Yep. I’m Still Here!

Whoa. The last time I published a blog was in mid-July of 2025. And the last time I wrote a blog was in mid-August. I never published it because I never finished it. Bad writer! Bad!

 

In my defense, I think in the last year I’ve been completely focused on my Total Knee Replacement surgeries, or TKR – and, since the first surgery was my right knee, the appropriate acronym is RTKR.

 

This happened on September 29^th 2025.

 

Never had surgery before – unless you count the removal of four impacted wisdom teeth at age eighteen.

 

Never stayed overnight in the hospital before. Unless you count the waiting time in the Emergency Room on multiple occasions, which could, I suppose, count as an overnight stay.

 

Nevertheless, I had two for-real overnight stays – one in September, and then my LTKR for my other knee in December.

 

As it’s now February of 2026, I’m (hopefully) done with knee-related surgeries – for which I’m extremely grateful! Now all I’ve gotta do is hope that the scars retreat to faded barely-discernible vertical lines and my legs continue to get stronger.

 

To that end, I’m doing well. I just returned from a trip to Florida, which included a 6-day Caribbean cruise with my friend Susan that was just lovely and much-needed for both of us.

 

According to my handy-dandy Apple watch, I evidently walked anywhere from 5,000-7,500 steps a day. That’s a LOT of steps in Jane’s Domain where I’ve spent much of the last year hobbling around. And post-surgeries, while I was still (at times) hobbling around using either a walker or a cane, I wasn’t walking that much at all.

 

The only downside of taking that many steps per day was that my legs (knees, ankles and feet) got swollen. And I didn’t have my ice packs handy to reduce the swelling on the daily. Had I brought them, I would have needed an extra suitcase - and I overpacked enough, per usual.

My physical therapists had told me to expect swelling for six months to a year after knee replacement surgery. Oh, joy.

 

On the other hand, it was only a small nuisance and didn’t really cause any major problems. (With the exception that I didn’t want my puffy feet and ankles to be seen in my resort wear!)

 

Even better, I didn’t have any issues with airplane travel this year as I had last year. And…I just realized I wrote three (count ‘em – THREE) blogs about my trip last year to Florida. But I never published them! Don’t ask me why. They weren’t bad.

 

So I’m thinking that after this, I may go ahead and publish them. Why not? I’m only a year behind…!

 

Anyway, it’s good to be back in touch. It’s good to be sitting in front of a keyboard.

 

And I hope you’re still out there willing to give my blog a read!

 

Oh, but before I go – I wanted to talk about a couple random acts of kindness that happened at the airport.

 

The first one was when it came time for me to order an Uber to take me home from the airport. I had only used Uber a couple of times – and neither had been airport-related. So I wasn’t sure when to reserve it because I knew I needed to get to Baggage Claim and collect my bags before I could get to the pickup spot.

 

Well, this was my first error. I was standing at the carousel once it started up when I requested the Uber. I told the driver that I just needed to get my bags and would be right out.

 

Yeah, right.

 

Turns out that five planes had arrived around the same time so there were five sets of bags that were being thrown on the same carousel. Ugh. I watched that thing spin around spitting out all sorts of bags – but not my Aqua blue suitcase and carryon bag.

 

Then the carousel stopped. For seven whole minutes, we all stood around losing hope that we’d ever see our bags again. The guy next to me guessed that every single baggage handler had gone on a simultaneous coffee break.

 

Meanwhile, my Uber driver is sitting out there waiting for me to show up.

 

I kept texting her and apologizing and said I didn’t know what to do. Cancel the ride? Order another one when my bags did show up on that blasted carousel?

 

She assured me that it was fine and that she’d wait for me.

 

But what I later learned is that there is a fee incurred if they have to wait too long. Only she didn’t know how long before that extra fee kicked in. Five minutes? Ten? Who knows? All I know is that it was an expensive Uber ride with extra fees tacked on.

 

Oh well. She was a very nice person and we chatted the entire drive home. And she gave me some tips for future Uber rides – including the one I’ve been most fearful of – reserving an Uber for a very early morning airport run.

 

And the second random act of kindness happened as I was dragging my heavy suitcase toward the Uber driver’s car. A young airport worker in a yellow vest saw me puzzling out the signage and asked me if I was meeting an Uber driver. I said yes, and told him the make, color and license plate of car she was driving. He knew right where she was and he took my heavy suitcase from me and said he’d be happy to help. He then lifted my bags into her trunk and opened the back door for me to enter the vehicle.

 

When I tried to hand him a tip, he gave it right back to me and said, “No charge, ma’am! It’s my pleasure. We should all just do nice things for each other; I believe this world will be a better place!”

 

I told him I wholeheartedly agreed with him – and thanked him profusely. And I told him he had just erased all those feelings of frustration as I waited for my bags and fretted over keeping the Uber driver waiting.

 

By the time I arrived at my own front door, I was in good spirits and relaxed and oh so happy to be home again.

 

It only takes a moment to make someone feel better about things. Even if it’s just to smile at them and wish them a good day.

 

So here’s me smiling at you – and wishing you a good day. Be well, friends.

 

Until next time.