Sidelined and hot and sour soup

I don't think I realized how long it had been since I blogged. The last couple of months have been a long slog of dealing with the death of both of Jerry's parents and my own ordeal of having knee replacement.

I had my right knee replaced a little over a week ago and by all accounts, I am doing great. I wish I could convince myself of that. Having knee replacement, or perhaps any surgery, may very well be akin to having a baby. I had the left replaced five years ago and all I can remember is being a superstar-- walking unaided out of the hospital after four days and not taking any heavy-duty pain medication. I forgot all the difficulty which I surely had. I'm once again walking unaided, but I don't remember being in this much pain. Narcotics do not agree with me so I'm toughing it out with Tylenol and Celebrex. I am five years older, but I'm in better shape than I was five years ago. So, we'll see.

I am not doing any cooking, but Jerry is the king of opening packages and take-out. We've had several nights of Tasty-Bite Indian food, and memorable take-out Chinese. The hot and sour soup from our local Chinese place really is wonderful. Just the right combination of heat and pungency. Lots of various mushrooms floating around and strips of tofu. To me, when my stomach is a little off kilter, it is the perfect comfort food. Even better than macaroni and cheese with a crisp crust. Though I do love really good mac and cheese. A week before the surgery Jerry and I went to the City to look at a used Audi TT-- my latest obsession, and we followed that with a trip to Luna Park. Their mac and cheese with broccoli is damn good, though I would have liked a little more crunch. When I'm up to it, I'm going to make some in a shallow pan so there will be lots of top. I'll get out my creme brulee torch and make sure it's perfect.

Being on the couch with the laptop has left me time to work on my latest project. I am crewing for a Race Across America (RAAM) team. It is a four-man relay team with three HIV positive members. Team4HIVHope is a testament to what the right treatment for HIV can do. I have been sending out press releases about them, and my friends Victoria Magbilang and Aaron Calhoun put together a kick-ass website for the team. Check it out: www.team4hivhope.com

Because I can't train for AIDS Lifecycle I am going to be a roadie this year. I am part of the lunch crew. Long days and lots of work, but I couldn't imagine a year without ALC. I love that I will get to see all the riders as they stop by for yet another turkey sandwich. Lunch is by far the most boring meal of the day, but not one to skip, so I'll get to see all my friends. Jerry will be riding his half-bike, and I'm excited that he will get to ride with the big boys. He is a fast and skilled rider, and I know this will be fun for him.

Monday I get the staples out of the knee and I can't wait to be able to get into a swimming pool, though that will not likely be for a bit after that. The wound has to be totally healed before I can submerge it. But the water really is a friend to healing. I will be able to do more exercises and get my stamina up. And taking a shower without wrapping my leg in plastic will be a joy as well.