Sunglasses

I have a thing for sunglasses.  I haven't counted lately but I'd guess I have 40 pairs.

Not expensive, designer sunglasses.  Quite the opposite actually. Most of my sunglasses were under $10.  The most expensive pair was $20.  

I buy them anywhere and everywhere.  From a beach vendor in Puerto Vallarta, at the Walmart in Palm Springs, from online vendors, and occasionally even from the Dollar Tree.

I don't need my sunglasses to be "high quality" or to last forever, because I have so many and am always looking for new ones, its OK with me if they aren't heirloom quality.  

Although you can't see it in this photo, in the upper corner there's a "Dior" insignia.  But they caught my eye due to their interesting shape.  I bought them from a beach vendor in Puerto Vallarta this past January and they're the most expensive sunglasses I've purchased at $20.  I got many compliments on them when I wore them around PV and at home.

Final vacation highlights

Fri was our final day in Puerto Vallarta.  We decided to go back to Coco's Kitchen for a late breakfast.

Spouse at Coco's Kitchen

In Mexico it is customary for servers to wait until you ask them for the check, which we kept forgetting to do, so our meals always included extra time relaxing.  Then we returned to Blue Chairs beach club for our final day at the beach.  It was a bit overcast with periods of sun poking through, but we didn't mind.  It was so relaxing to sit under the palapa and hear the waves, watch the men, and go in the ocean.  

After cleaning up at the condo we headed out for the evening.  This was our view that evening:

Spouse wore his new bear tank top which looked so cute on him!

Our 1st stop was Anonimo bar for a pre-dinner cocktail.  I'd read online that the bartenders were gorgeous there, which was not an exaggeration.

Bartender at Anonimo

And trust me when I say that as good-looking as he is in this photo, he was even MORE beautiful when he smiled.  While enjoying our cocktails we had a celebrity citing!

Me and Cher

Actually, her name is Thirsty Burlington and she was out promoting her Cher impersonation show.  

She was just as funny as Cher and sounded just like her!  We were sad that it was our last night in PV and that we wouldn't be able to go see her show.

Then we went to dinner at La Piazzetta for dinner.  The menu of Italian specialties was quite extensive and delicious.  The 3 of us shared 2 appetizers and then each of us had a wonderful, authentic Italian entree.  Then we walked onto the pier at Playa Los Muertos.  It was dark and I knew my photos wouldn't turn out, so I'm borrowing this one from PeterKTravels.com.

Then we returned to the condo to begin packing and tidying up, then we had some 'screen time' on the terrace before going to bed.

The next morning our property manager/driver (who was absolutely gorgeous) picked us up at 10am and took us to the airport.  Our flights to Chicago and DC were uneventful, and we were picked up by our nephew and taken back to Spouse's sister's house where we spent the night.  Sun morning Spouse's brother and his daughter came from MD to join us for breakfast before we headed home to see our boys.

We had a wonderful trip and I'd recommend Puerto Vallarta to anyone who enjoys a relaxed, LGBT-friendly beach environment.  The peso-to-dollar ratio is terrific.  We always felt safe.  The food was delicious.  The prices were very reasonable.  The locals were very nice and everyone speaks or understands English.  This was our 3rd visit to PV (and our 2nd Beef Dip) but certainly won't be the last.

Further vacation highlights

Instead of having a light breakfast at home, on Wed we went to the ever-popular Coco's Kitchen for a late breakfast.  Its a charming garden cafe with lots of breakfast and lunch options.

Our food was very good and we loved the atmosphere.  Afterward we went directly to the beach, returning to Blue Chairs.  Again the weather was beautiful, we had food and drinks on the beach, and had fun in the ocean.

For dinner we went to Jorge's Hideaway.  Spouse & I had a wonderful meal there with the Newlyweds on our last visit so we wanted to return there with Carl.  I started with a lime mojito which matched my shirt!

Spouse & me and my matching cocktail

I typically do not post photos of food (here or on Facebook) but I'm making an exception.  I ordered the pineapple shrimp diablo which was so beautifully presented (and delicious) I thought it warranted a photo.

They cut a pineapple in half lengthwise, hollowed out the body, and filled it with shrimp, chunks of pineapple, and this wonderfully spicy and flavorful sauce, then melted some cheese over it.  It was served with red rice and a salad.  Amazing!

