intertext

Like lidocafe, I have had a pleasantly relaxing day, without recourse to any serious work. Procrastination begins in earnest as soon as essays and assignments start coming in. Anyway, today I have been busy, but have not accomplished much of note, and feel relatively content that it should be the case.

I started off fairly early, with my after-a-year x-ray and checkup of my bionic hip. I seemed to be emitting magnetic rays of some kind, because the parking machine at the surgeon's office and then the x-ray machine had hiccups, and later a couple of other machines failed in my presence as well. The x-ray technician was cheery, even though my magnetic emissions meant that we had to move to a different room, and then the pictures didn't turn out and had to be redone (see, I told you - these emissions were powerful!). The surgeon who gave me my new hip has retired, so I met a new one today, who was youngish (maybe in his late thirties or early forties) and quite good looking. I was sitting in my underwear on the bed thing with this stupid paper sheet over my legs, and he said "let me see you walk" - so I jumped down and strode across the room in my undies, completely not bothered, until HE said "oh, didn't the nurse speak to you about wearing shorts..." and I said "yes, for next time" and he said "yes, well a lot of people don't feel comfortable wearing a gown," and blah blah blah, but the upshot was that he made me feel all self-conscious when I hadn't before! Just as well I wasn't wearing a thong!

Anyway, all reports are fine, my hip is still there and hasn't gotten loose or anything, so I don't have to go back again for another year (when I will wear shorts)

Home to find an Amazon delivery - two books! The new Robin McKinley and Fans, Bloggers and Gamers by Henry Jenkins, which I wanted to read because of some things I'm thinking about writing.

Thence with dogs to drop On Chesil Beach back at the library, pick up a few things at Blockbuster, the liquor store and Save-On, and then to Madrona Farms where I purchased salad greens, arugula, and tsai choi, and then a walk (the dogs said FINALLY) at Mt. Doug.

This afternoon I felt compelled to tidy my kitchen and my living room, and would do some dusting and vacuuming, except then I would have nothing left to do to procrastinate with, and I have marking to do, but will, I think, leave it till tomorrow. Dogs are just about to be taken for their second walk.

After that, I will make cauliflour cheese for supper, watch Coronation St and something on dvd, as yet to be determined.

And all the while, it's a blazingly lovely Fall day. I love this kind of weather - sunny but crisp and cool.
Is it the last day of summer today? I can't remember.

I walked into my surgeon's office today without my cane. And was pronounced fit. I saw my x-ray - this extremely solid looking joint looking as if it has absolutely no intention of dislocating ever. He (my surgeon) said "congratulations, your hip will only keep on getting better from now on."

Oh, and I went swimming on Monday and today for the first time since before the surgery. That felt really good, too. It was great to get the heart racing and to move the rest of my body. I'm so much appreciating my body these days: feeling strong and fit and healthy.

Everybody agrees that health care needs fixing, but I find myself now in something of two minds about how I feel about how it should be done. I admire Jack Layton for sticking to his guns ( non Canadian readers can find background behind the cut ), and the part of me that has nearly always voted NDP wants to say "public health care for all! No privatization!" But I need a hip replacement. And at the moment I'm faced with probably waiting 18 months to two years unless I spend $20,000 and go to the US or somewhat less but go to India... And I don't have the option, as things stand right now of "going the private." It is literally against the law for me to pay a surgeon up front and get my operation sooner. But I suppose that's always the way, isn't it? It's easy to be idealistic until something like this comes up and hits you, and good old capitalism would make my own life a lot easier and pain free a lot more quickly. But then, I suppose I do have the option of going to the US, or India, and someone who isn't at my income level wouldn't have that...