PurpleHays

DH took that picture with my "real" camera. Most of the ones he took had the monkey's butt, but he got two where the critter is actually looking at the camera. He done good! He went to PT today to get all the exercises and advice to prehab his hip. He said there's a ton of them to do daily. I hope he's motivated and does them. I think he understands that it will make his rehab easier--not that it will be a piece of cake. . . We had planned on aiming for early September surgery, then my daughter asked how I felt about her getting married in Cabo. I'm for it, but want to know when! I told her we go back to the doc in July, so we'll need a date before then so that we can plan around that. That flight won't be easy if he's too close to his surgery/post op. Ready for the weekend. Watching the Canes/Isles games (tonight/Sunday) and skating tomorrow morning. Not much else planned. OOTD: Scrubs since I went to work. 🦴😷

Regal Princess in Amber Cove Dominican Republic.

We just got back from our cruise (for my 60th). We stayed pretty low key this time. The port side of the ship was treated to a rainbow the first morning out. It was close enough I felt like I could reach out and touch it. There was a faint double rainbow too. Three flags over El Morrow in San Juan. US, Puerto Rico, Spanish military Burgandy Waves breaking. I got a nice series to play with Flowers in the port of Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.

I'll check it out! We are back from our cruise. Great weather. The only sunburn I got was on my neck when I was being healthy and going for a walk in FLL. 🌞 Dave struggled with his hip in San Juan. I offered to cab it from the fort to the ship, but he wanted to walk. We had to stop and let him rest several times and he admitted that we should have cabbed it. Said downhill was much harder than he expected. He did a lot of sitting in the fort while I explored. We missed the awful weather in FLL. As we were boarding our flight home Sunday afternoon, a woman in first class said she'd been trying to get out since Wednesday. There was still standing water everywhere.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. We'll be at sea on the actual day, so I plan to sit on my balcony and read. Well, once the sun is on the opposite side of the ship so I don't burn. DH has stage 3 avascular necrosis with some collapse. The doc said he could put it off as long as he's OK with the pain level. The next level is what he called "a square peg in a round hole." As the femoral head collapses, it loses the round shape and rubs unevenly, eventually destroying the socket. He has plenty of cartilage left and his other hip looks good. He will start meloxicam when we get back from our cruise, see the doc in July, and probably undergo surgery in September or so. We're trying to get him in after most of garden season and before the crazy-busy that is Nov/Dec in a surgery center. The only remaining question is where it's done. Because he's on Medicare, he might have to go to the hospital (where I don't know anyone!). We are hoping at my surgery center--where I know everyone and can pick the staff in the room. Oh, well, that's in the future. He's living with it for now and is trying not to worry about it too much.

I leave April 9th for a Caribbean cruise for my 60th. My DH has been complaining of groin pain for months. Wanted me to diagnosis it for him, but I stuck to "it's out of my scope of nursing practice" and insisted he go to his GP. He finally went this week. She sent him for a CT that is suggestive of a hernia. She also used the words "necrotic" and "collapsed" with his hip. Hmmm. We see an orthopedic surgeon Monday. Good thing I work for an ortho practice since he's looking at a replacement. . .after the cruise. We will know more Monday.

I have yet to smile while I compete. I'm too busy trying to remember the next element. . .

We got our first snow of the season today. Giant flakes that didn't stick to anything for very long since it was in the 70s last week. Mother Nature is a perimenopausal woman! I did a whole lot of nothing this weekend. I skated yesterday and tripped over my toe pick (ouch is a four-letter word). I also finished up my first batch of creamy limoncello. It's supposed to sit in the back of the fridge for another two weeks, but it was heavenly today. Currently watching my Canes lose their second game in a row. Both shutouts so far.

We have state stores for liquor, but we can get wine in grocery and wine stores. Stupid NC liquor laws. We look forward to going to other states just to see what's out there as opposed to what the state thinks we should drink.

Or don't worry about the top and take a 24 oz/750mL water bottle.

I've gotten him some Zin before--he doesn't like it. There are a bunch of them--he prefers any of the red blends. Doesn't care for Snoop's. He's remarkably picky (and stuck in a rut of always wanting the same brand/blend).