Afterward we went back to the condo and changed into our outfits for the White Party held at CC Slaughter nightclub.  We intentionally went late so there'd be people there, since the disco party really didn't get started until at least an hour after the official start time.  Well our strategy worked, maybe a bit too well, as it was absolutely packed when we arrived.

We danced and hung out a bit but it was so crowded it became a bit uncomfortable, so we went outside onto the sidewalk where a bunch of others had escaped.  Earlier in the week we'd seen a guy wearing a tiny green glittery fascinator.  I saw him again at the White Party wearing a tiny silver glittery fascinator so I had to talk to him about it.  First, he was impressed that I knew his miniature hats were called fascinators.  Second, he was impressed that I knew what color fascinator he'd worn to the disco party.  Eventually I asked Spouse to take a photo of me with the fascinator guy and his best friend since childhood.

The friend, me and the fascinator guy

Unfortunately the fascinator is kinda cut off in this photo, but you get the jist.  The glasses I'm wearing had multi-colored lights that flashed.  They were fun guys to hang with for a while.  We also ran into a couple of guys we'd met at the pool party the day before, Will, Alex, and Renzo.  It was a fun night!

Thurs we repeated our typical morning coffee on the terrace routine, then eventually returned to Mantamar Beach Club for a day at the beach.

Carl

Spouse

Carl and I both had foot and leg massages on the beach, then the 3 of us hung out at the pool for a couple hours with some of our new friends.

Will, Alex, Me, David, and Spouse

After showers and a little relaxation time on the terrace, we took the recommendation of a few friends and some strangers on Yelp to eat at Joe Jack's Fish Shack.  It was a charming 2-level restaurant and we were fortunate to be seated on the upper level which had no ceiling.  The food was yummy and the service was great.  I also loved the tile in the men's room:

After dinner we went to the Almar hotel, a recently completed new building associated with the Mantamar Beach Club, for a rooftop party.  The music was great, the coastline views were great, and the vibe was fun.  The recently completed rooftop bar and party area were really gorgeous.  This resort really strives to be upscale.

Alex and the bearded drag queens

Sexy muscle bears Kayvon, Spouse, Alex, and Will

As I am want to do at parties, I began taking selfies with many of our new friends.

Me and Will

Spouse photobombed my selfie with Renzo...

...so Alex took a photo of me, Renzo and Spouse

Me and Alex

Me and Joe from Austrailia whom we met a year earlier in Palm Springs!

It was a really fun party!

More vacation highlights

Mon after a light breakfast on the terrace the 3 of us spent the day at Green Chairs, next door to Blue Chairs.  The actual name is Ritmos but everyone calls it Green Chairs because most of the beach chairs are green. When it was time for some hydration I had tequila and limeade which was absolutely delicious.  

Clever use of the portrait mode for this shot

As I was getting into the ocean I realized I was still wearing my sunglasses.  Rather than get out of the water to put them away, I decided to just be careful and hold them to my face if need be.  But before I could get fully into the ocean a large wave came up and yanked my sunglasses off my face before I could secure them.  Fortunately there is no shortage of locals walking around the beach selling sunglasses, hats, jewelry, henna tattoos, and massages.  So I treated myself to a pair of "Dior" sunglasses!

My new "Dior" sunglasses purchased from a beach vendor

I picked them because they were unusual.  I hadn't seen anyone else wearing this shape of lens.  I got many compliments on them throughout the week.  After our day at the beach we stopped into Blue Chairs hotel for their Foam Pool Party.  

Crowded Foam Pool Party

We didn't stay very long because it was really crowded and there was no place to sit.  After returning to condo for showers we headed back out for dinner and ended up at Derby City Burgers (which Spouse mistakenly called Dirty City Burgers because he can't hear).  The burgers were delicious and so were the fries.  

Me & Spouse at Derby City Burgers

Afterward we walked over to Mr Flamingo, an indoor/outdoor bar which was so crowded we ended up hanging out on the sidewalk, where we met Kirk & Mark from Portland.  Then we went back to Los Amigos for another visit before going to CC Slaughter for their disco party.  Oh my god, the music was SO GOOD at the disco party!  We danced without stopping for well over an hour, in flip flops.  There was even a trio dressed in Abba-like satin jumpsuits!

