Columbus OH

Bad me again! I've let almost a month slip by. Busy in some ways, but not busy with things that make a good excuse.

Much of the time Lew continued to spend watching NHK - turns out Japanese educational TV is much more congenial to his taste than anything on cable, which he has not watched in years. Furthermore, the technical quality of the video is excellent - HD, no less. Internet video has come a long way in just the last few years. The content is more interesting, more objective, and much more polite.

The medical situation remains problematic. Bobbi and Lew both now have rather disabling back pain. Neither can stand/walk for more than a few minutes without the pain becoming incapacitating. Neither has any reasonable prospect of eliminating that pain surgically, though there certainly would be improved load-bearing as well as some reduction in pain and capacity. Surgical risk would be not inconsiderable due to age and Bobbi's weight. Convalescence would require some months for both, and that likely at the same time. In the end, both would be left with almost no flexibility in the lumbar spine. Hard decisions.

Fortunately Scott and his family as well as the two younger sons are doing well. Scott's family visited us for several days a couple of weeks ago, very welcome since we were unable to get down to see them last winter. They have many photos of their vacation posted on the web, and I will try to include links in my next entry.