Warrior's Drink...

I don't care how many stool softeners they give you. Warm prune juice. That is all. And as to the image, IYKYK...

This is wayyyyyyyyyyy too much TMI, but if you've ever been under general anaesthesia, you know it can wreak havoc with your stomach and your other systems. So not only are you foggy-brained, but you can't pee or poop for a while. 

So I had my hip replaced on Friday, June 23. I was truly pain-free for the first 24 hours post-surgery. There was no 16-penny nail hammering into my hip, there was no knee pain, nothing. Except my back hurt because I don't sleep on my back and I had to. The hospital bed allowed me to tilt my head up and I was able to bend my knees a bit by raising the base of the bed, so it wasn't miserable. And they were in and out all night checking on me, so there was that. 

I really liked the "leg massage devices" they used on my legs, and I wish I'd have had the option to take them home. The nurses said a lot of people object, but it's like -- it's to prevent a life-threatening clot. What's to object? 

I also came home with a "wound vac" which I wasn't expecting. It occasionally growls at me. But nothing is coming out, which is apparently a good thing. 

Thankfully, I had pooped (see, TMI) the morning before my surgery - one of the blessings of not having to be up at "rooster o'clock" for the procedure. Because I knew I would have all kinds of meds, I knew there would be some stool softeners. And - pain meds kill my appetite. They honestly don't do much for pain, and they make me want to vomit, which seems beside the point - so while I'm doing the minimum so I don't get caught up in the pain, I have been having the "I really don't want to eat" thing. And of course: nothing in, nothing out. 

Funny story: Part 1 -- I was up and walking with assistance 2 hours after I was out of recovery. They do not mess around. 

Part 2 -- I hadn't had any pain meds, and the nurse said "just take it, you will wish you had" and so I did. Anyway, I was up and going to the bathroom. They turned the sink on - that trick apparently works for potty-training kids, and adults with sleepy bladders. I peed, they said, "nope, there's more. Try again." So I did. And there was. I've never had my bladder take this long to wake up. 

Part 3 -- I was getting ready to be discharged (which did take forever, the only bad part) and not only did ALL MY PAIN RECEPTORS WAKE UP but so did my bladder. So it's "ouch, pee, ouch, pee, ouch, pee..." Luckily, I made it to the toilet in good time. 

Still no poop. I'd been faithfully taking my stool softeners, but like I said, not eating too much. I was feeling really queasy and was about to send Hubby out to get a laxative (which is what the home health nurse recommended, because you have to wake up your system). Instead, I had him warm up about 1 cup of prune juice. I prefer it warmed for the purpose I was planning. 

And...in the middle of his conference call, I stood up, and I said, "You need to help me" because we have a dog gate and he lifts the walker over it. He looked at me and said, "You're moving with a purpose." Yep. I was. 

Success. That is all. 

The Knitting...

Petty Harbour #1 is done. I finished it Thursday night and started #2. I'm at the ribbing already. I want to plow through, then frog Long Sands. And then start that one. And finish the other blue singleton. 

I'm still very much loving the yarn and I think that, while I've seen this pattern done in a variegated yarn, for me - a solid is the way to go. But also - nothing too dark. I find that the older I get, the less I like knitting with black or dark navy. Hard to see the stitches. 

This sock fits really well. I was a bit worried because it's smaller than I would usually knit. But when I tried it on, it was not too snug, and it had plenty of room in both the toes and the heel. 

I'm not even too bummed about the short leg. I think it's definitely the softness of the yarn, so I'm also hoping that it wears as well as it feels. 

It's always nice to see that your initial instinct for a colorway and pattern work out so well. I wasn't quite sure about this khaki color, but it has worked out just fine and I could see this in maybe a medium blue, or -- finally -- a purple, seeing as it's my favorite color and I have ZERO socks in that color. 

And I have a life-hack for you, my knitterly friends! You know Kitchener Stitch and that set-up row? Well. Eliminate the set-up row. Start right in with Row #1 and you won't get "ears" on your sock. Who knew?? 