The disco party

While at the disco party I had to take a picture of this guy's t-shirt:

On Tues we went to the Mantamar Beach Club for the day.  It was another beautiful day, and we had food and drinks on the beach.  That afternoon we went to the Mantamar's pool party where we had fun frolicking in the water with lots of other guys.  Afterward Spouse went back to the condo while Carl and I went for massages.  One of my favorite things to do in PV is to get a massage because they're so relaxing and so inexpensive.  An hour massage was 500 pesos which is about $25 USD.  What a bargain!  After our massages we walked next door to the Blondie's Slushbar and had a raspberry/lime/gin slushy before returning to the condo.  Deelish!!

We walked to Tizoc for dinner and had an absolutely amazing Mexican dinner.  We'd eaten here on our previous trips and it was just as good as ever.  Then we walked back to Blue Chairs hotel for Bearaoke on the rooftop.  It was hosted by Tammie Brown, season 1 contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race.  She was actually very funny!  She said everything twice; once in English and again in Spanish. Some of her 'filler' dialog as she awaited singers to enter the stage was hilarious.  We had a fun time.

Carl watching Bearaoke

No, I didn't sing at Bearaoke.  I did sign up, but it was going on 1am and the 3 of us decided to go home before my name was called.

We're back...

We are back from our fantastic trip to Puerto Vallarta!  Our time there coincided with Beef Dip (not by accident) so we had lots of fun and met some great new friends.  I'll share some of our activities, highlights and photos in a couple of posts this week.

Our flight was supposed to depart from Washington DC on Sat at 7:01am, but due to a mechanical issue that could not be fixed within an hour, we had to de-board the plane at 8am and get re-booked on a different flight that wasn't due to leave until 1pm.  So our friend Carl, Spouse & I sat in the airport for several hours until it was time to board.  Rather than arriving at 3:00 we arrived at 8:00.  Fortunately our transportation from the airport to the condo wasn't screwed up by this.  I was texting updates to the driver who was quite gracious.

We stayed in an AirBnB condo in the same building we stayed in 2 years ago.  The location is perfectly centered between the gay beach area resorts and the nightclubs, with lots of restaurant options also nearby.  We were able to walk everywhere in just a few minutes.  Here's the view from our terrace:

After checking into the condo we headed out to eat.  We had eaten nothing substantial since breakfast around 9am and it was now close to 9pm.  I was so hungry I felt like I was going to pass out!  We walked down to the beach and got a table at La Palapa.  After starting with a couple appetizers for the 3 of us to share, I had a delicious stuffed pork tenderloin.  Then we walked to the Oxxo store, which is the Mexican equivalent to a 7-11 convenience store.  We picked up some coffee, creamer, bottled water, paper towels, bread, peanut butter, danish and sun lotion.  Upon returning to the condo we sat out on the terrace until bedtime.

Sun morning we had coffee and a continental breakfast out on the terrace, then walked over to the Blue Chairs beach resort where we found chairs under a palapa.  A waiter brought us drinks and food when we were ready to eat again, and we had a lovely day at the beach.  (Tip:  the hotel rooms aren't very nice, so go to Blue Chairs beach resort for the day, but don't stay there.)

Spouse enjoying the 1st of many Pina Coladas of the week

The temperature was about 84 degrees, no humidity, and a light breeze.  The 3 of us got into the ocean too, which was a very comfortable temperature, although a bit rough.  Each of us took a tumble in the waves at some point during the week.  Mine was on the 1st day.

On the way back to the condo we passed another store, this 1 called Mini Super (an oxymoron if I've ever heard one) which had a lot more stuff than the Oxxo.  We picked up some more breakfast foods and snacks on our way back to the condo.  Once we'd all showered we headed the Beef Dip Welcome Party at the top of the Blue Chairs resort.  The music was fun and there were lots of guys there.

Welcome Party at Blue Chairs

Spouse subtly pointed at a guy nearby and asked me if I knew who he was.  I said no but he looked a little familiar.  After speaking to the guy we realized we had met him 3 years ago on our Caribbean cruise!  Crazy coincidence, right?  As if that wasn't wild enough, we also ran into a guy named Joe who we met in Palm Springs a year ago!!

Me & Spouse at the Welcome Party

After the welcome party, the 3 of us stopped at Fusion for dinner.  Like 99% of Puerto Vallarta restaurants, the dining area is outdoors which we love.  All 3 of us loved our dinners.  I had shrimp.

Carl & Spouse at Fusion

To wind up the evening we went to Los Amigos.  Its a very casual, cowboy-themed indoor/outdoor bar where we had a couple drinks, met some new friends, and mingled before heading back to the condo to relax on the terrace before going to bed.