19 Crimes is my husband's drug of choice.

You wouldn't have to create a channel. You sew the elastic to the back side of the fabric, turn, sew once more. A simple zig-zag stitch would work. All the ones I've made are sewn unstretched on the front side and stretched on the back. Most of the time, the patterns have called for 3/8" elastic. I've made multiple skating dresses with attached panty, so I have some experience. You wouldn't need to cut the fabric. If you have a seam ripper, carefully remove the original stitching. I mean, I'm not really sewing if I don't rip out at least one stitch.

I have an upcoming cruise. How many new dresses can I make before then? 🙄🤣 I have fabric for three. . .

Yes I am! I did my civic duty, learned a lot about the process, and am actually glad I did it. If the law of averages is on my side, I'll be in my 90s before I get called again. The low was a mere 25 at 5am, but it was still only 26 at 8:30am, warmer than some of you, but pretty danged cold here. I skated this morning and couldn't feel my toes after a while. And that was *inside*.

Sewing machine, yes. Serger, no. It is the bane of my sewing existence. It will be serging along and then just quit working properly. 🤬🤬

Well, the trial is over. The state put up a really good case, the defense only put the defendant up. He was his own worst enemy. If I hadn't been leaning toward guilty, he sealed it. There was discussion in the jury room, but mostly about legal points. None of us had any doubt he was guilty. There were two-three bailiffs in the courtroom the entire case, but it increased to six for the reading of the verdict. He intimidated the ADA during his testimony, so it makes sense. I'll take my $252 and run. Oh, two things we found out post-verdict. Neither attorney wanted to go to trial but the defendant insisted. He refused to accept any form of a plea. He will probably get up to 30-50 *years* in prison. Also, the ADA is getting ready to indict him on another assault/rape case--this one a 13 year old. Just confirms our decision. It's supposed to be bitterly cold here too, but our low of a mere 20 is much warmer than some of you. There's a reason I live in the south and a low of 20 isn't it. Stay warm every one. I'll get back to real life Monday. Today was a scheduled day off and I took full advantage. Slept in and did pretty much nothing all day long.

Hmm. I'm on one of these, but it was already booked. Ugh.

My FIL got a summons when he was 90+. We sent it back saying he was on O2, had mobility issues, and couldn't drive there. He was excused. It's interesting that there's a medical component to this case. With the two Neuro ICU RNs, we have that covered! Two teachers were dismissed (due to the difficulty of getting subs), but they kept the weirdo astrology guy who was talking about planets aligning.

I see you got a bye. I got a two week trial. Funny thing, three RNs on the jury, the other two work in the same ICU. It's driving DH bonkers that I'm not allowed to talk about it. We still have the two alternates to go and will do that first thing in the morning. Just call me "Juror #6."

I started my April roll call back in October. It's still on early page 2. . .

I have a pretty good limoncello recipe. My current batch is half-done. We were talking about it at work a couple of weeks ago and I think my next batch will use the same recipe, but with orange or blood orange (if I can find some) peels instead. I tried a mandarin liquour recipe, but didn't like it. This is actually one of the best places I've ever worked, but our good manager retired two years ago, and the director before that. Both were replaced from inside *and* we're on our second manager in that time. The director has *zero* OR experience--she has no concept how it works. The manager needs experience-I think she'll be good one day, but she has to grow a backbone and learn to back her staff no matter how much the surgeons are yelling. They aren't always right. And the surgeon causing all my problems this week hates me. Not exaggerating because he really only likes about four staff menbers. On the otherhand, I get a bye from work tomorrow because I have jury duty. I've lived in NC for 35 years and this is the first time I've been called,

Shore excursions. You can splurge some if you want to. And check out balcony dining. It's nice if you have a balcony or above.

Y'all are all making my next cruise seem puny since we're just going to the Caribbean for my 60th birthday. Just finished a miserable week at work. You know, the kind that makes you want to turn in your letter of resignation and never go back. There's a general feeling of unhappiness and I don't know what to do. For the time being, I'm going to go in, do my job, and go home. None of the extra little things I've been doing. I'm close, but not close enough to to retirement to just say **** it and quit. Maybe I just need to look at it as my vacation fund and take all six weeks I'll earn and not bank them. Oooohhhh! Two nice cruises a year! On the bright side, it was in the 70s today, I got to skate and meet an online friend that's thinking of moving to the area. And got fabric to make a new dress for our upcoming cruise. I also get to skate tomorrow--an adult event with dinner first.

Bergen Norway from the Enchanted Princess