I like Kitchener, though I know some folks don't. I prefer a star toe, though, because it does fit my feet better. I just massively dislike the ears I used to get on the Kitchener bind off. And I think a 3-needle bindoff for a sock is one step too fiddly. And for a sock knitter to worry about "fiddly" is saying something!

I think that #2 will work up pretty quickly. The pattern repeats on the leg are easily memorized and once you get the hang of it, the whole sock just kind of flows. And of course, it's the shorter leg. 

One of the other things I want to do is to try to do an "arch support" on the bottom of the instep. That's a pattern for another day, though. 

Random Picture...

This is Prairie Blazing Star. It should be blooming in my garden right about now, but since we had what we can kindly call a weird spring, and we're in a drought, I've got greens but no blossoms. Soon enough, I expect. Hubby said he saw a Monarch Butterfly on the milkweed, so I know that the native plants are making an impact. 

My Brown-Eyed Susans are also behind, as is the Bee Balm. I think Mother Nature is just taking her own time, as she should. I will have flowers eventually. 

What's growing in your garden this summer? Inquiring minds want to know! 

DEFCON 5

It's really weird to talk to the hospital as they give you pre-op instructions. "Take this medication, have a driver. Do not take that medication. No food or water after midnight the night before, but in the morning you can take this pill with a sip of water. Shower the night before and the morning of, using Dial or other antibacterial soap."

And from the doctor's office: "5 days prior to your surgery you're going to be doing a major antibacterial detox using Hibiclens showers once a day, and then the night before the surgery, scrubbing yourself with a special anti-bacterial wipe, and then do that again in the morning before surgery..." and they'll be scrubbing you AGAIN when they get you on the table. 

I was tempted to do the "hospital version," till a friend of mine said, "You know, the orthopedic surgeon is basically sticking a big metal and porcelain piece of equipment into your body. He's asking you to go DEFCON 5 so that you don't accidentally transmit any bacteria into the surgical site, which will go directly to the bone." 

OK. So we're going DEFCON 5. I've never felt so...sterile. Though it's a sink bath. Because I'm - quite honestly - scared witless of slipping in the shower; even though we have grab bars, a non-slip mat and there's a seat there, it's all in my head, and then there's the "get out" part. It's about 2" to step over and shifting weight onto the left leg at this point is an iffy proposition. My leg hurts. And it's kind of my own fault...

The other day, Hubby was out. I made lunch (which I could carry in a pocket, it was a sandwich that I put into a plastic container) and some chai. That was in a travel cup. I have a very small house, so I'm lucky enough (?) to have little waystations where, if I'm careful, I can move something, bit by bit, to my point of destination. 

I got careless. I was stumping along with my 2 sticks, thinking how slick I was, and I grabbed the travel cup wrong. The lid sprang off, the bottom (14 oz) fell to the ground, and chai went. All. Over. The. Place. It was on the couch. On the sewing machine. On the floor. On the dog. On me. On. The. Ceiling... 

To say I was dismayed would be an understatement. Hubby was not long gone, so I had no recourse. I stumped back to the kitchen, told Quinn to "leave it" (the last thing I need is a dog buzzed on chai and sugar). Grabbed a towel and a roll of paper towels and started to mop up. I sponged it off the knick-knacks on the sewing machine. Wiped off the legs - of the sewing machine cabinet and then my own legs. Got it off the couch, where I could see it. Then, the floor. Ice cubes and chai. Me on sticks. What's a girl to do? 

I got down onto the floor, on my knees (yeah, about as much fun as you'd think) and started to gather the cubes into the cup, and swab up the chai. There was no way I was going to be able to mop, but if I could get it up off the floor, at least that was something; Hubby could mop. 

Quinn just settled herself on the rug near the TV, well out of the way. 

I got it all up. Managed to get MYSELF up off the floor in a very wonky wide-legged downward-facing dog in reverse. It was not fun. I got myself to the kitchen and rinsed out the towel. Put the paper towels in a small bag and left them there for a bit. Sank into my chair and wanted to just weep. Ate my sandwich. Took a fitful nap and berated myself more than a bit.

