'Tis the night after Christmas

And here's a recap...

Christmas eve, we met up with friends Grayson and Melissa for dinner and came home for a couple of hours of Spades.

We slept in Christmas morning and awoke to the first beautiful, warm day in three weeks. I even took the blankets off the horses. We opened our gifts (iPods for each of us...and a super-awesome point-and-shoot camera so I don't have to haul the Rebel around anymore) and enjoyed the afternoon.

Ugly Christmas sweaters, move over. Next big fad...ugly Christmas beanies!

Trevor, Aaron and Harmony arrived around 4ish and we let Trevor open his presents: a remote control helicopter and mini foosball (which was mostly played by Aaron and Travis who took the time to build the thing).

I don't remember much of Christmas night because I was nose-deep in my iPod playing "Words with Friends"...but Travis and Aaron were watching Flight of the Concords.

With a day of shooting planned for today, the day after Christmas, we asked Hans to make a Wal-mart run to get clay pigeons and shotgun shells. On. the. biggest. return. day. of. the. year. But Hans sent a text at 6:30 this morning saying he picked up the last two boxes of shells and the last box of clays. He trouped through IDIOT drivers on the mountain and we were off to shoot.

GOODTIMES!

We came home starving and filled our bellies with La Paws - YUM! - Samantha's patience had finally worn thin and could no longer wait to open her gifts. Despite telling the mall Santa that she wanted "mud" and "orange" for Christmas, she had told her dad she wanted Princesses. She loves them all, especially Rapunzel and Belle.

Samantha's horse bit Trevor! Bad Pony!

Travis and Harmony tried to revive the curse of the Christmas puzzle but gave up shortly after the border was complete. I don't have the patience for puzzles, so it was prematurely dismantled.

Samantha got a read-along Beauty and the Beast book, which was started by Hans and finished by Trevor.

Sweet dreams everyone. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! 

'Tis the night before the night before Christmas

Travis's recovery is pretty remarkable to me at this point. I don't remember feeling as well after a lesser surgery on my knee than he is feeling currently. His swelling has gone down quite a bit. He has been working on the fence and tinkering on motors during the day while I am at work.

Even his scar looks a year old.

The Bee's knees...

So once again, Travis proves that you can do whatever you set your mind to. And he has set his mind to a 6 week recovery from a pretty serious surgery and he just might make it. To be continued...

Hans sent a great picture of Samantha with Santa. So with Christmas on the horizon, I thought it was worth sharing.

Nieces are what make this part of Christmas fun!

Harmony, Aaron and Trevor are supposed to be here sometime on Sunday and Hans and Samantha will be here Monday...and it looks like the weather is supposed to be on its best behavior. And possibly warm up to above freezing, which will be nice for my discontent with the horses' water over the past few weeks not turning into a block of ice every 12 hours.

So, if I don't post again until Christmas, may your days be merry and bright.

Two weeks down

Two weeks after surgery and Travis is loosely following Doc's orders. Brace wearing 24/7 has been limited to when he feels like it. He walked a mile on the treadmill last night and picked his dissolvable stitches. He was really contemplating picking the dissolvable stitches in the implant site, but he left those alone for another day.

He set up a jig for the fence panels and got a VW motor running, so he's finding other things to do with his time than playing MW3 or Black Ops.

Last Friday was the City's Christmas party so Travis got to make an appearance and get ribbed from his coworkers. He received a get well gift bag with a coloring book and crayons, apples, Monterey Jack Cheese (good for strong bones) and Cap'n Crunchberries.

The weekend was a bust because it wouldn't quit snowing, which is consistent with meteorologists failing every weather report this winter thus far. A "trace" turns into a foot...and two foot prediction is a dusting.

I couldn't take it anymore and took Jake for a short walk. I so needed that.

Some Jake time.

The dogs have become accustomed to coming in and laying by the fire. Check out the moment caught last night. Bosom buddies.

Post Op

Left work early today to get Travis down the hill to his post-op appointment.

