I'm Set for the Main Event!

Today was my last day to hobble in pain.

Tomorrow I get a new knee!

We had a lovely flight to Chicago.

If you are wondering why Chicago, please read

all about it HERE.


Susan did a little tour of our room.
We are at the Hilton Magnificent Mile Suites Hotel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WROWubQFKdw

It is in a great location--for Susan!
She walked around last night and checked out
the neighborhood, even finding a theatre!
She is out walking now, getting in her steps!


Our first appointment was at 8:00 A.M. today.
It was a class which is required before surgery.
We were there by 7:20! (Verging on paranoid!)
There was only one other person in our class, 
and her surgery wasn't until Thursday.
We were shown and were able to hold what
will be placed in our knees tomorrow.
Pretty amazing!


Then we were told about our medications.
The nurse asked me to empty out my bag.

So help me, it was even more overwhelming in person!
We were instructed about each one's purpose, 
dosage, etc.
Good luck, Susan!


After visiting with an internist, I got my final okay!
We ubered back to our hotel to lock up my meds!
Then we decided we should walk the short distance
to the John Hancock building to go up to their
observation deck on the 94th floor!
We were warned that the visibility had just dropped
to zero, but we were optimistic...it would clear!

See that view in the background?
In case you think you can see something, you can't.
But we were warned!



Just as we were giving up...

We got to see the water!


As we ate lunch at our hotel
(that's the Hancock building in the background)

we looked up to cloudy but blue skies!
And, yes, it's a barbecue restaurant.
Just what we Texans were looking for in Chicago!
But it is a terrific place.


Well it's almost Happy Hour at the Hilton.
Rob and Susan are Hilton Honors members, so
we take full advantage of the nightly Hors d'oeuvres.
(I didn't have to look up the spelling of that or anything.)


Susan is back from her walk, and look how close
we are to the water!

Next time maybe I'll get to walk down there too!


Thanks for being my therapists this afternoon.
I haven't had time to be scared cause I've been
wrestling with getting pictures on here and
getting the video to play and spelling horse do overs.



Don't know when I'll be back with my next report, 
but I'm so touched by your well wishes and prayers!
I am blessed so that I can bless others.
I hope I have a chance to bless each one of you,
cause I sure love you.

Want to See A Real Live Scam?

I captured one for you.

This appeared on my incoming email this week.

Top...

_________________________________________________________

Bottom...

This is the best I can show it to you--in two pieces.

I could not screen shot the whole thing, but

you need to see both halves.

**If you click on it when viewing,

it will be totally readable.

Now I'll have to admit that I might have fallen 

for this if my computer had let me.

This is why.

I knew I had not ordered this, and

just look how easy the sender made it for me.

All I had to do was click on

"If you did not authorize this purchase please visit

iTunesPaymentCancellation" 

And I did...click on it.

My computer let me know in no uncertain terms

that this could be a scam website.

If it hadn't, what was going to happen?

Well...in order to cancel my payment, I would

have had to give them my credit card number,

 exactly what they were after.

There are often tell tale signs in these scams, such as

 misspelled words or awkwardly worded phrases.

In this one I had noticed the sender name

after "iTunes Payment."

(sadasdasdas@cekera.com) Whaaaat?

I hope this will be of help!

Goofy Linda-isms

It seems I'm often using some expression no one

else has heard of!

I just can't understand it.

They all seem so natural and essential to me.

For instance.

I am the only person I've ever known who 

breaks into a chorus of

"Comin' in on a wing and a prayer"

when arriving somewhere late and out of breath.
Just ask Mary Dollar.
She answers her phone frequently on Sunday
morning to this refrain when I want to let her
know I am on my way (a leetle late) to choir!

Now this one I got from my mother.

"Well, will wonders never cease!"

Now personally, I don't see how a person exists

without this one.

Especially within a family, it is so often applicable.

I've actually set it to music, adding an obnoxious
number of "evers" after "Never."

 ("Never, ever, ever, ever, ever cease")
using descending notes in my best voice.

This has elicited lots of eye rolls from my kids
through the years.

Most of these sayings can be googled, believe it or not!

But...when you google this next one, the

explanation is about as confusing as the saying.

My daddy often referred to "Putting the big pot in

the little one."

I use this expression occasionally, with my own

interpretation.

When I pull off a spectacular (IMHO) party or

event, I say that I sure put the big pot in the little one!

It really seems like putting the little pot in the

bigger pot might be a better mental picture!
But no worry.

No one understands it either way!

One of my sayings almost caused a family emergency.

I had plans to deliver something or other to my

niece, Diann, at the Stovall Electric office.

I got to running behind, so I texted her that I might

not make it, because I had

"one wheel off and the axle draggin'."

Di's husband, Patrick, texted me right back,

asking where I was and if he needed to come help me!

Doesn't anyone else use this one?

If not, you should start.

It's just so descriptive of the way
 I am some many days!

"I got one wheel off and my axle's draggin'!"

Now I was fully convinced that no one else had EVER 

heard of this next one when I found...

My Daddy used to say this, and I do too!
I hadn't found anyone else who had heard it, but
 I did look it up online even before I found this sign!
We know about the "stars," but
the "garters" refers to the Order of the Garter,
a high honor bestowed by the British.
Actually both the stars and the garters are
military things.



Writing this blog came about because of something
I said Saturday while at lunch with Becky Leffler.
For some crazy reason I don't remember I said,
"There ain't no flies on me!"
And she said, "Whaaat?" 
And I said, "I have no idea what that means."
 I really can't imagine why I said it after googling
 its meaning.
It's talking about someone in such constant motion
that flies can't even manage to land on them.
That is positively, most definitely, for sure 
NOT me these days.
If I am in motion, it's surely slow enough for even
the laziest fly!


Stay tuned...
I'm sure I'll think of more.