And Hubby mopped after he got home. He and I didn't notice that it got to the ceiling till the other day... And that's cleaned now too. 

The Knitting...

I don't know why I'm dallying. Usually at this point, I'm whizzing along to get the sock finished, but I'm doing bit by bit on the toe of the first Petty Harbour. I know part of it is me being fidgety. I hurt, in my hip and in my hands (death grip on the canes). The surgery is this Friday (it's Tuesday as I type this). 

Tonight, I have a Zoom meeting, but before then, I'll try to get a few more rows in. Tomorrow, I'm at the office till late - the last office visit till I'm let loose by the docs, so I have several things that must be done. And that 12-hr day wipes me out. I don't get home till 7 p.m. and I can't do much for meals, because I'm careful of what I can carry in safely, since I probably -- if I had any sense at all -- would have planned to stay home like any normal person. 

The sock was started December 19. 2017...it's not like I'm in a hurry. Maybe if I can get this one done in the next few days, I'll feel better. 

I will look in the stash after the surgery to see what I might have to do another pair of these. I like the texture on the leg; and maybe the next pair will be pattern on leg only, which is my usual style. 

I know I'm not frogging the Long Sands till after surgery. I just figured that would be a good "between walks" project. 

Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll start the second Petty Harbour sock before surgery. Not counting on it, but one never knows. I just can't seem to focus on much right now. 

Random Picture...

This will be a very short blog, kids. Again - that lack of focus thing... This was Quinn yesterday.

Totally zonked and getting some of her "solid 18" in the form of a snorting, snoring nap in the afternoon. She even slept through several people walking across the street. She didn't even mind the little bit of blanket covering her nose, which normally would have bugged her. 

Normally, if a cricket farts 3 blocks over or a leaf drops in the next town, she's going nuts barking. As a senior (she's 12 now), the sleeps are deeper. It's sort of melancholy to watch, because I know that she's getting older. Does she drive me nuts sometimes? Yeah. But. She's my Quinnie... 

Standing on One Leg...

Well, I used to joke that "I can stand on one leg an awfully long time..." 

And I realized now, that, yes, I actually have been standing on one leg an awfully long time. From what I can figure, about 18 months. 

As I get closer to my surgery date (it's 10 days from today), I am feeling the injury more and more. Sleep is a little harder to come by. I ended up one day on my recliner, which was a good idea, but wasn't, since Hubby gets up before the roosters. 

I actually have 3 yoga blocks next to the bed (it's a Sleep-Number, so it's a bit higher than a normal bed), and I use those to step up so I can actually get into it. I put my "good" foot on the block, then the injured one, put the "good" knee on the mattress and swing my rear end around, with my "good" leg supporting the injured one. It's a 9 out of 10 usually! 

Anyway, I'm both looking forward to the surgery and having generally an attack of nerves, as one does when one contemplates a major operation. My overall facade is calm, but my stomach has other ideas. Oh well, I guess a couple more pounds lost before surgery is a good idea. 

I miss my sister. I want her here to talk to and be my back-up. 

The Knitting...

I finished The World's Ugliest Socks. I measured, but my tension on the second sock is almost totally different. It's looking a bit smaller, but I'm going with it. It should be fine, and I'm not too worried. Nobody is looking at my feet anyway. 

What I like: I like the star toe. I think I've finally found a pattern that will work easily, and while it's on 64 stitches, I will play with it to see if it's workable for other stitch amounts. I usually do 68 stitches, but if these fit ok, then I might be able to stick with 64, which is where I see a lot of women's sock patterns written. 

I like the colorway overall, but for me, I don't wear a lot of orange and it's still strange that this will be the 3rd(?) pair with green and orange. I think it was probably the name of the sock yarn that grabbed me, which I believe was St. Charles. Long story, for another blog. 

I still like my Eye of Partridge with Selvedge heel. It's sturdy and it looks good. I think I picked up too many stitches for the gusset, though (see next paragraph). 

