Peter Gunn and the meaning of life

I have been watching a weekend marathon of the 50s TV Black and White TV show Peter Gunn.
Just watching hours,of a black and white show about a detective who is a tough guy but shows his gal his soft side is enough for me to love this Blake Edwards' classic show. Show ran from 1958-1961 first on NBC and then switched over to ABC. The show is great is you love modern jazz music and the old black noir movies. I love it all.

I have had a bad back since 1977. Two years ago, I lost my battle for pain control. I thought I was losing my mind. I could not control my crying. I had no energy. I slept during the days and nights.
I was in constant pain. I thought I must have hurt my hip, my legs ached. I was in full denial.

In 2014, I went to an orthopedic back doctor. He took ex-rays and told me it was not my hip, it was my back. My back was hurting again and I stayed in full denial for another two years.

This spring I was out in my large perennial garden weeding. I worked to hard and too long. I should have know better, my muscle had been asleep all winter. I finished my work and put away my tools. I then went to the cellar door way and sat down on the wooden cellar stairs and started to cry. I cried until I heard myself sobbing and I continued sobbing for over a half hour. I regained myself control, and went into the basement and stripped off my dirty clothes, brought them upstairs to the clothes hamper and spend another half hour in a shower of extremely hot, steaming water.

Recovery from back pain is the pits. When every inch of your body is in pain, the first thing I want to do is to lie down and take a nap. When I woke I called my primary doctor and make an appointment for the next day. She looked at me and said make an appointment again with the orthopedic doctor and tell him how much pain you are in. You should not be in that much pain.
I spent the day making a list of my back history and a list of what I needed to get to a pain free recovery.

I am in PT now. For the last month, I have been on an an arthritis inflammatory medicine.  Soon I will be off it. For my birthday, I requested the gold standard of walking sticks. I am going to get strong and out of pain.

Little River going towards Plum Island

Well, it has been a month and now I am off the Anti-inflammatory medicine.  The old aches and pains are back, along with a very tired and overused back. I had the PT re-evaluation yesterday. I am still weak in my legs, ankles etc. The Therapist will send a note to Dr. Ford regarding my slow progress.
She will recommend that I continue with PT and strongly suggests that I explore the pain clinic option.

I wold love to come home from the evaluation and have Peter Gunn pour me a martini and tell me that everything will be ok. He will also be flirtatious with me and give me those sweet eye looks.
Oh yeah, that is not reality but, one could only hope.

I know that I have fought and won the back battle before. I have the will power and courage. I really don't need Peter Gunn to explain the meaning of life. I am having a fantasy. A very nice fantasy and one in black and white. My world is filled with vibrant colors. I know what to do now... and will take each step with vigor.

Count down to vacation

Oh the weary traveler. My brain hurts from packing my bag mentally. Weather changed in Portugal and I rethink, once again, about my packing.  Tomorrow, we leave on the airport bus at 2:30pm to arrive in Logan Boston International Airport at 3:15pm for our 6:20pm TAP flight to Lisbon.

The trouble with me is, that, I started my Travel Agent career in 1972. I am ashamed to say, this was before computers. I don't mean desk top computers, what I mean is the airlines did not have computer. Right, at this point you are thinking that I am ancient. Well, I am looking at my grey hairs and I must be old.

In the beginning, I worked for Crimson Travel. My interview was short. The owner's brother handing me 2 OAG books that together weighed 50 lbs. OAG was a two books of all the airline flights domestically and also internationally in the world! He handed me the world and said "Here, that these books home and when you know how to use them, come back and I will hire you.

A week later, I was hired. The codes in these books were incredible. The days of the week the flight operated or did not operate were numbers, an X in front of a number meant does not operate.....day of the week.

Every airport has its own code (and still does). The air fare was listed under, the City Pairs.

Under that would be the fares First Class listed first (of course), coach class and special fares.

It was easy. You looked at the book, you knew the flight and fare.

Now, you sit down and call the airline and book the flight. Our reservation sheet were five copies.

Paper flew around the office. Each desk had two phones. This was revolutionary at the time.  We sat at a semi round bar that faced the customers. The eager travelers would line up in

repeated word of each agent to transact their request. Telephones and people would be on their phones waiting to speak to the agent. You would put the client on hold and dial ,(,,yes dial) the airline.

No seat assignment were given. At the airport, the check-in person had a picture of a plane, with seat tabs, she would take a tab, and put it on a boarding pass. It was fast and efficient.

The point that I want to make is that before computers- all airlines, airports were less crowded, you sat on a real wide seat and had plenty of leg room (all free), you were handed a blanket, a pillow and asked nicely which of the three dinner choices did you prefer and would you like a soft drink or cocktail. People for the most part acted friendly, happy, excited, and joyful while traveling.

All that without a computer. Imagine that. I is really hard to remember. The memories are so sad. I am 5" 3 and I can't stand the lack of leg room. I feel sorry for people who are six feet and over. IT must be torture for them. 

Trying to relax like a cat during a hot summer.

It has been a lazy, hot, dry summer. The type of summer when it is too hot to go to the beach. Instead, it is a summer for hiding in one's home. It does not matter if the home has AC. Just to be home with a good book is needed to help forget about the severe drought that were are experiencing.  My gardens are looking very poorly and our trees are suffering.

JWD

Lay Out Pictures

After almost two years of being a member of the Newburyport Art Association, I decide to go to my uncomfort zone and enter a show.

The process was not easy. I learnt to be careful of glass edges while  I cut five fingers and bled onto a few mats. 

I frames two pictures, and then read the NAA rules and realized that I had the wrong type of fames. Bought new frames, along with small D ring, and picture wire.

Play with Frames

Narrow Down  Options

Practiced my choices of signatures, and signed the final two selections





Take a few more breaths. Proceed to clean frames, glass, etcc. Tighten up the back and go celebrate on another new adventure to retirement.

Blood Red Maple

Reflections From A Rose

Job Well Done.  JWD......Update -Reflections did not get hung, too many entries but, I gave it Ginny a great women of advanced age who did a great kindness to me.

My Funny Valentine ...its all about me

Our clu

Photos I Love

The Cats Meow

Meow.  When did I ever say that I listen to what I tell  other people?

Live life in its fullest.  

Haven't, I always said that. How many times did I say that. Thousands of times. Over and over. Millions times.

When, did I stop listening to myself? Did it happen during the ten year period before I retired  when I was forced to work government temp jobs. Jobs from hell each of them. Rude bosses, lots of yelling and screaming, learning new jobs, new policies, and new people. Boy, it was really the pits. But, I don't think that is the time I started to unlisten to myself.

What it The Change of Life??
That fun time of feeling like your body was totally out of control, you know what comes next. The feeling that you are totally out of your mind. I did talk to myself alot during those lovely years. 

Was it being in pretty much constant pain and muscle spasms? Think you are getting closer. I don't like to dwell on this subject. No one knows what it is like when your entire body, section by section is destroying its functions ... like... walking, sitting, standing ...that's a bad one and sleeping....oh yes that is a good one. 

It is depressing when you are out with a friend and you knee stops working like it alway has. It is painful. It is sad.  It is a huge challenge to even the most optimistic people. To put it bluntly, it is a HuGe  Deal!!! It is a deal breaker, a nut cracker, a  strike to inner self.