Drive-by bullets.

• Smokey continues to improve. Very, very slowly. 
   
• He googled "L5 fusion recovery" and found a site/BBS with posts from people with his same surgey and with recoveries that lasted weeks or months and who suffered from pain that he doesn't have.
   
• He now reminds himself how much worse it could be.
   
• Still, it will be a long, slow recovery.
   
• Boring.
   
• It has been ungodly hot and humid here.
   
• 88˚ in the house.
   
• Blech.
   
• Those of you who live where hot and humid summers are the norm and are thinking "Wimp!", imagine that you had 4 - 6 weeks in the winter where the warmest it got was -10˚F. 
   
• That is a rough equivalent of what this summer has been for us Northern types.
   
• Happily, the bedroom is air-conditioned.
   
• Sadly, the drain holes on the window air conditioner were plugged.
   
• I have used a handheld wet vac on the floor next to Smokey's bed twice. 
   
• Unplugged the drain holes yesterday.
   
• Set up two fans to dry out the carpet.
   
• Keeping fingers crossed.
   
• A miracle occurred sometime while I was sleeping last night.
   
• When I came out of the bedroom this morning, the house was comfortable.
   
• A mere 80˚.
   
• I opened the window in the bedroom and pulled back the curtains.
   
• Smokey said the sunlight and fresh air were a boost to his spirits.
   
• He generally prefers our bedroom to be more of a cave -- dark and cool.
   
• Even dark and cool can get boring.
   
• Bald eagle just flew over the yard.
   
• Life could be a lot worse.

Blogger note: I wrote this yesterday afternoon but just as I tried to preview and publish it, my mouse stopped working. For the umpteenth -- well, third -- time in as many days. Did you know that without a mouse you cannot do ANYTHING? I tried to publish it from my iPad, but hitting "Publish" there did nothing. (Why not, Typepad? When are you going to put out a mobile blogging app, huh?) My googling for solutions came to naught. Then I mentioned my problem in a comment on Erika's blog, and BINGO! she sent me a link to a troubleshooting page, from whence I fixed the problem! Her google-fu is clearly superior to mine. Thanks again, Erika!)

Comments

[Erika]

Hooray! I do what I can!

[Vicki]

Happy to hear that Smokey is improving... and getting some sunlight and fresh air. The weather has been MERCILESS and I am bracing for my electric bill. Here's to continued improvement -- in both Smokey's recovery and in the weather!!
;)

[k]

We've had the AC OFF!!! for TWO DAYS!!!! I have gone outside!
Here's hoping the slow but steady continues.

[gayle]

Go, Smokey, go! Heal fast!
We've been having the hot and humid up here in Vermont, too, and we're really not equipped for it. (To continue your analogy, it's like the 4-6 weeks of -10 with only a windbreaker and a pair of fingerless mitts...)

[bullwinkle]

I did not think "wimp" (I did think "wonder if they have any a.c?" along with oof - hot and humid and recovering? (How the heck would you know if you had a fevor/infection???))

Sorry it's slow (but steady!) recovery. Yay for eagles :)

On a side note - it was 95 yesterday and I was *thankful* it wasn't too hot.

[Chris]

Yay for the getting your mouse working again! :) I hate using a mouse - I'm very fond of trackpads. Much more efficient than lifting my right hand up all the time to use the mouse.

And I can't believe that Typepad doesn't have a mobile blogging app.

[Laurie]

Glad he is good enough to complain. There is no good, graceful way to be a patient. The hardest part (for you) is having to do everything he would be doing.

[Kym]

Well. That's a lot going on. Heat. Humidity. Healing. Mouse woes. Here's to a continued smooth recovery for Smokey. . . and some cooling breezes for you.