Leg Injury Update

Back to my current invalid situation.  Good news on Tuesday, I got my staples out.

This morning my home health care worker said I could start taking showers again.  Yipee!  I've grown accustomed to taking sink baths but I do so want to start taking showers again.  Sink baths only go so far.

Next Tuesday I have an appointment with my orthopedic doctor.  This will be three weeks to the day since my surgery. My home health care workers tell me my wound (incision) is healing nicely.  The only problem I have now is one that I've had since I fell on that chunk of rain spout ice at the hotel on February 18th, was that my lower left leg, the one I can't lift, and my left foot is still swollen.  Sometimes at the end of the day that swollen foot is throbbing with pain.  I have to elevate it, not use it like I am now typing this blog entry.  I pay a price every time I'm at my computer.

Physical therapy should begin next week.  The next two months (April and May) will be consumed with physical therapy to get my left leg working again.  And none to soon because taking over some of my household duties is getting to Bill.  I'm trying to minimize what has to be done but there is only so much I can do.  One thing I've learned from this accident is how vulnerable we all are, especially me and Bill, two old guys living by ourselves here in a big house in a development.  I can't drive, I can't vacuum clean, and can only shop for groceries with the greatest of effort and then pay a price for that exertion with a swollen leg and foot.

But enough about me and my complaining.  I think of those one hundred and fifty people who senselessly lost their lives because a pilot decided to take all those innocent people with him when he decided to commit suicide.  The tragedy for their families is almost too much for me to comprehend. And it also puts my present condition into the category of a mild hiccup.

Have a great day folks. Ted Cruz, the Canadian Texas senator who sounds like Bugs Bunny, announced for president yesterday.  Glad to see there is some people still have a sense of humor.

Ron and Pat's Sunset Strip Tour Continues

We're back folks on our fabulous tour of Sunset Boulevard on a Friday night this past January.  

Pat was still in search of the original location of the 60's TV series "77 Sunset Strip."  We were also looking for other iconic landmarks of Hollywood like Grauman's Chinese Theater. We were entering the seedy part of Sunset Boulevard.  The tattoo parlors, the bars beckoning us in with enticing offers of $2.00 beers. Ah, the temptation.

Pat asks "Where is 77 Sunset Strip"?

The bouncer says "That way."  "No, that way." 

Pat is one persistent guy, not to be discouraged that easily. 

We were attracting a fair amount of attention while we wandered around this most iconic of streets in the world.  While taking selfies, more than a few groups of young girls thought we were taking pictures of them.  I had to assure them "We're not taking pictures of you, just ourselves"  I don't think they believed us.  Probably thought we were a couple of old pervs.

Two old pervs stalking Sunset Boulevard

We found Sunset Boulevard, especially downtown where the Walk of Fame is, to be an eclectic mix of people and businesses.  From well to do folks to homeless and just about everything in between.

Friday night on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in January 

I would like to think that Pat and I were "in between." 

I don't remember what I was trying to include in this selfie but we both seem pretty intense don't we?

Eventually we were on the really tawdry side of Sunset Boulevard. Pat was stunned into immobility when he passed this stunning storefront display of feminine pulchritudinous.  Stunned. 

Pat in shock - sorry Pat! Maybe if we hung around long enough we would see Demi Moore emerge with her latest boytoy

We were now in the seeding section of Sunset Boulevard so we decided to catch a bus back to where we were staying, the Hollywood Bed and Breakfast.  What a night folks.  Loved it!

Ron Goes Shopping With His Walker

Yesterday I ventured out with my walker.  I had an appointment at my V.A. doctor's office.  I was hesitant to take my walker (I didn't want to look like I was milking my injury) but my home health care worker said to definitely take my walker when I go out.  She said "You don't want to fall and cause another injury which will set you back." Yes, I definitely don't want do that.  I have a couple more months to go until my leg heals completely  and I sure as hell don't want to go backwards.  This healing process is taking long enough as it is.

My visit with my V.A. (Veteran's Administration) doctor went well.  He gave me some good information about my injury and orthopedic doctor's in general.  He said my leg injury is not uncommon and should heal completely which gave me peace of mind. Sometimes a crazy thought goes through my head that I'll be on a walker the rest of my life and unable to walk down stairs or do a hundred other every day physical activities that most everyone else takes for granted.

After seeing my V.A. doctor, we were on Rt. 113 so I suggested to Bill that we go down to Millsboro and B.J.'s Wholesale so I could stock up on groceries.  I didn't want to put Bill through the stress and aggravation of trying to figure out what I wanted.  Of course this meant that I would have to hobble around the vast expanse of the B.J.'s Wholesale warehouse on my walker.