Many of you know, I almost never drive us anywhere. My driving does nothing but drive Travis crazy. Which drives me to drive like an 89-year-old blind woman. I am pretty sure I can tell you every single time I have ever driven Travis anywhere:

1. Wisdom teeth

2. Eyelid rip (snowboarding accident)
3. Broken neck (back home from Montana)
4. Broken wrist
5. Broken ankle
6. When he taught me how to drive the 1960 VW ragtop
7. Knee surgery
8. Only once have I been a designated driver. That was when Micah and Travis got to the open bar before I did at Andrew Mellon's wedding.

I am pretty sure that's it. Oh, wait:
9. I have probably driven less than 8 hours total on 14 years worth of road trips to places like Oregon, Montana and Colorado.

Anyhoo, both nurses who helped Travis were cute, so I am glad I went with him to remind them that he's taken. Cute nurse #1 checked him in and removed the bandages:

Loss of calf muscle after 10 days?

Dr. Chow came in after the bandages were off. Explained the surgery. Explained, with pictures from the arthroscopic camera inside his knee, how the medial and lateral meniscus were trimmed up and how the new ACL was implanted into the hole where the old ACL used to belong. He humored Travis's questions about how soon can he [this and that] and asked for him to please let his knee heal for another 4 weeks until his next appointment.

That being said, he gave Travis 75˚ range of motion with his knee brace, told Travis to walk as much as he can, and gave his blessing for Travis to take a shower.

Enter cute nurse #2 to remove sutures and re-fit the knee brace.

And with that, and a new appointment in January, we were sent on our way. One lunch at Red Robin and an hour sitting on the hill with a bunch of people who don't know how to drive in the snow, and we are home.

Yes...those are both of Travis's knees.

Rise and Shine at 4:30 (and a bit for Ron Paul)

Travis says he slept until 4:30 today. That's pretty amazing, but he says he went to bed about 5:30 this morning. He slept through the door knocking and text messaging of his buddy Dale, who decided to pay him a visit. He awoke long enough to answer my lunchtime phone call.

Last night we watched a few episodes of American Horror Story. Spoooooky. Good acting...

I went to bed just after midnight, while the nighttime video game battles were just beginning for him. I don't know how he pulls these all-nighters.

Tomorrow is post-op day. The bandages come off and we get to see Dr. Chow's handiwork. The best part for me: I get to leave work early! Maybe a Red Robin lunch? Last Christmas, they had Gingerbread shakes and malts...mmmmmmmm.

Moving on to...
Whether or not I really was passionate negatively or otherwise about Obama, last month, he went against his word in 2008 in a way that doesn't settle well with me: horses and slaughter. In the past several months, I have "discovered" a candidate who has been around for a long time. This man is consistent.

Proposition 187 back in 1994 was my first personal experience with voting. I lost quite a bit of faith in the vote after watching a proposition pass with 58% be overturned by American-flag-burning illegal Mexican immigrants.

I don't have a problem with legal immigration.

But I digress. 2011 is the first year that I have been so inspired by a candidate who doesn't seem to be lying, posturing, or looking to rally the voters with a cool soundbite.

As with all candidates, I don't agree with everything. But what I do agree with, I agree passionately.

I couldn't say it better than Andrew Sullivan. If anything, it is a very good read.

Charter MissCommunications

Got a new modem today from Charter Communications. Can someone please tell us how is it even acceptable that you pay $45 per month for high speed internet access for (up to) 30Mbps and you get somewhere between 15 and 24Mbps (per the Charter speed test website), but you still have to pay $45 per month? Wouldn't it make sense that if you get a variable internet speed that you can make variable payments? I feel like giving them $5 this month. Ever since installing the new modem this afternoon, we have completely lost internet access four times. And we haven't seen 30Mbps at all.

The tech guys have lame excuses like "it depends on how many people are using the line" or "we can't guarantee the speed coming out of your router".

But you see, Charter has a monopoly up here in Big Bear so they can charge whatever they want. You should be able to sue for that.

This causes a lot of yelling at the TV.

Not much else to do...

