Saturday, 1 April 2023 April Fools Day - We had our "first Saturday of the month" nautical flea market at the marina's tiki hut this morning. I sold the fishing rod and reel that I won in the pickleball tournament last Monday and still came out ahead when I bought a roll of sail repair tape. I didn't need the rod and reel and may not ever need the sail repair tape, but you never know.

Sunday, 2 April 2023 - Now that the outboard motor isn't eating up all my time I finally got around to working on the boat's stereo. The stereo had to be removed to replace the chainplates and whet the worker reinstalled it it didn't play. He was going to work to get it working again but I told him I really didn't have the $150/hour they charged for his time and to leave it for me to get going again. Well, I got it going today through one set of speakers, the ones in the saloon, but not in the cockpit. That'll have to wait. Kevin Smith spent the night on my boat last night, but headed to shore after I had breakfast. He returned around 3:30 to take me to shore so Susie could pick me up on her way home from the consignment store she works at on Sundays for four hours. Just before he arrived Susie called with bad news. Her 12 year old dog, Sangria, has been doing poorly and while she was at work today her neighbor was taking care of the dog. Unfortunately, she called Susie to say that the dog hasn't eaten or cleared its bowels today at all. Susie picked me up and we took Sangria to the vets. He met us there within 15 minutes even though it is Sunday and while we were there he did a sonic scan of her belly and determined that she has a 5 inch tumor surrounding her duodenum, the exit to the stomach, that keeps anything from passing through into the bowels. At her age and condition, it would be very unlikely that she would survive the surgery. With many tears in her eyes, Susie decided it was time to let her go. The vet was very sympathetic and very nice and gave Sangria a calming drug and then put her to sleep forever. With Susie's very needy mother being here, me needing a ride to surgery in Miami tomorrow, and having to lose her closest friend, Sangria, Susie was having a horrible day.

Monday, 3 April - Another interesting day. Susie and I got up at 4:30 am and left the house at 5 to drive to my 9:30 appointment. We got to the Miami toll road and hit the morning traffic about 8 am -- 3 to 7 lanes wide and stop and go. We still arrived shortly after 9 and they took me right in to change out of my clothes. Susie had to part from me when they wheeled me into pre-op. She went to the cafeteria for breakfast, then to the waiting room. I laid in the pre-op area until 11 am while numerous doctors, anesthesiologists, student nurses, and others went over the procedures with me. I know at least 7 people asked me my name, last four numerals of my Social Security number, date of birth, and which side of my body my hernia was on. I woke up after the surgery about 1:30 and they wheeled me into a waiting room to let the drugs wear off and I laid there for an hour or so. While I was there I realized that my right eye had something in it or was scratched. They flushed it out and could see nothing there so they released mo and sent us down to the pharmacy to get some prescriptions. While there, the eye got more irritated, so Susie went back up stairs to the last waiting room. They said we'd have to go to the emergency room to have another doctor take a look at the eye. Luckily, there appeared to be only one person ahead of us. After about 20 minutes that gentleman got and went over to the checkin for the emergency room and said, "Hey, I've been here for two hours without being seen." Thank goodness he complained. All he needed was some paperwork and they sent him on his way within about 5 minutes. The problem was, all the emergency room beds were full, but no one determined that he didn't need a bed. I didn't either and was taken into a small room by a physician, sot down, and she put a fluid in my eye that would be absorbed into any cut, but not the smooth surface of my eye, then rinsed the eye and lit it with a UV magnifier. She easily saw a small cut and said she'd send a prescription over to the pharmacy for us to pick up. "No," I said, "We're no going back to the pharmacy to get in line again. We have a 3 hour drive ahead of us and Susie doesn't like to drive in the dark." She said she'd have it mailed to me. Since the eye is the fastest healing tissue on your body, by the time the medication arrives, my eye will be healed. In fact, as I type this on Wednesday, It's almost back to normal. I suspect that by this afternoon it will be fine. We left the hospital about 6 o'clock in daylight but Susie still had to drive about an hour in the dark and we arrived home at 9:05 pm.

Tuesday, 4 April - Susie ordered groceries and while we waited for them to be delivered we collected all the medications, food, toys, and other dog accessories and took them to the local animal shelter today. I needed cash so we went to the Wells Fargo ATM, then ran other errands to Walgreen's, the marina to pick up the gasket for my Yamaha outboard that had finally arrived for me, got gas for the car, and went to lunch at Dockside. Susie then went two doors down, where the her mother is staying, and tended to her needs, then we all went to dinner at El Molcajete Mexican restaurant for dinner.

Wednesday, 5 April - I'm taking it pretty easy but Susie and I did accompany her 90 year old mother, Juanita, on a very slow half-block walk with her walker today. Although it's summer-like weather here in Marathon, this has been a bumper year for snow for my old ski area, Alta. I've included a couple of photos of the snowpack below, along with other shots for this episode.

Thursday, 6 April - This afternoon Susie and I repotted two of her plants into larger planter boxes with fresh potting mix. The new, square pots are about 3 1/3 cubic feet and should allow the plants to do well for a long time.

