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Beach Trip

My son flew in from Denver on Saturday and it's been wonderful having him around. My family (wife, son, and daughter) went to a beach trip after a few days in Delaware with my sister-in-law and nephew.

I have a lot of pre-cancerous cells on my face that get scraped off once a year (I think my dermatologist is building a mask of my face) and I do not go to sunny locales any more. 

My family took beach trips once a year to the Jersey shore as I was growing up in Southeastern Pennsylvania for many years, then switched to the North Carolina beach. I enjoyed riding the waves with a raft but moderately so. I did not enjoy the heat and sun so much. I enjoyed the boardwalk stores and pizza places in both locations but the enjoyment faded with each passing year. I brought books and whenever I could holed up by myself (as an introvert) and read.

My family was prim in many ways; no alcohol (we have alcoholic relatives and that pained my parents) and not much partying. Insofar as my sister enjoyed a little of each she faced parental disapproval. So is my shyness innate or acculturated?  I'm not sure what the difference would be.

So I have the house to myself for five days or so.  I sleep until I wake (usually between 6 and 7 AM) with nothing on my schedule in the mornings and turn in to bed early (as I am sleep-deprived for a number of reasons, not the least of which is my sleep apnea, but that's another story). I don't feel well-rested now so much as just doing what my body needs.

Work continues; I've had a couple of meetings with faculty as ombudsperson. Physical therapy continues for my knee, although they are talking more and more about Manipulation Under Anesthesia (after my knee replacement since I've not recovered sufficient range of motion they're going to put me under and beg the leg enough to rip the scar tissue). I had MUA with my other knee replacement and it worked well (no pain afterward from the ripping which I was happily surprised to find and much better range of motion) so I'm ready to just get it done.

My family drives home on Saturday (in two days). While I wish I had more time with my out-of-state son who flies back to his home on Sunday, I am happy that he's happy; he doesn't get to the beach in Denver or to see his extended family much.

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