Back when the surgeon offered me an unexpected date in August instead of the expected December to February, I thought to myself it would be better to get it done in summer when I could still get outside and enjoy the weather. Back then, the temperatures were mid-20s to low 30s and looked like the rest of the summer would be as hot. Seems the weather has since gone from August to October and those lazy, hazy days of summer are a memory. At least, I keep telling myself, it isn’t snowing. But damn, it’s cold for August. And there’s at least a week of cooler-than-normal weather ahead.

I managed to get outside to sit in the sun for a short time on our back deck when the sun came around and the temperature had climbed into the low 20s. Wonderful, but I doubt there will be many times as bright and sunny in the coming week. I find the unseasonal cool almost depressing at this time of year, but at least the sun is out and that makes a difference. Sitting outside with Susan is remarkably calming.

Part of a good recovery is having good morale; to be uptempo, positive, and not stressed. And, for the most part, I am. But things pile up and the ongoing cool weather isn’t helping. Not being able to pick up something from the floor, trying to finagle my underpants on but not being able to manage socks, being indoors when Susan walks Bella, not being able to help Susan clean up faster meals; little things affect the mood. Minor annoyances, yes, but constant. Still, I press on, doing my exercises, icing the joint, keeping a daily routine, trying to get back to normal. Normal is my goal; back to the chores, routines, getting into and out of the car easily, and dog walks I enjoyed only a few weeks ago, without the aching knee. And back to having a glass of wine before dinner.

Today I had another little milestone: When Susan was putting a sock on the foot of my operated knee this morning, I was briefly able to lift my foot above the floor. Hadn’t been able to do that previously. The muscles are slowly waking and responding. Can’t lift it far or for long, but it’s an improvement.

We have apart time in the late afternoon: it’s when Susan watches her British home and garden shows while I play PC games or watch a DVD on a monitor by my laptop. It gives us both a chance for a break; important right now as I’m so demanding. It’s not new for us: we’ve been doing it for a few years. But since I got out of hospital, I haven’t felt up to much gaming. I tend to play FPS, city builders, simulations, RPGs and strategy games: games that require thought, planning, and focus. And, with FPS, games that require hand-eye coordination. I get distracted by the ache in my knee, by having to shift position, by trying to remember to exercise and flex my ankles while seated. So, for the nonce, I’ve put gaming aside and have turned to watching movies and classic TV series again with my web browser and email open in the background on my laptop.

Today I watched the 2014 Godzilla; the American remake, for what must be the third or fourth time. Earlier in my recovery, I saw My Favorite Brunette (1947: Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour), The Guns of Navarrone, and the first half of A Bridge Too Far. Now I am watching episodes of the original Batman TV series. A couple of years ago, I bought the complete set of 120 episodes. I can’t watch a lot of them in a row, but they are quite amusing. And the supporting cast is full of big names from contemporary TV and movies, including Art Carney, Cesar Romero, Julie Newmar. Eartha Kitt, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin, Shelley Winters, Eli Wallach, Roddy McDowall, Joan Collins, Rudy Vallée, Glynis Johns, Milton Berle, and Vincent Price. Corny at times, yes, but still charming in a very campy way.

Batman ran from 1966 to 1968. I didn’t watch much of it when it was first on TV — I was more into the original Star Trek and The Monkees then — but as I age, I seem to have developed a nostalgia for some of the movies and TV of my youth.

Late today, my aerobic stepper arrived and I had a chance, with Susan’s help, to try it out. I believe it will serve my exercise needs appropriately. I foresee continuing several of those exercises for many weeks after I have “recovered.”

In the coming week, I have more physio appointments, and the first post-surgery meeting with the surgeon. Still unsure when the staples come out and by whom. Hope to connect with the surgeon’s office tomorrow morning to clarify. More later.

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