What I don't like: I don't think I'll be doing a 3" heel flap again. It's a bit too big. I think I'm somewhere around 2.5" and I need to stick with that. With the 3" heel flap, there's a CRAP-TON a lot of stitches to pick up and then that makes the gusset wonky. It makes an odd gap-y thing from the heel to the first bit of the gusset, which you can kind of see in the top sock. The top sock is on top because it's the one with the least mistakes. 

I don't really like the texture of the yarn. It's scratchy. Now granted, this project was from 2017. (Yes. 2017) But wool is wool. It's more scratchy than Opal, which - while it's my go-to - IS scratchy till you wear/wash a few times. 

I have a few more hanks of Lorna's Laces; not sure if I'll use them for a shawl or a pair of socks. I will have to see what's in the stash. I did ask Hubby to pull up a bag from a stash tote we have in one of the closets. But eventually, I just looked at what was tucked into project bags alongside my knitting chair. 

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I have this sock -- and I can't find the pattern. Not only that, but I'm not sure which yarn it is. I'm almost sure it's Opal, because that's what 90% of my sock yarn in balls is. 

All I know is that it has a Strong Heel and a square-ish toe. I've looked through my clipboard and two notebooks, but I can't find it. What I might do is take advantage of the current "sort of matched socks" trend and do maybe a 6x2 rib or something close. Who knows? Maybe that's what I did anyway. I can't seem to get a good count on the pattern itself on the sock that's done. And I have absolutely NO idea where the pattern is. Of course, I know I will find it it will magically appear after the second sock is done. But that's coming later. 

For now, I've picked up Petty Harbour (yes, UK spelling, that's how the pattern references it). I'm loving the Cascade Superwash Merino sock yarn. It's sooooooooo squishy. And I like the khaki color because it really shows the pattern. What I don't really like is the 5" leg - it's a bit on the short side for me, but I'm so far along (on the foot now) that I'm absolutely not going to frog. When I look in my sock box, I note that my first few pairs were with a 5" leg. As I got better at it, I got better at customizing the parts. 

And honestly, it's beautiful. I'll live with it and when I do this pattern again - which I will, in a different solid color - I can do the 7" leg I want. 

The only concern I have is that it's so squishy that it won't wear well. This is the only pair I will have which is made from Cascade sock yarn. I remember the Robin's Egg Madelaine Tosh yarn. I was so happy with its squishy-ness, and that pair of socks has pilled like crazy. I don't wear them often because of how pill-y they are. They also have a 5" leg. Just sayin'... 

That being said, my experience with the Cascade has led me to the idea to use it for a shawl. It would be lovely as a cowl, too. So if by chance there's a hank or two in my stash (and I honestly don't know. I don't think so, but you never know...), I could use it for something like that rather than socks. This would be gorgeous as the Sally Melville "Wingspan" neck wrap. 

And, I'm going FROGGING. The Long Sands Tee? Well. I've lost about 20 pounds. The pattern has a little over 13" of positive ease (which means it's "flowy" in the first place). The size I was knitting was for my previous weight. I'm afraid that with this weight loss, it won't look "flowy," but will look like, "she didn't know how to knit the right size" and I'll be swimming in it. No picture for now; what I last posted was the last time I worked on it. 

Lucky for me, I've only done about 6" of it, so I may as well frog and do it over. And it'll allow me to fix some of the mistakes I had in the original one. This is the one main reason I stick to socks and shawls. My weight fluctuates too much. 

Long Sands is meant to be worn over a camisole or tank top, as it's in linen and knitted on larger needles. But even if I gain some of it back, there's enough ease in there for me to have some room. I'm hopeful, of course, that I won't gain it back, with the new hip and being able to actually, you know, WALK and stuff like that. 

The Indictment...