Two days before the post-op appointment and the report is that taking a poop hurts more than the knee. 

Floor Pretty

Today was another coughing, snot manufacturing day for me.

Travis slept until noon and began target practice on MW3 (his first day on the new game). The graphics are pretty good, and it doesn't have that addictive music from Black Ops that I have embedded in my brain for several lifetimes.

Where's my remote??

The good news is: Travis has been walking around without his crutches a little bit. Not going too far because he says he pays for it later, but he's pretty proud of himself that he pushes his limits.

We watched a must-see documentary this afternoon Waiting for Superman. So put it on your list (if you haven't seen Buck). And we finished our instant queue of Breaking Bad Season 3. Man, that is the best show ever.

My brother brought something scary to my attention: Senate Bill 1867. I believe that clearly took away citizen's rights, but what is anyone going to do about it? I should probably watch what I write here because it could be against the law for me to even say I disagree with it. Quickly moving on...

Peechu, our pretty little orange kitty, likes to prairie dog by the couch with hopes that today might be that special day when she will be invited up to join us. But she's not allowed. I say she should be allowed on the couch because she is pretty. Travis says she is floor pretty, not couch pretty.

And to think how much she loves him....

Something that resembles a walk

Today was bath day. But Travis isn't allowed to shower or bathe so it was more like a sponge bath, or as Genelle calls it a "whore bath".

I trimmed his snaggletoes, but he wasn't up for letting me wash his hair yet. I couldn't go this many days without washing my hair. Grease sets in as soon as 24 hours on my mop. But Travis is holding up really well and is proud to show off that he is shuffling about on his feet. Kidding...it's a good slow walk.

This could also be the beginning of "Beard Watch 2011/2012"

The mucous factory forced me to come home early from work today and I made it through about 45 minutes of The Peacemaker (an older George Clooney/Nicole Kidman flick) that didn't strike me as being very realistic or believable. Kidman is a much better actress than she portrayed here. I slept for a few hours, fed the horses, brought in the dogs (one more fart and they're out) and watched a few shows.

Christmas commercials on TV. Oh...Christmas is coming. Who's ready?

A little girl's toothache and a RNR Vegas Marathon headache

Surgery Recovery Day 2.

This evening, Travis says the pain is like a little girl's toothache. He took some painkillers last night and this morning, but is in good spirits tonight.

"Daddy" Louie came to visit today. I came home from work to remnants of Subway sandwiches on the table.

I wish I could sleep in

Marathon Recovery Day 3.

I've been moving around pretty good today. I can swish the dark fluid in my blood blister from one side to the next. My toenails still threaten to eject from their nailbeds. But I was hit with a whiffle ball bat of a head cold...the kind that turns on the invisible faucet in your nostrils. My jaw hurts from clenching and congestion.

Is the frigid temperature of the 2011 RNR Las Vegas Marathon to blame?

Why not? I have a lot of fecal matter to throw at that event. What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. It goes on the internet.

I'm not on Facebook, but I hear they are getting bombarded with complaints. Valid ones in my opinion. I am glad I had a great experience in San Francisco, because if Vegas had been my first marathon, it might have become my last.

My personal complaints:
1. They ran out of electrolytes. It was part of my strategy to take advantage of the electrolytes on the course. At about mile 17, there weren't any. This caused a little bit of panic.
2. They didn't enforce the marathon lanes (nor do I really think it would have been enforceable). Enough of the 38,000 half marathoners (many of whom were walking) used kind words like "Eff You!" when asked to move to the right by staff and my running partner De'Anna. The 6,000 marathoners were forced to bob and weave, hop on sidewalks, stop and switch directions the last 13.1 miles of the race.
3. Cheap Trick cheapened my deal by starting the show late...when I was heading to the start corrals. This gave the half marathoners a great show before their race started.
4. Bananas at the finish line were GREEN. Not greenish yellow, but green. People were puking green bananas inside and outside Mandalay Bay.
5. The water and electrolyte tables were set up in the marathon lanes, which added to congestion.
6. The first half was throw away miles. We got to see Vegas's finest industrial complexes for 13.1 miles.
7. I ran right past the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop without seeing Big Hoss, Old Man, Rick or Chumlee.