Final preparations

Yesterday I was off work (as I typically am on Thurs) so I picked out the clothes I want to take on our trip and tried things on to make sure I could still squeeze myself into them.  I've put on a few extra pounds over the last few months, so when we get back from our trip I will definitely need to pay better attention to my eating.

I also called the credit card company and notified them we'd be in Puerto Vallarta for the week so they wouldn't 'flag' usage of the card there.

I also spoke with our wireless carrier and added a feature that will allow Spouse & me to use our iPhones while we're there without incurring international roaming charges.  Our condo has wifi but we want to be able to use the mapping app and be able to text and send photos while outside of the condo.

I texted the dog/house sitter just to confirm our departure time tonight.  I got the dogs' nails trimmed, and we bathed them on Sun.

I packed the clothing and shoes I'll need, as well as my tablet and iPhone charger.  Our passports are out and ready to go.  The only thing left to do this evening is to pack my bathroom stuff.  Since we're not checking our bags, we can't bring any products over 4 oz so even the bathroom stuff isn't very much.  We'll just buy what we need when we arrive.  There's a corner market very close to our condo.

This morning I checked us in for our flights for tomorrow morning and have our electronic boarding passes on my phone. 

So when we get home from work this evening I'll just have to help Mr 'Wait Til The Last Minute' get his stuff packed and then we'll be on our way to his sister's house.  Our flight is at 7am so we'll have to leave her house at 5am, which means we'll have to be up at 4:30am.  Ugh!!  But the positive side to the early flight is that there is less likely to be TSA security line waits and flight delays the earlier in the day you fly.  Plus, we'll arrive in PV by 3pm so we'll still have 1/2 the day to begin enjoying.

Look for photos and a recap in just over a week.

Puerto Vallarta

A week from tonight we'll drive to Spouse's sister's house near the airport to stay overnight, and then leave at the crack of dawn the next morning for Puerto Vallarta!  If you're interested in our past visits, click here.

This will be our 3rd visit to Puerto Vallarta.  Our 1st time with the Newlyweds we actually stayed just south of PV in the village of Mismaloya in a wonderful home on a mountain surrounded by the jungle and overlooking the water.  Our 2nd time we stayed in the Romantic Zone downtown in a fabulous condo in the Signature by Pinnacle condo building overlooking the water.  This was the view from our giant terrace:

We liked it so much that this time we're staying in the same building, just a different condo.  Its a very short walk to the beach, to the resort where all the pool parties will occur, and to lots of restaurants and bars.  We won't have or need a car.  Our friend Carl is coming too.  This will be his 1st time to PV.

Like last time, our visit will overlap "Beef Dip", Puerto Vallarta's bear week. We had a lot of fun joining some of the Beef Dip parties and activities last time so I'm sure the same will be true this time.

It will be wonderful to escape the cold weather at home for temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s in PV.  I anticipate lots of time spent on the beach soaking up the sun and enjoying tropical beverages.

Winter Getaway

For several years now we've gone on a vacation in Jan or Feb.  Its great to escape the cold at home by going somewhere warm and tropical.  Also, since I'm a real estate agent in a summer resort area, its not practical for me to take a vacation in the summertime when most people do.  I'm too busy at work then, so a winter getaway is perfect for us.

In past years we've gone on 2 cruises (both to islands in the Caribbean) and twice we've gone to Puerto Vallarta, which I love so much.  This year it was a toss up between returning to Puerto Vallarta or trying something new by going to Palm Springs, CA.

We decided on Palm Springs, and our good friends the Newlyweds (who live in Portland< OR) will meet us there.  We've been intrigued for years by Palm Springs mostly because of its mid-century modern aesthetic. Several noted mid-century modern architects designed homes in Palm Springs in the late 50s and early 60s like David Wexler, Bill Cody, and Richard Neutra.  

William Krisel is credited with designing the iconic butterfly roof homes (above) built all over Palm Springs.  Their roof lines were likened to a butterfly in flight.

Palm Springs was called the "playground of the stars".  Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, George Hamilton, Rock Hudson, and Dinah Shore all owned homes there.

More recently lovers of architecture and home furnishings have embraced the unique look of mid-century modern which is on full display during the Modernism Week celebration.  We'll be there during Modernism Week and look forward to enjoying some of the tours and activities.

And since we'll need a car to get from the airport and get around town, I've reserved a convertible.  I mean, when you're staying in a city that looks so cool, why not contribute to the coolness by slipping around town topless!