It is my fervent hope that TeflonDon has something stick to him. We were all happy about Merrick Garland, who seems to have misplaced not only his sense of justice, but his spine as well. I don't see anything coming out of him, except that he had sense enough to appoint Jack Smith. Who has his own checkered past as far as conviction rates, but for the love of Justice? Merrick, dude. You're playing wayyyyyyy too safe by allowing Mango Mussolini to get away with all that he's gotten away with. Is it reverence to the cult or a perceived loyalty to the Federalist Society? He's billed as a "moderate liberal" who is "pro-prosecution," but in this case? He seems to be running away from any hint of prosecution. 

And the grift continues. Mango Mussolini pled not-guilty. I'm sorry, I know it's part of the process, but there's ample evidence that he did indeed not only take the documents, but showed them off, and had no intention of giving them back. 

I want to know what's buried with Ivana. 

Social media is awash (in parts where, honestly, I don't go) with conspiracy theorists who are this very day protesting the indictment. What is it about this guy? What makes him such a cult figure? Whatever it is, it is that which makes him so dangerous for this country and this political system. 

We weren't founded on the premise of a demi-god or a king. We walked away from that when the tea was dumped in the harbor and we stayed away. 

As we watch rights being stripped from women, the Black community, the LGBTQIA+ community - as we watch the Supreme Court - our last, best hope for justice - become just one more vessel of governmental corruption; as we watch our children and grandchildren act as literal and actual sacrifices to the gun lobby and the politicians they've purchased? The last thing we need is a cult leader who's only in it to grift and sell our nation to the highest bidder. Which might be Saudi Arabia, North Korea, or China. Russia, while it would be the ultimate coup, is in no position. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we've already been sold to Putin by his puppet. 

I don't know about you, but I'm so overwhelmed. It's been a battle since that trip down the golden staircase. Outrage after outrage. Dumping of norms. Incivility on a massive scale. A pandemic that killed millions. Almost total destruction of what was a once-honorable profession of journalism for the more "palatable" concept of "info-tainment" where there's more entertainment and less "info" to be had. Lying with absolute impunity. Long-established rights stripped with glee. And more of that to come, kids. 

It's exhausting. Technically, we outnumber the rabid voices. But we need to be committed to doing the work. We need to turn out. We need, overall, to be a lot less "nice" and start calling out the lying liars and turning their tactics back on them. This isn't how I expected to spend my time. But if I want my nieces and nephews, and my GRAND-nieces & nephews, to have a world fit to live in? I've gotta keep going. 

Are you in with me? This is an all-hands-on-deck situation, folks. We're fighting for the lives of those who will come after us. 

Random Picture...

Peeps. You either love them or hate them. I personally love them. Stale, if possible, because they're better that way. 

So my oldest friend, knowing I wasn't out and about, got me a package. And yes, I ate them. Not all at once, but I didn't let them go as stale as I usually would. 

I'm a traditionalist. Just give me the birdies. No bunnies. No funky colors. No flavor changes. Just the marshmallow goodness and the sugar rush. It's a thing. I believe I'm the only one in my family who eats them. 

It's good to be an individual!

June 23, 2023

Well. It had to happen, and so it did. My hip is, according to one doctor, "trashed," and to the surgeon, "really, really bad." 

So surgery has been set up. Coincidentally, on a date which is important to me and which will be easy to remember. And, it's about 3 weeks away, which doesn't give me a lot of time to freak out. 

Unfortunately, I was so shocked at the xrays that I didn't snap a picture. Let's put it this way: First of all, it's been TWO years, not one, which I thought. And second, I went, in TWO years, from "ok, but arthritic," to "the head of your femur is destroyed." I couldn't tell where the socket ended and the femur began. In a way, it's nice confirmation that it is indeed as bad as it feels. But in another way, it's freaking shocking. 

"Do you have any questions?" said the doctor. Yeah. How soon can I get this done! They did say they'd "expedite" it, but you never know. Lo and behold, I was asked which hospital I wanted, and they gave me the date. 

They needed more x-rays, including one standing up, which wasn't pretty. That being said, when the techs had to help me swing my left leg back over the table to get down, it went into quite the "snap, crackle, pop, and lock" routine. They were so sympathetic, but it wasn't exactly painful - it was more noisy and uncomfortable. It's when I have to walk or stand where it kills me. 

