This past week seems to have been filled with “beeps” and “buzzes.” The beeps came from one of four smoke alarms in and near my bedroom, but which one was it?
One day, two batteries were replaced, but the beeps continued.
They were not sounding a serious alarm meaning fire, rather, it was an occasional beep that usually happened while I was trying to drift off to sleep.
A different alarm got a new battery, and now nary a beep can be heard.
While the situation with the smoke alarms has been averted, one more thing has been a source of frustration. Something that is quite common during the waning season of summer: A buzzy fly has snuck in through the door.
So, there is one fly and one person living in this house, and I am determined that one of us has to go, and I have no plans to move anywhere. That means the fly has to scram, which is unlikely. The other alternative is to for me to dispatch it with a swatter. It took me two days of searching, but now that I have found a swatter, that fly is about to meet its end.
My right foot is still encased in its boot, and for the most part I have made my peace with it. On Aug. 26, I will see the surgeon again, and am waiting for the verdict that the boot is no longer needed. So, by the time you read this column, I may already have shoes on both of my feet.
That may sound wonderful, and it does, but I also sense the reality of the situation that my foot and ankle get sore and tired if I am on them too much. So, while I might be able to wear a shoe, I might choose to wear the boot now and then.
Once again, just like four weeks ago, questions are racing through my mind. Will I get permission not to wear that boot to bed? Will I be able to drive again?
Of the two, I think I miss the driving the most. I know that as people age they often need to give up their ability to drive due to health reasons. However, having lost mine for the past 11 weeks has given me pause for thought. It is difficult to have to find someone to drive every time you want or need to go somewhere.
I now have a renewed thankfulness for the ability to drive. Since most of my summer travel months were spent at home recovering, I have a few trips that I want to make in the fall. Traveling to southern Wisconsin to visit my Aunt Gertie, who turned 101 in July, is first and foremost on my list.
However, the Tigerton Lumberjack Days this weekend and the Shawano County Fair and the Lehman family reunion on Labor Day weekend will hinder the trip into later September, or even October.
Whatever the verdict of the surgeon, I will endeavor to follow those instructions to the best of my ability. There is one thing I know I don’t want, and that is to have to redo the surgery.
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