Yep, still alive.

Very sore today. Getting up and getting down are the hard parts. Rolling over in bed is also no fun. It's not really rolling over, it's more of a lift and shift operation. I took one set of pain pills today and then took a lovely four hour nap. I just took another set and will probably go to bed soon.

I did do a little bit of house stuff today, like made ribs for Emily and myself for lunch, yum. I also made a couple of dishes for dinner and warmed up some leftovers. Nobody has done the dinner dishes yet and I keep being tempted. I started knitting a baby hat so I wouldn't go over and do it. I did start some laundry, but I know I can't lift the wet laundry into the dryer. Michael switched the first load for me and Emily is still up so she can do the second load. I keep telling myself that the less I do, the sooner I will get better, but it is so hard for me to sit around and do nothing and I don't really feel like reading, for some reason, even though I am in a really good book.

I am using Roma's keyboard. It is nice and springy and I could probably also write for you in Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian if I knew how!

We have a big weekend with a myriad of activities for the boys. I am not sure I am up to driving yet. Getting up and down is so hard I am not sure if I could get in the car and drive. Michael can ride his bike, but Roma is still making his. He found a frame he liked and brought it home, but he needs to get it back to bike project to have the right tools and find wheels and stuff. He said he is fine with walking and carrying it, that he is used to that. I guess we are spoiled Americans!

Emily is studying for her subject test she needs to take in September to get her teaching certification. She bought one of the books she used for a couple of classes and is going through the entire thing! I admire her for working so hard at it. Right now I am loving her even more because she is starting on the dishes for a study break. She has been pretty good to me the past couple of days.

Stephanie left today for South Carolina. She and Kevin came to an agreement that she could take the boys and move out of state and he gets them five weeks in summer, and one week for Christmas and every other spring break. I am sad to see her go, but it will be really good for her to be near her parents for support and for the boys to be in a more stable environment. She's coming back middle of September to move the rest of their stuff so I will probably get to see her only one more time this year unless she delivers the boys at Christmas time.

Now when I get enough money to do my east coast tour I can start up at Niagara falls, see Byron in Brooklyn, Spencer and Jeff in Virginia and Maryland, Jessica in Boston and then head south to end up at South Carolina and the beach. Sounds like a good trip, doesn't it? I need to see Cape Cod, too. I could keep heading south after SC, go through Florida and see Diane, then head back through Georgia and see Julia and Erin. Heck, I might as well hit New Orleans and see Nanna P. if I am doing all that right? It should only take a month! I guess this could be after the novel is published and it could be a book signing tour and my publisher could pay for every thing.

Happy today for my knitting looms. I haven't worked with them for a while and it felt good to sit and knit a baby hat tonight, which is almost complete.