We've rented a mid-century home with a pool, hot tub and firepit so when we're not touring the town or soaking up the local culture, we'll be soaking up some sun and catching up with our old friends poolside.  While it won't be as warm as Puerto Vallarta, the pool is heated so there's that.

As an added bonus, we have 3 friends/couples who live in the Palm Springs suburbs so we'll likely get an opportunity to see them while we're in town.

It should be a great trip, both because of our interest in Palm Springs and Modernism Week, and because of spending time with our friends.

Puerto Vallarta highlights

Spouse & I arrived at the Puerto Vallarta airport just before noon on Tues 1/31.  We taxied to the condo we rented on VRBO.com and checked in.  (Be sure to look at the photos!)  It was everything we expected and more!  We thought it might be a bit small from the photos but it was perfect.  The terrace was huge (dining table and 4 chairs, 2 loungers, built-in grill, potted plants), had amazing ocean, city, and mountain views, and we spent a LOT of time on it.  Here's the view from the terrace:

Seriously, this is what we saw from the loungers.  Amazing!

And here is the view looking down over the railing:

Spouse & I walked the blocks to the beach and had lunch at El Dorado, and outdoor restaurant right on the beach.  Then we went for a walk along the beach, then stopped at a corner market to pick up some food items before heading back to the condo to wait for the Newlyweds.  Once they dropped their luggage the 4 of us sat out on the terrace and enjoyed the view as we talked and began catching up with each other.  A couple hours later when we were all hungry we went to dinner at Cafe Bohemia.  We'd not been there on our previous trip and it looked like a fun, lively place.  All the tables were outside, which we love, and after we finished eating our waiter brought us all sombreros and took our picture.

We walked around a little, then went to Bear Karaoke (Beareoke) at Blue Chairs on their rooftop deck.  Jamie & I both sang and got free shots of tequila.  Then the 4 of us headed back to the condo and talked out on the terrace until bedtime.

Wed we had breakfast at the condo, then went to the beach.  We walked over to the Blue Chairs beach resort because you can get chairs and umbrellas for free as long as you order food or drinks, of which we did both.  The exchange rate was so favorable everything seemed so cheap!  As an example, an average-priced dinner at most restaurants was around $150 pesos, which when converted came to about $7 USD.  So we didn't skimp when it came to eating and drinking.  While at the Blue Chairs beach resort we ran into our friends John & David who live near us!  Small world.  After a few hours at the beach we returned to the condo for showers and naps, then had cocktails on the terrace followed by dinner at a little hole in the wall called Jorge's Hideaway.  The food was absolutely amazing - probably my favorite meal of the trip!  Then we walked to CC Slaughters for a white party.

Spouse & me ready for the White Party

Spouse & Michael at the White Party

Spouse & me enjoying a tasty Pina Colada at the White Party

When we'd had our fill of dancing and the loud thump-thump-thump of the music, we walked across the street to a new open-air bar called Mr Flamingo for cocktails.  Our friends John & David told us about it since its new.  The music was great and we had a really fun time there.

Thurs morning we had a light breakfast at the condo, talked for a while, then checked out the beautiful, L-shaped pool with an infinity edge.  We lounged in the sun and swam a bit, all the while enjoying the spectacular views.

We had an easy late lunch at the condo, talked some more, then had cocktails at Garbo followed by
dinner at Si Senor, an open-air restaurant right on the beach.  The food was really good but we made the mistake of ordering appetizers which means we couldn't finish our meals.  Then we walked over to the Blue Chairs beach resort for a beach cocktail party.  We had a couple drinks, met some new folks, and watched the 'fire dancers', but found it to be a bit dull so we headed back to the condo and had a final cocktail out on the terrace overlooking the city lights.

Fri we had breakfast at the condo, sat around and visited for a while, and then Spouse & I headed out for the day.  Jamie was not feeling well so he and Michael (aka: Newlyweds) stayed at the condo.  Spouse & I went back to Blue Chairs beach resort where we had lunch and cocktails on the beach.  That evening we had dinner at Pizza Noche, then walked the Malecon which is kind of like a concrete boardwalk, with shops and restaurants and bars on 1 side and the ocean on the other.  Then we went to the Cowboy Party at Los Amigos where we met a couple who live about an hour away from us.  They gave us these cowboy hats!