Friday, 7 April - Susie took her mom out this morning for both of them to get manicures and pedicures while I did some reading. This evening we went to dinner at the Barracuda Grill. The food was Okay, but not good enough to match the high prices, I thought.

Saturday, 8 April - This morning we ran a couple of errands and this afternoon Susie helped her mom shower while I planted a few seeds in her flower pots that, in a few weeks, should turn into either morning glory or moon vines, I'm not sure which. We had saved them from a couple of seasons ago without labeling them. Dinner tonight at Frank's with Susie and her mom.

Easter Sunday, 9 April - Susie, her mother, and I had Easter luncheon at the Key Colony Inn this afternoon at three, our main meal of the day. Back at Susie's house we watched three episodes of "Black List" on Netflix before retiring.

Monday, 10 April - I walked the 1.8 miles from Susie's house to the graphics company, Signs By Renee, on Coco Plum Drive this morning to see the design of the new lettering for Island Time that has to be replaced because it had to be removed for the pain job in November. I've been too busy to get around to having it made. The design looks pretty good but I did have a couple of small tweaks to it that I'd like to see made. I was disappointed that he'd lost the dimensions that I had sent him. He wants me to remeasure and I won't have access to the boat for another week or two because of the hernia surgery I just had.

Tuesday, 11 April - Susie had to go two doors down to where her mother is staying this morning so that the now owner of the house could have the house inspected to make sure that it meets rental property standards. This was a private inspector inspecting ahead of the city inspector that will come in a few weeks. They did do a few repairs and replaced the refrigerator that was only a few years old but whose ice maker had failed. A cleaning lady came to Susie's while Susie was away. She cleaned for a couple of hours then left. After that Susie, her mother, and I ran a few errands including taking delivery of a new iPhone 14 Pro for her mother, then having lunch at Fish Tales Restaurant.

Wednesday, 12 April - We had soaked the seeds that I planted on Saturday in water for a couple of days and they are already coming up in the pots. We're hoping that we can get the vines to climb the wooden fence that they are next to without having to string twine for them but I don't think they will do that. I think these vines, unlike ivy that grow roots on the stems to grab and hold on with, will need something to wrap around as they climb. We'll soon know, I suppose.

Thursday, 13 April - I discovered today that the VA shuttle that I'm depending on taking me to Miami for my post-surgery checkup does not run on Mondays or Tuesdays so I tried to reschedule that appointment for Thursday since I have appointments next Wednesday for notator cuff therapy and Friday for Mohs surgery for a small place on my scalp. It was too late in the day to make human contact so I had to leave a message by machine.

Friday, 14 April - I was surprised this morning to receive a call right at 8 am from the scheduler at the VA about my checkup appointment. I explained to the lady that the shuttle doesn't run on Mondays or Tuesdays so she said, "Ok, I'll schedule you on the following Monday." Duh. No, the shuttle doesn't run on Mondays or Tuesdays. I had hoped for Thursday of next week but that wasn't available so I'll be going no Miami the following week on Wednesday. I finally sent out my February episode, #264, today, a bit late, but better than never, I hope.

Saturday, 15 April - Susie and I ran errands to her bank and Home Depot today, then went for a walk, but she also tended her mother for several hours.

Sunday, 16 April - Susie worked at Christina's Consignment Shop today. She ordered groceries to be delivered to the house and I stayed there to receive them and did some reading.

Monday, 17 April - Susie had an appointment with her local physician to go over the results from tests for her annual checkup and she assisted her mom and I killed time by reading today. We all went to dinner at Fish Tales.

Tuesday, 18 April - Susie went to her audiologist today and got her hearing tested and received new hearing aids to try for a week to see if they are any better than the ones she's boon using. I killed the day again reading. Recuperation is certainly boring.

Wednesday, 19 April - Susie and her mother drove to Key West to pick up her brother who flew in in order to take her mother home to Ohio on Saturday. He's just had rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder so he's recuperating, too, with his left arm in a sling. I had my first authorized occupational therapy session for my shoulder today. The therapy clinic is just about two or three blocks from Susies so I walked there and back. Since it's been over a year since I injured the arm most of my flexibility has returned and my shoulder doesn't keep me awake at night, but since I have really favored that arm, my strength in that arm has obviously lowered. I am approved for 15 therapy sessions but suspect that I won't need them all. I can raise my right arm to within 15° of that of that of my left without pain already.

Thursday, 20 April - Susie, her brother, mother and I visited during the day then went to dinner at Island Fish Company which is just across the Overseas Highway from Susie's house.

Friday, 21 April - I had two appointments today. The first was within walking distance of Susie's, to have my second shoulder rehab therapy. The second was up in Islamorada to have Mohs treatment. They took a thin slice off my scalp, stuck it under a microscope to look for melanoma cells, and determined that there weren't any, so I am good to go for skin cancer for a while longer. Susie, her brother and mother took me there and had lunch while I went under the knife. We all, later, went to Havana Jacks for dinner.

Saturday, 22 April - We all went to Key West today to put Susie's mother and brother on a plane back to Ohio. Upon arriving back in Marathon, we swung by the marina and I picked up mail that included about ten more books to read from my brother, Mike. Later, Susie and I went to Havana Jacks Restaurant and Bar and listened to Bob, Bob, and Glen Harmon while having dinner.

