skimmed through my other questions and concerns, focused on the obviously broken and misaligned toe, ordered x-rays and went just slightly ballistic. Vocal alarms were sounded - “very bad break”, “must see surgeon immediately!” (Aw, come on. . . .all of the toes are dislocated; what’s the big deal?) Um, yes - that’s when my “ticket” for the ride was issued!

DH & I left the clinic with a surgeon referral in hand, but I spent awhile at home going over the pros & cons. On one hand (foot?), the surgeon is sure to say the broken toe is the least of my problems ; on the other hand, Dr. R will expect proof that something was done before I see her again on September 2nd! O.K. - - -but I’ll do this my way, with an orthopedic group I’m familiar with.

I called for an appointment this afternoon, explained the problem and waited to be given an appointment a few (or many) days hence. “Can you be here tonight at 6:30?” Um, yikes! I guess so! (Hmm, that’s awfully fast. Maybe I’m not taking this seriously enough?)

Tom & I made our way to their north-east clinic location (why, oh why couldn’t it be their clinic much nearer to us?!) through San Antonio’s somewhat vicious rush hour traffic, armed with the x-rays taken this morning. With a minimum of fuss and paperwork, we were whisked into what looked like a cast room/recovery area. (Uh, is this a good thing?) A few minutes later, we watched as a doctor clipped x-rays to a nearby light- frame, traced portions of the film with one finger and developed a very comical & bewildered look. DH commented “That must be your doctor; the x-rays are confusing him!” Yep,”Dr. Confused” came to my cubicle, introduced himself and blurted “What is going on with your feet?! Hehe - after he examined them, he understood why the x-rays didn’t show any of the phalanges (bones in the toes) meeting properly. . . . . .They Don’t!!!

His diagnosis: Ta Da - - -the broken toe is the least of my problems! (Oh gee- what a monumental surprise!) I came home in a walking boot, with an appointment to see one of the groups surgeons who is familiar with Rheumatoid Arthritis and its complications. I’ll see Dr. B on August 13th. Phew - it has been a long & roller coaster like day!

I haven’t been able to wear a shoe, slipper or ACE elastic bandage on my right foot since my July 9th encounter with the vicious & anti-social dining room chair, but frequent cleaning, salt water soaks and triple-antibiotic ointment had allowed the deep split to close without any sign of infection. I’m beginning to suspect that the fourth toe (neighbor to the “baby toe”) was & is just badly sprained, but the fifth/baby toe is definitely broken. I suspect it isn’t a nice, clean, non-displaced fracture, either. Still. . . .with every toe dislocated prior to this injury (thank you, RA), there’s little point in seeing an orthopedic surgeon! The overall swelling was nearly gone. . . .the deep blue/purple purple band under all five toes was fading. . .I just needed to be patient. Right? Um- - -wrong!

Although I’ve tried to be cautious while limping around the house, there have been some slip-ups. Bumping the abused toes against baseboards or the coffee table hurt. Catching said toes on the mattress rail of our sleigh-bed and bending them upwards HURT. Well, I thought it did, until I re-fractured the baby toe by stubbing it against our hamper this afternoon! Adding insult to injury, I reopened part of the still-healing split! Sigh - I hate Murphy’s Law!!

What is that muttering I hear? “Did you finally go to the doctor?” Of course not - - - I’ve made more of a mess of it, but there’s still nothing they could do!

Poor DH got a 4 am wake-up call - - - well, more of a wake-up whimper, actually. The story began at 1 am; I’d been courting sleep for over an hour and gave it up as a futile enterprise. There were just too many unhappy joints sending pain messages*, and my brain insisted on a detailed & repetitive review of the many steps remaining on my current miniature project. (*Although the renewed Enbrel therapy does seem to be making a difference, we’ve had unstable weather & bouncing air pressure for several days. Happily, it has brought a bit of welcome rain along with the discomfort!)

Since sleep was not a viable option, I decided to at least let DH sleep undisturbed, retreat to my Tower (studio) and work on said project. With “Celtic Woman”, “Top Gun” and Andrea Bocelli selections to break the silence, I completed the pegboard display and many more bags, boxes & pouches of pet care items for ‘Le Beastro Pet Supplies’ over the next few hours. I was using an X-Acto knife with a fresh, very sharp blade for much of that time; it’s amazing that my *journey* didn’t end (badly) much earlier than it did:)

At 4 am, I decided my nocturnal creative burst was over. . .truth be told, I was beginning to get basic construction steps out of sequence and mess things up a bit! Turning on the lights in the stairwell or family room would run the risk of awakening DH, so I made my way (slowly & carefully) down the stairs in the dark. No harm, no foul. I remembered to move forward cautiously in the family room until I located the quite large, quite solid oak shop-case, and navigate around it. I mapped the archway into the dining room with my free hand, as a cue to the location of the step & I took that step carefully.

That’s when I got careless!! By the faint light of the nightlight, I could see where the dining room table ended & where the bedroom door was - I was ‘home free’. NOT!!! I picked up speed. . . . .and one blink later, I was flat on the floor, with coffee spread everywhere. After a moment spent wondering how that had happened (and listening to profanity from various parts of my anatomy), I hobbled to the kitchen for a towel to clean up the coffee. What happened? Well, I can answer *what*, but I have absolutely no explanation for *how*! I forgot about the spare side-chair to my left as I entered the dining room. . . . .but I stubbed two toes (baby toe and the one next to it) of my right foot on the chair leg! I turned on a kitchen light to clean up the coffee spill & assess the physical damage. OK - Two strips of hide off my right forearm, a throbbing foot and the knowledge that my right shoulder, ribs and hip were going to be sore. But wait - why was I leaving a faint trail of blood wherever I wiped up coffee?! When I inspected my foot, I could see just enough to know I needed help. As well as breaking the baby toe (and possibly its neighbor), I sustained a deep, ragged cut around two-thirds of it!!

Haven’t slept much since then - haven’t moved around much, either. The project-in-work . . .upstairs. . . I guess it’s going to be off limits for a fair number of days:(
T

My first, tentative steps into the world of computing were taken on DH’s Gateway. Those first few lessons, even though they involved the embarrassment (”I feel like an idiot”) quotient I had been dreading) were enough to convince me that this could be a really cool tool! My every-growing recipe file could become an organized cookbook; instructions and patterns for miniatures could be neatly presented to my club; letters could be composed without my RA compromised hands reducing them to short notes! Yeah, I loved it all. . . . .when I could access it. When quickly became a problem; predictably, the only time I seemed to have free to play around on his computer was the same times that he wanted to use it. Then I had a brilliant (IMHO) idea. . . . . .convince DH that he *needed* a newer & faster computer (Oh, yeah, that was really difficult - hehe!), and then move the Gateway to my desk.

Things have changed a lot since then! The Gateway is long gone, and I’m on my second Dell Inspiron (E1505) lap-top; the portability allows me to cater to the whims of RA much more than a desk-top model can. I still try to treat husband, daughter & son (and son-in-law) to new computer “stuff” once in awhile. I’m still lagging well behind the rest in computer knowledge, and until now I’ve been the “Mac-less” member of the family. Today, it was my turn to happily accept a hand-me-down from DS! His new MacBook Pro arrived a few days ago, and he presented his MacBook (and its spiffy slipcase) to me:) LOL - we’ve come full circle!