Sat we had a light breakfast at the condo and hung out for awhile.  Then we walked over to the Mantamar Beach Club for a pool party and day at the beach.  It was a lot of fun and we met some fun people. Had had lunch and cocktails on the beach, and went for a walk.  It was a really nice day at the Mantamar Beach Club.  On our way back to the condo we shared the funicular with a couple and chatted with them a little.  When I asked where they lived, it turned out that one of them is also a realtor like me from an adjacent town.  I recognized his name when he said his full name.  Small world!  Spouse showered and napped while the Newlyweds and I went for massages.  Again, due to the favorable exchange rate, an hour massage was like $20USD!  Afterward we had showers followed by cocktails on our terrace.  The weather was sheer perfection the entire time which made us want to be outdoors all the time.  We walked the Malecon again, ducking into a few souvenir shops and such, then stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant called La Posta.  The food was good and a nice break from Mexican and seafood.  Afterward we returned to Mr Flamingo for cocktails, then stopped in at Los Amigos for a final drink before heading back to the condo to pack.  We took a cab early the next morning to the airport. 

We had a wonderful time in Puerto Vallarta and I can definitely see us returning again and again.  Its and easy place to be, with no need for a car, and lots of variety in restaurants, shopping, activities, and of course the beautiful beaches and views.

What happened to Feb???

Indeed... what happened to Feb???  Well, Feb was a combination of pleasure and pain, both of which prevented me from posting here.

1st the pleasure:  our trip to Puerto Vallarta.  We had a fabulous time!  The weather was terrific and we had a lot of fun.  I'll post photos and details of the trip in another post.

Now pain:  an unexpected health issue.  Unbeknownst to me, prior to leaving on our trip I got cellulitis, a bacterial skin infection.  I thought I had a muscle strain and just took ibuprofen during the trip.  You know how it feels after you've pulled weeds or done some other kind of activity that uses muscles in a different way?  It was more of a "discomfort" rather than "pain".  

However, upon our return home it quickly became more painful so I made an appointment with my doctor.  He diagnosed the cellulitis and prescribed 2 antibiotics.  (I'd heard of cellulitis but really had no idea what it was.  I thought it had something to do with cellulite!)

The cellulitis unfortunately was on my left inner buttock, and due to the swelling and pain of putting any pressure on it, I was unable to sit or lay on my back.  So I laid on my right side while awake (mostly watching TV) and slept on my right and left sides.  

But instead of improving while on the antibiotics, the swelling and pain intensified.  My doctor's office was closed for the weekend so I called the answering service and left a message.  My doctor called back and I explained the situation.  He called in a pain medication to the pharmacy and said to come into the office 1st thing Mon morning.

However, in the wee hours of the morning on Mon I woke up in a puddle.  I was rather alarmed and woke Spouse up to help.  The cellulitis had abssessed and began draining.  Gross!!!  Spouse was a real trooper and cleaned me up, then stripped the bed, rolled up and threw away the mattress cover, then remade the bed.  He placed a couple of old bath towels on the bed where I was going to lie down again.

As directed, we showed up at the doctor's office.  Remember, since I could not sit I had to lay across the back seat on my side while Spouse drove me to and from the office.  We were escorted into the examining room and I removed my sweat pants and underwear so the doctor could have another look.  

"Ooohhh... this is not good.  The cellulitis has increased in size and has now abssessed.  There are a couple of openings.  This is beyond my abilities.  You need to be seen by a surgeon who can clean this out."

Needless to say, all this was quite alarming.  I've never been told by a doctor that my condition was beyond his abilities!  My doctor immediately called a local surgeon's office, explained the situation, and set an appointment for the next morning.  Spouse drove me to the surgeon's office and again I removed my sweat pants and underwear so the surgeon could examine me.  I guess I should have known it was bad when the surgeon called in another surgeon to consult.  There were a few minutes of talking between them in medical jargon, most of which I didn't understand.  Then I was told what was needed was too involved to be done in the office.  I would need to be admitted to the hospital and have surgery.

I was admitted, IV inserted in my arm, and prepped.  The surgery was a breeze since I was completely out.  I had to stay in the hospital 4 days while the "wound" (their terminology for the cellulitis area that was operated on) was packed (with gauze) and unpacked twice a day.  Despite being given morphine the packing/unpacking process was excruciating!  

