In a funk

For some reason I was in a funk yesterday. The wind was blowing so hard we could barely stand up when we took our walk; Cliff was in a grumpy mood (possibly because I was in a funk); it was gray, cloudy, and cold. Maybe I'm just dreading winter, or maybe my indecision about whether to see the orthopedist about knee replacement is getting me down.

Anyhow, yesterday was one of those rare days when I couldn't think of a thing I wanted to blog about.

The knee decision really does bother me; I personally know someone who got staph infection and almost died from the surgery to give him a new knee. I know people that weren't all that pleased with the results of their surgeries. On the other hand, I have ladies telling me how knee replacement changed their lives, got them mobile again and ended years of pain.

I'd say at its worst, my pain level is a three or four, unless there's a catch in one of my knees when stepping up, down or sideways. Then there's a second or two of level eight pain, but that is brief. The thing about the pain is that it's there all the time if I'm on my feet. So I find myself staying off my feet more all the time; this leads to weight gain, which isn't good for the knees either. Eat less you say? Easier said than done.

I don't expect any advice; I have advice from plenty of sources already. I just need to decide whether to take the plunge or not. My doctor doesn't really push me one way or the other; she tells me my options, explains everything bad that could possibly happen with knee surgery, and leaves it up to me to decide. Twice when pain became so severe I couldn't straighten or bend my leg, I've had meniscus repair that fixed the problem.

While I don't need any more advice than I've already received, I would appreciate a prayer or two for guidance in making this decision.

In a bit of a funk today

First of all, someone on my Tractor Tales message board passed away unexpectedly... one of the few people on that forum that Cliff and I had met in person, and one of my favorites: a God-fearing, gregarious man who often brought a smile to my face with his posts on Tractor Tales.

Poor Cliff is always hauling me somewhere-or-other to meet people I've gotten to know online. He rarely sits down at the computer, so he doesn't know a thing about any of them; it's just one of many ways he spoils me. One reason I was able to persuade him to go to the Indiana "Taler Reunion" was that there was a huge tractor show going on up there at the same time.

That group picture is from the reunion we attended; "Corny", the fellow who passed away yesterday, is the short fellow in red shirt and overalls on the right-hand side. He was often teased about his being "vertically challenged", and took it in good humor.

Rest in peace, Cornfused.

Although as I said, Cliff doesn't spend lots of time on the computer, he has come to depend on those guys on "Tales" for advice. Last weekend his brother, Donald, needed some information about the John Deere he's overhauling, and Cliff asked me to post a question about it on the "John Deere Forum" over at Yesterday's Tractors. Since I didn't receive an answer there, next day I posted the same question on "Tales", even though it's mainly just a forum for clowning around.

We soon had the information Don needed.

What did we do before the Internet?

The other reason for my funk is that this stupid cold I've been nursing for two weeks has decided to migrate from my chest to my head.

Don't get too close to your monitor. You'd be liable to catch my funk or my cold. Trust me, you don't want either one.