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 Whelp Tina Fea is obviously part cat, she’s on about Life 6 now… She has perked up & started eating again, which I blame on getting near the end of the bag/her food being a little bit stale! So obviously I will just have to buy the smaller bags & go to the store more often 😳

My colleague (Dr L the surgeon) called me Friday night when I was trying to figure out my way into a new-to-me horse camp** - fortunately the gallbladder tumor was benign, everything else is basically OK with mild stomach inflammation. I will need to give her another round of antibiotics. She even begged a piece of cheese off of Christina after our ride, the little fart! Unfortunately, I slept poorly because I still have an infestation of little black ants in my horse trailer - I went & bought some new ant baits.

** Quick overnight trip to Mineola: several people were planning on going, but the threat of rain & for Sam, family illness caused them to cancel. It was a test run for Catie to ride my Specialized saddle on Baraq; it fit both of them well! Unfortunately I couldn’t be in two places at once - my friend Lisa‘s brother-in-law‘s funeral was also on Saturday, but I just sent a nice dish garden. I felt a few twinges of guilt, but I think pre-existing promises to the living superseded paying my respects to the deceased. Certainly Lisa herself has been as gracious as ever - I would love to get a transfusion of her positive attitude!

Perhaps the universe gave me a love tap - I got up Sunday morning with a painful L ankle - I wish I knew what in the hell I did to it?!? The pain was localized at the bottom aspect of my lateral shin but it was not bruised? It’s as if I have a shin splint right above the ankle - it’s not in the joint itself or the ligaments…

I bought myself a neoprene ankle brace from Walgreens which has helped a little bit, but I’m still very crippled. It’s frustrating because I accomplished next-to-nothing that I wanted to do; I was confined to my recliner on Sunday and limped around most of the day Monday. By Tuesday it was slowly improving - an awkward dismount maybe??

In other news, the lovebirds are disagreeing about their pseudo-elopement plans so there may not be a wedding after all?!? I am trying to stay somewhat neutral but I think Victoria needs to recognize the grandiosity of her plans may not match up with the reality of what they can afford. Zach spoke harshly to her when she was whining about not having her grandma there, but as I said, what they had lined up had 16 members of her family while Zach had 5: Peran & I plus his 3 best friends (aren’t you required to have a bachelor party in Vegas?!?)

Victoria‘s parents were mere teenagers - 17 & 18 when they had her; their shotgun marriage didn’t last any time at all. Andy & Adela wound up fighting an extensive court battle to wrest custody from Celeste, who had neglected Victoria badly. “It’s complicated” as most family matters are, but Zach fears that inviting Joe & Celeste (V’s bio parents) could ignite a firestorm, spreading to the aunt, uncles & cousins and taking the focus away from what it should be, which is Zach & Victoria‘s union. Besides, it’s no longer a simple elopement when you have 23 people involved!?!

In other news, I’m so discouraged at the many ways my body seems to be failing me these days. If it’s not my ankle, it’s pains spreading up into my knees & hips! I was awakened several times last night just by shifting positions. Part of this I can blame on a crappy old mattress, but still?!? Guess I’m going to have to start taking preventative ibuprofen or naproxen at bedtime. I have been following several tai chi practitioners on Instagram, but I still need to do the exercises - it’s discouraging when I’m out of breath after half-a-dozen arm swings, or falling off balance from simple calf raises! “The longest journey begins with a single step” as I well know; but even as a weekend warrior I’ve never found myself as far down in the hole before! I am dismayed every time I walk past my rusting tricycle in the garage, still haven’t made the time to take her into the bike shop.