I was released from the hospital with prescriptions for more antibiotics and hydrocodone for pain, and told to continue the packing/unpacking process at least until my follow-up surgical visit at the end of the month.  Obviously I could not do it myself due to the wound's location, so I was set up with a visiting nurse.  But then we found out the nurse would only come 3 times a week.  The wound had to be dressed at least 7 times a week!  Fortunately Spouse has lots of sick leave and vacation time.  He stayed home with me for 2 weeks after being released from the hospital to care for me.  

And I really needed the care too.  I was so weak and in so much pain!  In addition to the wound dressings, he shopped and cooked for me, helped me shower, use the bathroom, and dress me, and made sure I was taking the antibiotics and pain meds at the right times.  Since the nurse highly recommended a high protein diet to promote tissue healing, Spouse bought and prepared lots of high protein foods and helped ensure I'd consumed at least 90 grams of protein each day.

I finally began to get my strength and stamina back just in time for my surgical follow up visit on Mon.  The surgeon was pleased with the wound's progress, but said we needed to continue with the wound packing/unpacking for another 2 weeks.  Its March 1 and I'm hoping to return to work next Mon the 6th.  After being on vacation for 1 week, I've been home on medical leave for another 5 weeks, for a total of 6 weeks out of work.

Just this week I've finally begun to sit for a few minutes at a time on a memory foam pillow.  I tried one of those inflatable donuts but found it too difficult to balance.  I'm trying to build up to being able to sit a little more each day.  In the meantime I'm standing at the kitchen peninsula to use my laptop.

I'll keep you posted on my condition.

Leaving on a jet plane

Spouse & I are both working today, but once we get home we'll toss the final pieces into our bags and head to Baltimore.  We're staying at a Park/Sleep/Fly hotel near the airport tonight, leaving our car there, and taking the shuttle to the airport in the wee hours of the morning.  Our flight leaves at 5:55am so I imagine we'll leave for the airport around 3:30am.  Ugh!!  The good part is that we'll arrive just before noon so we'll have the rest of the day to enjoy in Puerto Vallarta.

Marvin & Walter will be staying home and our friend PW will be caring for them.  He stays there at night and they sleep in bed with him like they do with us, and he'll keep them on their regular feeding and potty routines. It works out really well.

I am SO READY for this vacation!

Vacation

I'm excited because 1 week from today we leave for Puerto Vallarta!

Spouse & I went to Puerto Vallarta 3 years ago with our dear friends The Newlyweds.  We actually stayed about 15 minutes south in the village of Mismaloya, in a mountaintop villa in the jungle.  It was great!

This time the 4 of us are staying right in the heart of Puerto Vallarta.  We booked a relatively new condo on vrbo.com that looks fabulous.  It will be great to walk everywhere, and perhaps take a cab if we get tired or when its late at night.  The beach is so lovely and the town is so friendly, I can hardly wait to get back there.

Oh, and the weather this time of year is in the low 80s with no humidity.

This week I'll be picking out the clothes I want to take and getting it packed.  Since I'm not currently wearing anything I'll be taking its easy to fold and pack the clothes ahead of time, and just add our toiletries before we go.

Vacation redux - part 7

Sun morning we were due to get up at 5am, but I woke up every 45 minutes or so, for fear of oversleeping and missing our plane.  We got our stuff together and checked out of the hotel at 5:50am, and the cab we'd requested for 6am was already there waiting for us.  When we got inside the airport there was hardly anyone there so it was easy to get through security.  We'd already checked in and printed our boarding passes the day before so we were all set.  My sinus congestion had gotten steadily worse since it began on Thurs so by Sun I felt pretty crappy.  I almost looked forward to having nothing to do but sit on the plane for the entire day.

Our flights were uneventful with the exception of a big security backlog in Phoenix, which caused several people in line near us to miss their connecting flights.  Fortunately we got through and made it to our gate just as they were beginning to board 1st class.

When we got to Philly we called the hotel where we'd stayed the night before leaving for PV and they sent the shuttle to pick us up and bring us back to the hotel where our car had been parked.  Although the hotel wasn't that great or luxurious, their Sleep/Park/Fly package was a real winner.  None of our flight included any food whatsoever, not even a bag of peanuts, so all we'd had to eat all day long were some snacks Spouse had purchased in the airport.  When we got back to the car it was 7pm and we were starving.  We stopped for a forbidden fast food meal and then headed home.  

It was so nice to see Marvin!!  We'd really missed him.  It was also really nice to sleep in our own bed again.  It was a fantastic trip - we really REALLY enjoyed it - but its always nice to be home again.