Paint and pain

I am wondering how I forgot that I had a blog. It's been over 1 year since I blogged here and although I read other blogs religiously (I am happy about another's new niece and the exploits of her wonder dog) I am horrendous about putting my own words on virtual paper, so this year's birthday resolution was to try to record more of my life to leave clues to who I am for my son.

My last blog revealed that I was off to Mexico - it never happened. Alas, I did pay for the ticket and then had to (ok, actually ultimately I chose to) refund it. The husband and son didn't go away as they planned and husband decided it would be a great week to paint the house exterior! (hmmm..How can painting the house compare to 5-star resort in Mexico and massages and surfing?) Since he was busy with a miriad of other tasks over that week, I, in reality, painted the house - the whole house....eaves, gutters. walls, trim. The whole thing.

He bought a spray handle for some antiquated piece of sprayer technology for over $125. Once he plugged the sprayer in, it was apparent that antiques belong on display in musuems or in the land fill. The sprayer had seen a better day (sometime in 1981), and the motor whirred, but alas did not suck or blow! This left me to start hand rolling my house. This was one of those times when I questioned my marriage vows - especially the "for better or worse" line. It was more than apparent the sprayer was junk - long before the bought the sprayer handle. But no need to listen to my opinion!

Needless to say, when he left the next day to go to something with our son, I took the sprayer handle thingy back, and bought a Wagner Power Sprayer, came home and sprayed the entire house all by myself with just my right hand (see next paragraph). Moved ladders, climbed to the rafters, the entire job. They arrived back home and were totally and completely shocked! It was nothing short of the hardest job - it was almost 90 degrees that day, but I was not going to let this project not get done. I was going to make the most of giving up surfing and Margaritas. And it was an amazing weight loss plan - 90 degrees/sweating/moving up and down the ladder...like a really poorly choreographed step class!

Now - in between the painting, I had to set down my supplies to hit a doctor's appointment. Shoulder pain had been nagging for almost 2 months after feeling a pop while at work. I suggested physical therapy (my chosen field of work) and he suggested many fine orthopedic surgeons! We did a rock-scissors-paper type of conversation and settled on MRI. Now I have heard my patients' accounts of the shoulder MRI, but here is another one of those "until you've had one yourself" things... One word - excrutiating!

Turns out the surgeon was indeed in my future...5 muscle tears, ruptured bursa...what a mess. And just 3 weeks later surgery... no use of the left arm for 2 months, therapy, and great pain medication. Seven months since surgery, I am finally healed, although I still feel like I am throwing like a girl when I do certain tasks with my dominant left arm!

The house looks great though! New colors make such a difference! The husband suggested that now we need to re-roof this year. I gave him 'that look' that wives give their husbands. The one that says, "Do you really think you are that cute to a 20 year old in this bar?" or "Please don't make me question your masculinity in front of all of these people" or "That's not how your mother told it!" look. He hasn't mentioned it since!

This summer's trip to Hawaii is planned, just not paid yet. That will happen by May. And I have told him that if he doesn't do the camping trip with the kid, then he will have to care for himself for 10 days, as I will not use the vacation cancellation button again this year. He will not starve!

He doesn't like to vacation in the same way I do. His bliss is riding his Harley, camping or staying in Motel 6-type establishments, and get up and ride some more. He eats at great little greasy spoons (which are some of my favorite places on earth). That is fine. Great for him. I like to lay still in the sunshine, get up to surf, grab a cool fruity drink, and repeat. Throw in some mopeds or rental car drives to discover fauna and flora, snorkeling or diving, sea life exploration, hiking, paragliding, a dap of shopping, and massage or spa therapy and I am set. Our son has declared that we vacation like a divorced couple. I assured him that this is why we have been married almost 19 years!

That, and I am one of the most patient women that nature has ever created!