BST8: Whole lotta nothin goin on...

I had a few days between my arrival at my folks home, and my doctors appointment. So I took it easy, in an enforced and limited kind of way.

There was little leaving of the house, about the farthest I really went was the front porch, where I spent most of my mornings and evenings. I sat out in a wooden rocking chair, drinking my coffee - reading some, talking on the phone, and smoking.

Momma don't allow no smoking in da house. A rule I freely flaunted as a teen, behind the door of my own room, but was more than happy to abide by now. Something about cool mornings, the stand of trees across the road from my parents house, a deep dark cup of java, and a smoke made it worthwhile to sit outside.

I did some photo-taking, some conversating on the phone, some readin of the Roanoke Times (yes, I havent forgotten you... noooo.. my preciousss). If it got too hot, I wandered back inside and upstairs to watch some TV. Or take a nap. Well, I did quite alot of sleeping during those few days - So much so that I don't quite remember every minute detail of my day.

I just know I did not do much, I was still in a tremendous amount of pain. But I got into that pattern of waking up, grabbing coffee and sitting outside - because after my time in the hospital was over, I went back to doing it.

My conversations with my wife were limited in details. I did not have many to offer, and she was only concerned with my well being. But we would still yap about nothing.

I had taken her mothers cell phone (pre-pay, barely used) for the train trip, but the cell itself stopped working around Alexandria, VA. I had no cell of my own. I also had the charger for it, and had not used much in the way of minutes while travelling - mostly checking in, passing on my location at the time and how I was doing.

However, when I got to my parents and unpacked my bag, I took the charger out, and lost it promptly. I don't remember if I ever found it again. I do know that I still experienced some of the tingling of lips & tongue as I had before - but the IV I recieved at Jamaica Hospital back in NY seemed to reset the clock when it came to the passing out thing. I have a feeling that the incident at WalMart in Bedford was due to the exhaustion of the trip itself combining with my allready weakened state.

Did I mention I had lost weight? Well, you'll find out how much in about a day or so.

(By the by, my coffee of choice at the time was Millstone's Foglifter - although I've found that both Kroger and FoodLion make perfectly good 100% Columbian coffee - take that for what it is worth.)

I could fill pages with the minutae of differences in my habits, then and now - but I fear I might be revealing too much ahead of time. We are just inches from the really dark, juicy parts now.

There will be more, oh yes - there will. I haven't even seen a doctor yet.