"Into each life some rain must fall...
(followed by large hail and damaging winds.)"
That last part is not really me,
but it is raining pretty good!
I have severe osteoarthritis in my right knee, to the
extent that I need a total replacement.
It was rather difficult, to put it mildly, for me to be
convinced that this was really the case.
Since the first of the year I have been to
Las Vegas 3 times.
The first time I bussed to the west rim
of the Grand Canyon.
And I walked 13,000 steps one day to ride the big ferris
wheel, The High Roller.
The second time I took a much longer trip in a van to
the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
This nearly killed me.
The third time I went with two girlfriends--one
who had never been before, and one who had not been
in about 28 years--and walked 10,000 steps one day.
(By this time what I was doing was not really walking
but rather limping or "cripping" as I called it!)
Actually, I was riding in a wheelchair through the
Las Vegas airport on my 3rd return home!
Between the second and third trips I spent a week
on the largest cruise ship in the world,
the Harmony of the Seas.
Trips #1, 2, 3, and 4 were completely nuts!
I call myself the eternal optimist. "Oh, I can make it!"
"I don't want to be a hypochondriac!"
Now I have to carefully plan my parking when I go
to Waco!
And...I am not getting to go to Ogunquit, Maine, to
see my Madeline in From Here to Eternity.
On second thought, THIS is the large hail and
damaging wind.
I am completely crushed.
Also heart breaking to me is the fact that I can't
handle singing in the choir any more.
Even if I can crip in to the loft,
the range of motion in my bad knee is so limited that
I can't straighten that leg, so after minutes I
begin to feel unsteady and can't continue standing.
I mustn't go any longer without acknowledging
that I fully realize my problem is fixable.
Some of you have situations which are not.
I am blessed way beyond what I deserve, and I
do not know why.
Since I irresponsibly tortured myself through these
trips, I wish to "share" (probably "bore") you
with some photographic proof!
Foolhardy Trip #1
This is the location of the glass floor over the
Grand Canyon, which was on my bucket list.
This eagle formation in the canyon was beautiful.
And the man made attraction-The High Roller
and me riding
(I'm hiding my pain!)
Double Foolhardy Trip #2
South Rim--added to my bucket list after the West Rim
At Mather Point
Really Questionable Trip #3
Jay and Terri took this picture from the live web cam
of me actually departing from Ft. Lauderdale
In Labadee, Haiti
How big was the ship?
16 decks of mile long corridors!
I got to tour the bridge, limping all the way!
(There was absolutely no one driving the ship!)
Fun Through The Pain Trip #4
Las Vegas Girls' Getaway
With Adelene Howell
and Joyce Brockenbush
We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower!
We saw white tigers at:
We had a wonderful dinner at Bellagio before
seeing "O"
(Someone seems to have taken a bite of my fish
before I took this pic!)
And here I am in my room icing my poor tortured knee
between events!
Only consolation?
Adelene was in about as bad shape as I was.
This is how we looked the majority of the trip.
I've had some angels appear along the way during
this summer of painful travel.
I'm saving those stories for another day.
(I know--you're glad!)
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