Let me tell you folks, that store is BIG when you're shuffling along on a walker.  Wow.  I was exhausted after we finally finished shopping.  What usually takes us about fifteen or twenty minutes took a good hour.  Poor Bill, he had to push the cart (I always push the cart) and he had to slow walk behind me.  But I got a lot of good shopping done including buying some really good-looking beef for beef stew. My health care worker says I need a lot of protein and I've been hankering for some homemade beef stew, which I make pretty good.  

Today, between twelve and one o'clock "Cynthia", my home health care worker of the day, comes by for my twice a week visit.  My staples com out today folks!  Can a real shower be far behind?

Ron and Pat Do Hollywood and Vine

More from your two intrepid adventurers, the "Ron and Pat Show Go To Hollywood."

Folks, looking at these videos and pictures that I took while we were in Hollywood this past January brings back a big smile to my face.  It also brings back sadness because I see how I'm walking around regular, something I took for granted that I will never take for granted again.

As I said in my previous post Pat and I decided to take the long walk all the way down to Hollywood and Vine one evening, in search of the original location of the 60's TV show "77 Sunset Strip."  Of course we didn't find that location but what we did find was a lot of people, lights, history and excitement. 

Just two happy tourists taking in the night at Hollywood and Vine in January

We weren't disappointed at all with our personal Walk of Fame.  Oh sure, we got some looks from "the regulars", obvious tourists that we were.  But so what?  We were having fun.  Life is too short to worry about what other people are thinking.  Besides we even got a couple offers from strangers to take our pictures after seeing us struggle to take selfies.

Not the best pictures but a non-selfie. Lots of activity at Hollywood and Vine.  We loved it!

Look at the stars embedded in the sidewalk behind us in this photo.  So cool.  So this is actually the Walk of Fame?  Loved it!

The Walk of Fame - next year I'm going to look for my favorite stars

Every few feet we walked we saw yet another famous landmark.  Behind us in this selfie you'll see the Capitol Records building. The actual Capitol Records building!

The fearless duo right in the mix 

Hey folks, I'll admit that this blog post doesn't have a lot of substance, only an excuse to post our video and pictures of us during our walk down Hollywood and Vine. See those happy faces?  That's what it's all about.

Yet another selfie trying to catch the glamour and glitz of thee Hollywood and Vine

By the way, as we progressed further on Hollywood and Vine we did venture into the tacky sections.  I'll post them tomorrow.  But for now, this was the glitzy, fun, tourist part of our FABULOUS visit to Hollywood and Vine on a balmy January night.  

We now have a new tradition, every January we descend on Hollywood. 

Pat may live in Toronto and I may live in Delaware but we get together three times a year.  In May (or June depending on the healing process of my leg) Pat comes down here to Delaware and we spend a week together exploring the many attractions of Delaware as well as southeastern Pennsylvania  

In August I visit Pat at his home in Toronto to celebrate the when we met (August 2013) and the end of the summer season.

In January we visit Los Angeles to celebrate our birthdays (November and December).  

Life is good folks.  

77 Sunset Strip

Back to our stay in Hollywood folks.  Enough with me complaining about Bill's shopping. I just have to be more patient.  

While we were in Los Angeles, Pat wanted to find the original location of "77 Sunset Strip."  Me, not so much but I was up for a walk down Sunset Boulevard right into the center of all the tourist activity of the Walk of Fame.  So we set out one night after we had dinner at the El Compadre Restaurant.  

El Compadre Restaurant 7408 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California

Evening was just descending.  We decided to walk all the way down Sunset Boulevard, in the warm, summer like evening air, looking for the original location of the TV show "77 Sunset Strip."  

As the evening grew darker I looked to my left and what did I see?  The fabled Hollywood High School!  Wow!  Could this be THE Hollywood High School?  Indeed it was.  I stopped to take in the moment and try to imagine Lana Turner attending classes at this very building.

Pat taking in the evening in front of the Hollywood High School - how cool is this?

Of course, me being the photo hog that I am I had to take a selfie of me (and Pat) with the Hollywood High School as our backdrop.  Soo cool!

It doesn't take much to impress us folks! I was impressed.  

After taking our photos we continued on Sunset Boulevard looking for the address "77 Sunset Strip."  By the way, I knew it didn't exist but Pat insisted that there must be a plaque or some kind of mark where that address was.  I tried to convince him that "77 Sunset Strip" was just a TV show and some hack Hollywood writers made up the address.  But Patrick was not to be deterred.

