Nov 11 - 2nd opinions are important !

1st opinion -- you have a full thickness tear in your rotator cuff, see the desk to schedule surgery.  In fact, they've called to see why I haven't scheduled surgery already.

2nd opinion -- Even though you're an ideal candidate for surgery (good physical shape) you're living your life without constant pain and in fact there's been improvement.  If you came had come in here today asking for surgery, I'd try and talk you out of it.  Let's do another MRI in a year and see if there's been any change.

This is a no-brainer.  The doc -- young and an expert on shoulders and hands, said that in fact, there's no real evidence that not doing surgery will lead to arthritic problems later and furthermore, studies of large groups of people as well as cadavers, have shown that a high percentage do have tears and life goes on.  Of course we can't ask the cadavers how much they enjoyed life with a torn rotator cuff ...

He suggested another visit in a couple of months to see how things are going; cancel that appointment if there's nothing to talk about.  In fact, I'll get back on the exercise regimen and only call to setup an appointment IF there's something to talk about.  None of this seems terribly urgent, given the passage of time already. 

I guess that I'll just have to limit myself when it comes to hanging drywall overhead ... I can live with that !  Some other things at shoulder level, like working with the Dewalt nailer the other day, are difficult, but perhaps exercise will help.

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So ... I had shopping plans.  Costco is a few miles down the road from the clinic and I arrived just before 10am.  I cannot believe how many cars were in the parking lot with people waiting for them to open.  I checked my bberry for messages and then went in.  I had time, I browsed the aisles and found some grocery etc. items; got to the checkout with one person ahead of me so that was quick; headed onwards.

Next on the agenda -- Performance Bike and then Harbor Freight.  They were both basically "on the way", but guess what ... I didn't stop.  I hate shopping, other than online of course.  After just one store, I was shopped out.  Besides, baseboard (and lunch) were calling me ...

Once home, I got at that baseboard, after lunch of course.  Other than the three pieces in front of the fireplace, which is scheduled to be finished today (Tuesday), I finished that job.  Finished, that is, except for all the caulking.  I did caulk and do paint touch-up behind the buffet/hutch so that could be moved into its final resting place.

The kitchen was really fiddly as there were only a couple of places where the baseboard didn't dive under the toe-kick.  I'd originally thought that I would be cutting all those pieces but decided instead to take the shortcut and butt the baseboard at the cabinet and cut a little piece to go underneath; caulk the seam.  It will be invisible anyway.

I thanked my stars that the saw was only a few feet away and no stairs away from the installation locations, a far cry from a) doing the baseboard in the upstairs bedrooms here or most work that I've done at the cottage !

Now for caulking.  Miles of caulking.  I have no idea how many tubes I'll go through but certainly more than the three that I have.  I've already used two or three just doing the inner edge of the doors.  I now have the outer edges and tops and bottoms of the baseboard.  These areas are tighter to the wall than some of the inner edges of the doors due to making up for the plaster thickness, but there's still a lot to do.  Hopefully I'll be able to do most of it without needing to wipe it / touch up.  Perhaps I should pick up a new caulking gun since this one has gotten sticky.

Sandy has picked out stools and a new table and chairs for the kitchen.  I knew that was coming.  She's getting better at online shopping but hasn't pulled the trigger yet on the orders.

I have to call Sam today and check on the progress of the stair treads.  I don't really care about them, per se, but without the treads, we won't have railings, so we need to get this moving and completed.

I should also check with Bill or Vic on the missing doors and drawer fronts and call the granite place to see how much we owe them, since we never did get a quote and the work is already done !

Today should be a riding day.  That will depend on what happens with the fireplace.

Here's the forecast for today -- high of 79; wind N at 9mph.  Here's the forecast for tomorrow -- high of 64; wind N at 25mph.  What do you think ?  Yikes !  How about if I ride north today and stay there and wait for that tail-wind to come home ?!?

The following day the temperature jumps back up into the 70's again and then 80's.  I guess that would be a cold front going through ?

Checking the weather up north, the temperature is currently -8C and the highs for the next week never go above 5C with precipitation (snow and rain) every day.  Yes, we're definitely in a better place !

I need to find a day in the next couple of weeks, before the end of November, to do a 200k to continue my string.  I'll need to do it again for December.

We've got another month here, basically, before heading north for Christmas .. time does fly.  I have to deal with the security system, which is now mostly disabled since all the trim was changed, and probably buy another set of tires, rears only, for the X5 for the trip north.  I've been leaving the latter in case something happens with that car that means it won't make the trip, but so far -- knock on wood -- so good.  The tires that Daryl installed are still in good shape but they're sloppy riding and there's a lot of driving ahead.  I want the front and back tires to match in tread and tire feel.  It's time to get some things done on Sandy's car too, although we have many months ahead of us. 

Onward ?  It does seem that way ...