Sunday, 23 April - Susie worked at Christine's Consignment Shop from noon to four o'clock today. I stayed at her house, read, and cleaned her bird bath for her. I also got a call from Kevin Smith to let me know that he had checked on the boat again for me and that everything seems to be all right onboard. He's gone way above and beyond my expectations doing so so often, especially since he is concurrently moving onto and adapting to his own new (used) trawler, Sonic Sea Dog.

Monday, 24 April - With Susie's mother gone, Susie was able to pay more attention to her work at ARDL, her family's rubber business in Ohio. I had my third of fifteen occupational therapy sessions for my shoulder today, too.

Tuesday, 25 April - Susie worked online again today and I planted some flower seeds for her that we had gathered way last season, plus I went across the street from her house where a windrow separates her street from the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn. That windrow has morning glory vines covering some of the trees and tall, decorative grasses. They've been blooming recently so I knew there would be seeds from them that I could collect to grow on Susie's fence so I gathered about a hundred seeds. I was surprised how few of the flowers have produced seeds. I think the human race has killed off so many of the insects that pollenate flowers that the job isn't getting done. Remember when we were kids that whenever you drove the car for a few days, especially on a long trip, how often when filling the gas tank we had to get a squeegee to wash the windshield? Most gas stations don't even supply a bucket and squeegee any more because there isn't a need. I'm afraid we've gotten nature totally out of whack.
                      Since I've had the surgery and Susie's mom has been in town we've really been isolated from our other friends. Rowland and Leta Kok, who it seems we've barely seen this season are ready to head north for the summer. Tonight will probably be our last chance to see them. They'll move their boat, KoKoMo, off the ball to Marathon Boatyard on the hard and drive back to Destin up in the Florida panhandle this week. We took this opportunity to go visit with them at SkipJack Resort this evening where Donnie McDaniel and Four Sheets To The Wind were playing.

Wednesday, 26 April - I had my fourth occupational therapy this morning. The therapist had me do all the same exercises this time but increased the weight used on each one, then added one extra exercise. I walked back to Susie's and had lunch. Susie went to have her fingernails manicured and painted while I read one of my books. When she finished, I got a call from her. She had run the front of her car beyond the parking marker in the parking lot and when she tried to back up, the gravel pan underneath the grill caught on it. She didn't want to tear it off and called me for help. Since it was only about a mile away, rather than wait for a cab, I walked to her with a pair of scissors and a small hacksaw just in case I needed to cut it away, plus a roll of Gorilla tape. The scissors and saw weren't needed. I was able to push the plastic gravel pan up high enough to clear the obstacle for her no back up, then I got under the car as best I could and used the tape to hold the gravel pan higher temporarily and we drove home.

Thursday, 27 April - Susie went for a long walk this morning before I got up. She's a morning person and I'm a night owl. We had breakfast before she had to go get her hearing aids calibrated. She's trying out a new pair from Miracle Ear and she brought home a new device that, through Blue Tooth technology, lets her listen to the TV at one level through her hearing aids while I listen at another level; or she can, if by herself, turn the volume up in her ears and turn the TV speakers off so the she doesn't disturb the neighbors in the duplex by being too loud. This evening we attended the Marathon Community Theater's production of "Scapino", directed by our friends Mike Wagner and Bev Fowers. Very funny and well done!

Friday, 28 April - I had my fifth of 15 authorized occupational therapy sessions this morning. After I got back Susie and I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out the instructions for the Miracle Ear Bluetooth transmitter for her hearing aids again. As many instruction booklets are, this one really isn't written clearly and specifically enough for a non-engineer to understand. We conquered it by persistence, not by understanding the booklet.

Saturday, 29 April - Susie had a small net on a pole for scooping trash out of the canal at her house and it mysteriously disappeared so we went to West Marine to replace it today. We also went to a thrift store and I bought a casual style shirt with hot peppers and other bright colors on it, perfectly tropical, I'm sure. She got a dress and I got four small plastic containers with screw-on tops to put tiny items like screws, nuts, ear plugs, etc. in. After that we went by the marina to pay for another months mooring ball rental, then to lunch at El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant.

Sunday, 30 April - Susie worked from noon till four this afternoon at Christine's Consignment Store. It was rainy with strong winds and high waves almost all day. Sometimes that gets more customers into the store because they can't do things outdoors, but not today. She wasn't very busy. The weather made the promoters call off a big speedboat race today here north of the Seven Mile Bridge, too. The race was supposed to be a four day event and many really big speed boats are brought in by trailer or truck. I do believe the got off the first three days, though.

Here's a link to a YouTube video that starts of with the morning VHF radio net that I used to announce on Friday mornings but since I'm out of the harbor at least until I see the surgeon on this coming Wednesday, I haven't even heard for awhile. This was sent to me by my friend Steve Luta who I met in the Fort Meyers Beach area and who lost his boat recently in that area to hurricane Ian. The voice on the radio is me and the story in the link is a pretty good description of the harbor at the Marathon City Marina. Enjoy! (Please forgive the unavoidable advertisements.)