It has been a minute. Over a week slipped by me with no updates and no published book work. Austin FC had a home game (a tie I thought we could have won) and away game (a brutal 5-1 loss against Vancouver). I had two insight filled meetings of my Buddhist Sangha (community). We attended a brilliant Josh Johnson comedy show. We had a delicious birthday dinner for Margoth at Este with Alexandra and Spencer. We had ceviche mixto, shrimp aguachile begrp, tuna and fish tacos, cochinita pibil, pescado a la crema, lime mezcal pie, chocolate layer cake, banana cake, and almond torte. Wow! That was great!

Therapy continues. Last weekend, I got a leg immobilizer which we started using at night to stretch my left leg and during the day to help me stand and walk. That went like gabgbusters. My leg is straightening more. On Thursday, I climb 13 stairs with limited assistance to the landing on my staircase. Second floor without the elevator here I come! As if that was not enough, I then walked 88 feet two times with little to no assistance. I have been standing for 15 minutes most day with almost no assistance, working up to twice a day this week.

Kelley has been causing me regular pain stretching and straightening my left arm. My wrist goes all the way to neutral now. Working on extending it. Ann is making me walk. And stand. And do “tall kneels” kneeling with my body upright and back extended. Barclay is having me do breathing exercises, and is working on my routine list. She is encouraging me to reduce my routine list, which is now over six hours a day, and my calendar (which is another six hours a day on average this week).

Not to be left out, we have medical appointments. Last week, I had juvederm filler injected into my vocal folds. This is fun. They numbed my nose, inserted a camera, number my neck and inserted a needle monitored by the camera, and injected filler into my vocal folds. Lot my voice for a couple of days. Now, it is mostly back and quite a bit stronger. Not my old swim meet announcer and DJ self, but much closer.

Today, I had nine injections of botox in my biceps (3), calf (1), hamstrings (2), forearm (2), and pecs (1). I will be honest. These hurt. I am very glad that I no longer appear to be afraid of needles or this would have been horrible.

Tomorrow, I have a PCP (Primary Care Physician) appointment to cover liver function test anomalies (results consistent with bile duct problems and Cholecystitis, but my gall bladder was removed in 2005), and some desired prescriptions (one handed keyboard, platform walker, automatic wheelchair lock for van so I can drive, accessible van so I can get a new one, manual wheelchair I can use for travel) in the hope Texas Workforce Commission will pay for them.

I am also continuing courses on creating a Unitarian Universalist elevator speech (with my own personal Buddhist spin) and Unitarian Universalist bible literacy (a very liberal, as opposed to literal, interpretation, with a more universal spin).

Hope you all are doing well, and feel free to join me on substack if you want to keep up with the book. Cr*&&y first draft of intro coming this week.