I am watching a video posted to Youtube by a group named RnK All Day. America’s Most Abandoned Gary Indiana. They posted only last week. What is sobering is that they are posting video of an abandoned and vandalized school, the abandoned hospital where Michael Jackson was born, and theatre where Sinatra performed. Gary was a steel town. With the collapse of the domestic steel industry, or that industry segment using obsolete technology, we saw the economic collapse of entire cities, like Gary.

Haunting.

I don’t know sometimes. I did stuff. And felt incredibly lazy. I had a full day to do something. And I made some chicken salad.

That’s about it. I had a spell of shoulder pain for about two hours. I feel that I am improving markedly.

Oh and I took out the trash.

Four years ago, I had my rotator cuff repair on this day. It seems like ages ago. The surgery was simple, an outpatient procedure. The recovery took about three months, but combined with my spinal fusion in November, I never worked again.

Now I sit watching the rain come down and listening to the drops land on metal somewhere.

The gray skies make the spring colors, especially the greens that much brighter.

J’s lunch is packed.i have had my breakfast. I have found that oatmeal made with steel cut oats tastes good cold, with maple syrup and sliced strawberries.

I’m sleepy again.

I just texted my surviving ex-wife, mother of my elder son and wished her a Happy Mother’s Day. My other ex-wife, mother of my younger son, has been dead for three and a half years. I have no ideaof the whereabouts of #2 son’s birth mother .

My wife has been a wonderful stepmother to my 2 sons, especially the younger one.

It’s complicated. When I was a boy at Third Presbyterian Church, a red carnation was worn if your mother was living, a white carnation, if deceased. That was simple. Now we have mothers, stepmothers, surrogate mothers, households with two female parents, households with two male parents. I dunno. Somehow those carnations seem inadequate or incomplete.

Anyway, if Mother rings true for you, Happy Mother’s Day.

I had a chance to go to the Y before thunderstorms got in the way. And I accomplished the mission, with a 1750 meters swim.

Post swim, I showered, shaved, got to Publix, and bought a Stouffer’s Macaroni & Cheese. At our house, this is the go-to comfort food.

I have been doing the “magic” stretch that Matt The PT showed me yesterday. The stretch is producing results. I’m moving back to life before the pinched nerve. Now, after the swim I have ice on the sore places and my body seems to be responding to the physical therapy, the exercise, and the self-care and aftercare.

I noticed my posture was not helping this pinched nerve heal. I look down a lot, usually at my Smartphone. And when I hold my head up I notice some pain and so I tend to hold my head in a position that doesn’t aggravate the nerve.

As my Dad the Marine Officer used to “admonish” me, “Stand up straight.”

Aye aye, Colonel.

Porngirl3 suggested I make a compress of castor oil on cloth apply the compress to the area affected by pain and then apply heat to the compress for about 30 minutes. Yesterday’s session brought relief. Tonight seems to be working too.

Yes. I did the therapy for about an hour. I feel the difference.

I’m exhausted. Good night, all,

It is almost 4:00 AM. I slept for a couple of hours, when the pain woke me up. I made a pot of decaf, folded some laundry, took some Ibuprofen, and I am watching Curiosity Incorporated. Alex is checking out a Volkswagen Beetle from 1968 that he discovered in a storage shed.

I find distraction to be an important element of pain management. Something to think about besides that I hurt.

Time for more coffee. Maybe I will have a pear too.

I did the castor oil compress with heat. Feeling some difference where it was applied.

Actually it feels a lot different about an hour after the treatment. Different as in better.

Until the nerve is no longer pressured, finding useful treatments for the muscles involved are critical. If the muscles can relax, normal activities with minimal aggravation is the goal.

I made it a point to swim today. That involved some rest after brunch w J. And I did go around 5:30. I get in the water, swim, and do just fine. Then I get out of the pool and revert to discomfort, if not outright pain.

I’m doing a castor oil compress in a few minutes, recommended by Porngirl3. Stay tuned.