I'm chuffed, because it's been horrible. But I'm also scared. But I'm also looking forward to getting my life back. 

I've been using a TENS unit on my knee. Yeah, the hip is shot, but you know the old "knee bone connected to the hip bone" jingle. My knee took the brunt of being unable to bear weight, so the TENS unit has been helping me keep the pain within range. 

One of the gals at work gave me a walker, which you'd think was a great idea. It is, and it isn't. I tend to baby the left leg more with a walker, and I need to make sure that I'm not making it worse. And I do need to bring the walker to the hospital for therapy/rehab, but from what I understand, they'll want to get a patient off all assistive aids as soon as possible. The doctor said that I would not feel the arthritic pain, but since my leg has lost a lot of muscle tone, the new joint is going to want to move, but the muscles will be out of whack. That sounds like fun. 

The Knitting...

I'm on the foot of the second sock. I've just been working away at this, figuring that I'd have my "hip replacement socks" done. Then I can move on. 

I have a kit of a baby sweater that I want to do; I've had it in stash for a few years; the original recipient is now 12 years old. But I have a Little Bug to knit for again, so if I can get my act together, this sweater will be out of stash and ON A BABY! It's a beautiful dusty rose boucle yarn. I don't think the kit includes buttons, but I can get those. That's the least of my worries. I think the kit has a button band, which is a first for me. Lucky, the Little Bug is still...little. 

Except for a few blips, which seem to be in every thing I knit, this sock is definitely going smoother than the last one. Of course, the last one sat for 10 years wayyyyyyyyyyyy too long and my brain was mushy from baby knitting. No excuse, but it was like I had completely forgotten how to knit a sock. 

I believe I can finish this one by the date of surgery. I'm not teaching, having subbed all my classes. So my evenings are free...

I have to get myself back on the Long Sands Tee, otherwise that will sit for another 10 years wayyyyy too long. And I do want to wear that sometime this year. 

I also bought another shawl pattern because I do have a few single skeins of sock yarn in the stash which I really don't want to use for socks. I bought them specifically for a shawl or shawlette. 

As far as I know, there are no more babies in the pipeline, so I can now concentrate on some of the projects that I had had to set aside due to said baby knitting. Not that I mind it - I love knitting for babies, and I really do want to do a "Baby Surprise Jacket" just to do it. You can always stash one of those, right? And I'd like to learn the EZ method without having to be on a baby deadline. 

The Postcards...

The squeaky wheel ministry continues. I wrote a batch to the Supreme Court with that perfect quote from Thomas Paine: "A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody." I asked some if they would get the heat put under other justices to actually effect meaningful ethics reform, and I asked the other ones if they wanted their legacies to be as unethical losers... You can guess which is which. 

I've also been working on postcards to the various committees and generally to legislators letting them know how I feel. 

The postcards were from an online printer, and so the investment was relatively small. It's an easy way to make an impact and a point. Not sure who's listening, but I'm contacting them and making myself a pest, so there's that. 

You can write to compliment. You can write to complain. It's an easy way to get your voice heard. 

Random Picture...

Now you know I'm not any kind of "influencer," and I don't get any compensation fromanyone for anything, but I do have to rave about a new product I found. It's called "Tablespoon Chai" from The Republic of Tea. It's so super easy, it's spicy, and not too sweet. I just love it. 

I tried to make my own blend, and I really couldn't get the hang of it. There are some great recipes, but for some reason, they never tasted right.

I was dedicated to Tazo's brand, till it got to be too sweet for my taste. This isn't. There's a nice after-bite that I appreciate. 

If you are so inclined, try it! I find chai a nice alternative to the matcha I usually drink, and I make mine with oat milk. Hot or iced, it's really delicious. It's black tea, so unless you're related to Hubby, this is a morning-to-early-afternoon drink. Anytime, for me, after 3 p.m., and I'm counting sheep. And counting sheep. And counting sheep....