A few more blocks and lo and behold, there was the fabled "In-n-out Burger." This is where the likes of Cher and other Hollywood swells stop and mingle with the Great Unwashed and buy a hamburger just like us. We had already eaten and Pat's a vegan, so all I could do was take this picture, making a mental not to myself to stop by at a later date to try one of these famous hamburgers.  I do like a good charbroiled hamburger. 

The cars were lined up for the famous In-N-Out Burgers.  We're not in McDonald's Land anymore

And we continued on, downward, still looking for a plaque or some kind of indication of the original location of "77 Sunset Strip." Here is Pat in front of one of the stores he stopped in during his last visit. We didn't have time to stop in.  So many things to see and do and so little time.

Pat in his element on Sunset Boulevard

I was pretty sure we weren't going to find the location of "77 Sunset Strip" but you know folks, walking down this famous street, in January, with balmy evening temperatures . . . . with a good friend who enjoys many of the same things I enjoy . . . well, life just doesn't get much better than that folks.

More Sunset Boulevard at night

To be continued . . . .

"Cookie? Lend me hour comb."

Bill Goes Grocery Shopping

Shopping at BJ's, back in the good old days when both of my legs were working - I hoping those days will come back again

Bill is at the local supermarket now, struggling to find a few items that we I need in this house.  

He just called on his iPhone a few minutes ago telling me "They don't have any Cottenelle wipes."  Well, actually they do, Bill just doesn't know where they are.

I've asked Bill to use FaceTime when he is at the store so he can show me where he is but he refuses to.  He doesn't like new technology and avoids the use of it whenever he can.  It took me two months to convince him to use his iPad. Of course he lives on his iPad now, he is rarely without it in his lap.  

I just heard the bell ring.  He's back from the store.  Let's see what he did and didn't get right from my very simple and basic list. 

A frustrated Bill

Well, he got everything right but not without some frustration, he had to ask someone at the store where the Cottenelle wipes were.  

Since my surgery almost two weeks ago I haven't been to the store because I've been on a walker.  I've only been once to my doctor's office and that was a major effort.  This Monday I visit my VA doctor and that too will be a major effort getting me in the car and out of the car and transporting my walker with me.  Before my surgery, I was able to go to the store with a cane and use one of those little go carts but I can't do that now because I have to be very careful with the healing of my leg.

This morning I was thinking why is Bill having so much problem shopping for me then I realized why.  We've been together fifty years and in all that time I've done ALL the shopping.  In fact, doesn't even go into the store with me, he prefers to sit in the car except when we go to Walmart or BJ's, at which time he will follow me as I push the shopping cart.

When I first met Bill the only food he had in his apartment were an assortment of juices in his refrigerator and canned foods like Chef Boyardee and canned vegetables, and Campbell's soup. At the time I thought it was cute that he never heated his canned food or even took it out of the can.  All he would do is open the can, put a scoop of mayonnaise on the top and eat the room temperature food straight out of the can.  He never used dishes or bowls.  

Since I like to cook, I began cooking our meals.  He would eat the left overs.  And it has been that way in the fifty years since we have been together. Once, just once, he cooked a meal for me.  It was steak and potatoes. It was a disaster. A DISASTER.  He's never cooked since.

For the first ten years or so I cooked the meals and we had a sit down dinner.  However, over the years our eating habits have changed.  We eat at different times.  I eat breakfast at 7 or 8 in the morning.  Lunch at 1 or 2 in the afternoon. And dinner between 7 and 8 at night.

Bill eats "breakfast" at 2:30 A.M.  Then "lunch" at 10:30 A.M.  "Dinner" he eats at 4 PM.  Needless to say we haven't eaten together, except on the rare occasion when we go out, together in years.  A few years ago when a friend used to stop over occasionally for a Friday night dinner that I cooked. Bill would eat then "late" at 6 P.M. but then excuse himself at 7 P.M. to go to bed.  Yes, Bill goes to bed at 7 P.M. and gets up around 2:30 A.M. in the morning.  Now you can understand why we have separate bedrooms on separate floors.  We live two totally different time cycle life styles.

Now, with my leg injury, and that I am incapacitated and can't drive, I have to depend on Bill to shop for my basic food items. This is very difficult for Bill because he doesn't know where anything is in the store.  He isn't familiar with the various ramifications of items.  Take yogurt for example. I wanted Dannon Lite and Fit Coconut Vanilla Greek Yogurt. He brings back Dannon Activa Greek yogurt and Dannon Strawberry Cheesecake yogurt.  Not the same folks.  He says "They're Greek yogurts, that's what you wanted."  Now I'm the first to admit that looking for items like this in the dairy shelf can be confusing but there is a PHOTO on the container of a coconut which looks NOTHING like the photo of the strawberry cheesecake yogurt.

