Ha, ha, it's snowing. And two days ago it was almost 80 degrees. That's springtime in Virginia. I would get up and take a picture but I am too comfy here on the couch. Plus the snow is not sticking.

This morning I got a visit from a male downy woodpecker. He loves to eat the suet. Yesterday the bluebirds were here for several minutes. They like to eat the suet that falls onto the baffle. They are so light that they don't tip the baffle when they hop around on it.

From Our Backyard Birds

Anyway, just woke up and everything feels pretty good. Yesterday around mid-day I tried to dial down the pain meds and that was not a good idea. I wanted to see where I stood with pain and healing. Well, I am not healed, and it still really hurts without pain meds. It took the rest of the day to get the pain back under control. And Tom was annoyed with me. So I won't be doing that again.

Tom is leaving this afternoon for the weekend. He made this appointment several weeks ago to see his tax guy in nj. I have been complaining about this to him since we moved to va. I don't minding making a nice trip to stay with Tom's family (5+ hour drive), but it is hard when you have to make the appointment months in advance and stick to it no matter what. So there is no flexibility in the visit. We have to scan and email the documents ahead of time, and then when we get there, we discuss the results, make a few changes if necessary, and sign the papers. Why can't we do the second part over a phone conference, and then mail the documents we need to sign? Better yet, why can't we find a local tax guy? I understand that a good tax guy is valuable, but I believe in working local. Oh well. I seem to be losing this battle, especially because tom handles most of the finances.

My dad will be here later today to take care of me for the weekend. He was a big help last week, and I am looking forward to spending some more time with him. I am able to get around with the walker, but I can't stand in one place for very long, and I can't crouch, bend over, twist, or reach for something in a cabinet. And I can't lift anything over a few pounds. For example, I have to use my elbow to flush the toilet before I get up, because it hurts too much to bend over and reach for the handle once I am standing. I also having trouble lifting my laptop, so I have to slide it off my lap onto the couch next to me.

Still no word on the ortho doc. It is getting frustrating. Luckily they answer the phones there, but I would rather go over there and prod them in person.