I don't think they were running...

The positives...
1. Was with a fun group of girls. De'Anna really helped me through this marathon. I had a tough time.
2. Marathon energy bars at the finish line (Snickers flavored) and a small bagel. Mmmmmm.
3. Love the medal.
4. Casey Abrams singing "God Bless America"
5. Genelle giving us some energy jelly beans at around mile 17 when we couldn't get electrolytes.
6. Crossing the finish line: De'Anna still full of energy got a groove going that brought a smile to my face as I came in just under my SF marathon time.
7. I beat Kate Gosselin (not that it matters, but she's in the news because of it). Thousands of people beat both of us.
8. The volunteers. They tried really hard to make the most out of a bad situation and had to deal with lots of angry runners. Those who stood out in the cold and cheered. That means so much when you are struggling to take another step.

The outcome...
It is unlikely I will sign up for a Rock N Roll Marathon in the near future, unless I hear things change. Clearly the marathoners were not priority in Vegas. Poor Mandalay Bay had their hands full with runners passing out, getting trampled, and needing aid in the halls of the casino.

11 ladies in a Lincoln Navigator

Ready to run, but unaware of what we were in for...

The road to recovery

What will it look like in 10 days?

Yesterday was pretty brutal.

I got home from Las Vegas just before 6am. I took a quick post-marathon shower and crawled into bed at 6:15, wrapped my arms around Travis and asked "what time do we need to get up?"

"7." His sleepy voice answered.

Ugh.

So when the alarm sounded, we rolled out of bed and got dressed. Horses and dogs were fed and we headed down to Apple Valley for Travis's knee surgery. I used the quick opportunity to complain about how sore I was before Travis would have a better reason to complain.

We arrive a little early and sat in the Taco for about 10 minutes chatting. Travis wasn't nervous about the surgery, just apprehensive about the long recovery. Clearly, he doesn't like to sit around.

We were called in almost immediately once he signed in and Mary Lou, a super nice nurse told him to get in the first bed.

"This one?" Travis asked.

"That would be the first bed." She replied.

Uh-oh. Mary Lou has a sarcastic side. It was on.

Among other things, Mary Lou took Travis's vitals, gave him an I.V., gave him his backless gown and asked him to remove all clothing, and shaved his knee. All of these procedures were open for jokes, but Mary Lou maintained her professionalism while keeping things light.

Dr. Chuong, an anesthesiologist who looked young enough to be in his first year of med school, came in and talked to Travis about a nerve block. This basically sounded like an epidural for your knee. Travis said he wanted it, and I was asked to go back to the waiting room while they numbed his leg. They brought me back in for a few more minutes before Dr. Chow was ready to take him into surgery at about 10am.

I napped in the truck while Travis was in surgery. I felt like a zombie. I had no idea how much time had passed when Jason called to check on Travis.

"What time is it?!" I asked, panicked. "11:30" Jason said. Oh good. They said it would be about 2 hours.

Running Vegas at night...or the clarity of Suzanne's brain on December 5.

Jason and I laughed about my harrowing night trying to get home from the RNR Las Vegas Marathon (more on this later). He woke me up enough to get myself back into the waiting room to see Travis post-op.

Dr. Chow came out and told me the surgery went well, that there was little cartilage damage and that the ACL replacement went well. His medial and lateral meniscus were damaged beyond repair, so Doc pretty much "trimmed up the flaps" and that was about all he could do.

Once Travis could form logical sentences, we were able to head home. Most of the night and into the morning, Travis seemed a bit concerned about how long his leg had been "dead". His foot literally looked disconnected from his body. He is looking at six to eight week timeframe to walk again. So we thought we could blog about it (and other things going on with us).

But just before posting our first blog entry at 3:15 today, Travis noticed he could wiggle his toes and foot. Yay! He called it a sock puppet.

Yeah! Painkillers!

That's a big step. (Pun intended?)