I have to wrap up this posting folks. I see where I'm going on way too long ranting. 

I appreciate everything Bill is doing for me but this morning I realized that I have been doing all the food shopping for fifty years.  It is too much for me to assume that Bill would be as familiar with the store as I am, Shopper Par Excellence that I am. 
 

Checking out my groceries at the local Food Lion with my favorite checker, I used to go to Food Lion at least four times a week - they're probably wondering what happened to me - I'll be back!

So I have decided the next time foodstuffs have to be acquired the local supermarket, I'm going walker and all.  So what if I look like a helpless old man maneuvering around the store on his space taking walker. SO WHAT? Lord knows I've had to maneuver around other people in similar situations in the past.  Although I don't remember ever seeing anyone with a walker in the store.  An assisted care facility like when I visited my friends Bob and Jim but not at the store.  Oh well, I'm taking my walker with me when I go to the VA Outpatient Clinic this Monday which I was advised to do by my health care worker.  She said it was very important that I maintain balance and not cause damage by falling during my healing process, which could set me back significantly. 

Man oh man, what a bummer this leg injury is turning out to be.  I'm managing better in other areas like getting into my bed by myself and getting out without Bill's assistance.  I'm really good at taking sink baths and getting around the house here and even sitting at my computer like I am now with my injured leg elevated. 

Well, enough complaining from me this morning.  I hope you all have a wonderful day.  It looks like a glorious one out there. 

Return to Los Angeles Postings

A barley hanging on Pat getting some sustenance at the Veggie Grill in West Hollywood

Okay folks, enough with my dreary and boring leg injury and recovery.  With this post we are returning to Ron and Pat's Fabulous Trip to Los Angeles, California.

This won't be a long post because it is still very uncomfortable for me to sit at my computer and upload videos and photos. But that could be a good thing too.  My condition forces me to be succinct.

The photo at the top of this post you'll see a very tired Pat. Whenever Pat and I get together in person, I wear out the little guy. Poor Pat, he tries to keep up with me but I just wear him down.  But to give him credit, he makes every attempt to keep up with me even though he's falling asleep and tends to get a bit grumpy.  After all, he's used to traveling solo and not with a high maintenance, all about me,  ego driven A-personality like yours truly.  

Pat had been to Los Angeles before.  He wanted to stay at the Historic Hollywood Hotel.  He said "It was fine for me."  But what is "fine for Pat" I suspect doesn't quite meet my fussy standards. So we stopped by for a look see.  As you can see from the outside, non too impressive.  But as Pat said, "Good location."  

The non too grand entrance of the Historic Hollywood Hotel

After being suitably unimpressed with the entrance, we went inside.  The hotel is undergoing renovations.  I would say they needed to renovate after some of the Trip Advisor reviews I read.

Pat (in white T-shirt and baseball cap) in the lobby of the Historic Hollywood Hotel

Well, the lobby looked alright but smelled a bit musty.  A bit of "Sunset Boulevard" musty so I guess that was appropriate.  I probably should have expected an aging Gloria Swanson to peek around the corner and proclaim "Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my closeup!"

The ghost of Norma Desmond lives in this hotel

After perusing the lobby a bit more we asked to see a room.  I didn't take a picture of the room because a hotel employee was with us and, frankly, the room was decrepit.  I was embarrassed for the hotel employee but he assured me the rooms "were being worked on."  I hope so because I wouldn't stay in that room we saw. I'm not that down and out . . . . . yet.

I don't remember what we did with the rest of the day.  I think we went back to where we were staying, The Hollywood Bed and Breakfast (notice the prolific use of the name "Hollywood", what's that all about?) for a bit of a rest.  

Later on I dragged Pat back to the Veggie Grill in West Hollywood, near where we were staying for our dinner.  Oh how we loved that place.  Somebody is onto something with that concept.  Fresh vegan options at a reasonable price in bright surroundings, which helped to keep Pat awake.

Pat waiting for me at the Veggie Grill, poor guy, head drooped over.  Maybe it's me. 

So what do you think folks?  Nice to get away from the gray and dreary subject of my leg injury isn't it?  Oh, I'll keep you posted but I do think it's time to make little baby steps transition back to normal life.