I have been retired by my nurse. She came by today to check the incisions and has proclaimed me healed sufficiently and that I will not need further care. She was saddened by the occasion; it was obvious by the emotion and great affection shown that I was her favourite patient. Perhaps because I share the same birthday as her 10-year-old son, perhaps because I'm probably her easiest patient, or perhaps because I offered her cinnamon buns the first time around and sympathized with her early start to the day. She came as close to hugging me good bye as you can someone who has just had major surgery and is walking around like an 80-year-old woman holding her insides together.

Good bye nurse, I never did remember your name.

Ron never showed up today which was disconcerting because he had left a half-ass plastering job in the powder room with the intention of fixing it today and the painters are coming tomorrow to do the final touch up. The Pella guys came today to replace the defective door and found that the replacement door has a good size dent in it and will also need replacing. The three Pella guys were very tall. Incredibly tall. I felt like a young girl beside them - and I'm just shy of 5'10". Maybe it's because I'm stooped and probably closer to 5'7" right now and weigh in at a waifish 127 pounds. But they were so polite and nice and so very very tall...and loud. The main guy spoke in loud booming voice, it was as if he had a bit of a giant gene mixed in to the old DNA cocktail. But I quite liked them and was sad when they finally left over 2 hours later.

Satchel came home with a couple of friends and when the father came to pick up one of the kids he asked if my paleness was due to the surgery and being tired. I said "Definitely, and also because of the constant pain but then there's also all the fabulous drugs I've been given - like heroine."

Oh, I'm just kidding. With all the cut backs to the health care system, they'll only hand out crack.