Daily Update, June 28, 2023

    I woke up to the realization that I didn't used to be totally dependent on Alan to take Val to the Vet. In fact, I used to always use friends. So, after breakfast, I called Melanie and Auntie Barbara. both were willing, but Auntie Barbara was busy enough, she was happy that Melanie could do it. So, Melanie and I made arrangements to get Val and me to the vet at the right time tomorrow. We'll even get to catch up while waiting. I really need to think of Alan as just one of the good choices I have for taking Val to the vet. {Smile}

   Today was also physical therapy, so after those phone calls, I called Uber, and a fairly quiet fellow took me to Life Care Center. There, the receptionist called me over to set up next month's appointments. My therapist is taking a week off later in the month, then back for a day and out for the last Saturday. So, I guess I'll get to do more salsa dancing then. I hope I get the hang of getting it in earlier. {Smile}

   The session went well. He gave me suggestions for stretching out my shoulder They do seem to help. Also, I winded myself twice with the salsa dancing. We were trying faster pieces, plus I was concentrating on my more vigorous moves. I'm happy to say that he okayed me doing the half-circle taps to a fast piece. {Smile}

   After physical therapy, I stopped by the business office to pay my bill for the month. Then I called Uber, and Cody took me home. He asked about Karen, and I said yes, I knew her. He knows her from when they were wo of the few drivers; there are a lot more drivers now. {Smile}

   I had dinner with Mom and read to her before that. I started with scripture and thoughts about it. Then I continued with a Christmas from a friend of her sister's. Next, I started reading _Visions of Scotland_. I showed her each picture on the first few pages, reading each caption. She responded much better than yesterday, especially at first. Then she got tired, even dozy, as our main nurse pointed out to me. (I'd started late, between the game running late and Val refusing my first attempt at dinner. it did smell less right than this morning, so I tried a second, which he ate happily.) At our nurse's urging, I cut things short, stopping that book, and skipping _100 Uplifting Short Stories for Seniors_ entirely. I finished with the June 28th story, "Balouka's Trip," about a bear cub who rode a boat down the river and visited a town. Then he escaped when they tried to catch him, running all the way home. It was from _366 Stories for Bedtime: A Tale for Every Day of the Year_, where all stories and poems are short. I think Mom enjoyed things, especially before she got sleepy. {Smile}

   I didn't do any exercise beyond physical therapy. that was quite enough for one day. {Grin}

   I finished writing yesterday's daily update after getting home from physical therapy. It went right through lunch, and a bit afterwards. Then I hopped into City of Heroes: Homecoming and did some paperwork while I looked for a friend or more to get together with. Perogies found me, and as we were figuring out what to do, an acquaintance of mine invited me to a couple of task forces. I asked if my friend (meaning Perogies) could come too. They said okay, so we both joined. we ran it with a not quite full team, and it took longer than I think we expected. It just broke up after the first one, without doing the second. Perogies left for bed then, too. Then I got together with bowlofdro. We squeezed in one mission that ended abruptly when the mission failed. Neither of us expected that. {smile}

   After dinner, I hopped back into City of Heroes. I was starting on paperwork when Soothing Darkness said hi, and we started to talk. Then Kitten joined us. Soothing Darkness spotted another run of the pair of task forces, and this time we ran both. Soothing Darkness ducked out partway through the second, but rejoined Kitten and me after that. We ran a few missions, then Soothing Darkness left again. I missed talking to Nox, but we hope to talk soon. Anyway, I spotted a giant monster hunting team, and Kitten and I joined it. Phonso and I started chatting, and he joined us when he couldn't find what he really wanted. He left, and a while later, the team broke up. {Smile}