Once again life simply has been terminally boring for Lew and Bobbi. It is not surprising that everyone else's focus is medical issues. But Bobbi and Lew can't escape reality every morning when they wake up. So they would rather not think about it, thank you.

Bobbi of course remains confined to bed, where she has been since 8 October last. When she is released, not only will recuperation be slower than before, but she will need specialized physical therapy to recover from the severe muscular atrophy resulting from such prolonged inactivity - all the time being super-careful to avoid stressing her skeleton. Furthermore, it will be necessary to put her through a very thorough workup to discover how she could have had three fractures in the same leg, with two of those taking place while she was asleep. But as of this date she has not even been able to get an appointment with and endocrinologist. Furthermore, the skeletal problem is complicated by the discovery that - also for unknown reasons - hypertension has reduced her cardiac output greatly.

Of course Lew's heart disease also continues. But the pain from spinal stenosis which constituted his greater disability has remitted almost entirely, so that he now is almost pain-free when not on his feet. For however long this lasts, he is grateful.

But the greatest disability for both is the maddening boredom of being confined to one place. Lew does get out to the gym at the nearby senior center every afternoon. But while that does provide him with a minimal amount of exercise, it too is maddenly repetitive.

Rob is not troubled by boredom. He is preparing for his annual trip to Thailand - frustrated by the usual conflicts with the bureaucracy of the airlines and government "security". However, he is motivated, so he will manage to get through all that.

Despite his old back injury, Paul is able to function more normally than either of his parents. He is able to attend his nurse's training and earn top grades. And most of the household duties devolve to him

Our Pets continue to provide our sanity. While Rob is gone, we will share the bonus of caring for his little dog - whom we have renamed "Spot" because his heeler ancestry has bequethed him a plenitude of black spots of all sizes. As Rob has noted, he looks like he is made of Oreo ice cream.