Kool and the Gang, "Summer Madness". My favorite song by them. I prefer the jazz and R&B cuts. Didn't like their disco phase as much, but it was quite profitable for them and showed just how versatile they are. No hating at all. Ah. Listen to the synthesizer. I had no clue what kind of instrument that was at the time. :) Sometimes I can't write because I get distracted by the music...like now. New paragraph coming up.
So yes, I've been enjoying my retirement. It took a little reflection to realize that. I'm doing much more than I had during 2-3 years preceding the kidney failure. Everything took so much effort. And I hurt. My back hurt and my knees hurt. Mobility was such a huge issue. I'd be tired by the time I got to work. Well let's fast forward. Once we knew what the diagnosis was, treatment started. I felt better, but I needed to get to a functioning state. I needed to get to Vegas to visit Mom. I couldn't get there before she died. Well then I needed to get out there it support Dad. I made a few trips, but I didn't like him being out there alone.
Oh oh! Something entirely irrelevant. Every Wednesday...and I mean every Wednesday, the nephrologist checks up on us. He usually rolls in around 8:30 - 9:00. But another doctor just came in. But I know this doctor! He is a partner of my nephrologist!!!. When I was in dialysis at the hospital, he checked in on me. What was so special about him? He's a dead ringer for my primary care physician (PCP) . So yeah, I'm sick and hooked up to a dialysis machine and I called out the kidney doctor for looking just like my PCP. So when I see him walk into the module today, I called him twin. Lol. He chuckled.
The Dramatics, "Be My Girl". Back to happy retirement. My point was I had too much to do to feel sick and be sick. I hated being confined to the house. Shawn was graduating from college. I needed to work with that. At that point it seemed the only places I was going was to see the doctors and to dialysis. Ugh. Somehow I decided we were going to Disney World. See, we had planned to go the previous December. That didn't happen. Well it happened in June! I used an electric cart while there, but I did my fair share of walking. I decided I was going to participate in a couple of walkathons. We took several day trips in Michigan...Port Huron, Frankenmuth, Monroe. Oh yeah, even before that I'd just ride with Brian while he ran errands. I did the first of several road trips to Urbana Champaign for Shawn .. Like getting an apartment and moving her.
Now we're moving to Las Vegas. The whole process of moving has been daunting, but we've made so much progress. We've had a lot of help. We had to replace the front porch. That was even fun. Especially negotiating prices!
Tom Browne, "Funkin ' For Jamaica". Chair dancing. Bass. Air guitar. Hey!! So last evening, after we left the restaurant, strolling through Royal Oak, I realize I'm basically happy. I'm happy being retired. We're enjoying ourselves doing stuff. Water aerobics, acrylic and water color painting. Trying new restaurants. Visiting Shawn because I want to and because I can. Having the time to take a train. Involved with fundraising and volunteering for kidney disease awareness and transplant awareness and kidney disease prevention. Moving to Las Vegas. Planning to go to Denver and New Orleans this summer. Life is good. Yes, my kidneys have failed and I have treatment 3 days a week....in the center up to 5 hours...but I realize it could be much worse. I'm grateful and I'm happy. In addition, I'm ready to start doing my treat myself at home (with help from Brian, of course!).
Signing off with Frank Sinatra, "Luck Be a Lady". Watched Guys and Dolls this weekend. This is one of my favorite musicals. We question Marlon Brando singing, but with his acting and good looks we can overlook the quasi-singing. Lol. Marlon Brando actually "sings" "Luck Be a Lady". Fortunately Frank recorded it. Lol. He is soooooo much better. 7 more dialysis treatments left here!!!
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