Coming out of hibernation

For tonight, anyway.

Steve is coming over and taking me to the local VFW for the pool tournament, eats, and beer. It will be raining, but now that we have the van, Steve takes me out even if the weather is bad.

Now that I can get back to bed by myself, Mrs. AOW won't have to wait up to tuck me in tonight. She needs her rest! This miserable winter has worn her down. All she does is shovel snow, then soak her aching back. Easter is late this year, and I think that we're going to get more winter weather. Damn.

I can hardly wait until spring really arrives. I want to see Ballsey! I'm sure that he's pining away for those biscuits that I give him when the weather is good enough for me to ride my scooter down the block.

This coming week, I get two more outings -- the stroke recovery club meeting and the neurologist.

Merry Christmas!

For the first time since the stroke I had in 2009, Mrs. AOW and I have a normal social calendar for Christmas!

We're busy, busy, busy - and it's a good kind of busy. So busy that I haven't had much time for blogging.

Life is for living.

Merry Christmas!

And Merry Christmas to Mysti, Cameo, and Amber - our three kitties. Maybe they'll watch this video:


Nah. They're too busy eating to watch videos.

Veterans helping veterans

See Mrs. AOW's post today!

Another outing last night

I overdid it at the VFW last night!

It will take me days to recover.

But I had a wonderful time with the guys. And Mrs. AOW got a break too. So it's all good.

Vacation!

One of the homeschool families gave Mrs. AOW and me a vacation for an end of the school year teacher present.  How cool is that?

This will be our first vacation since I had my stroke in 2009.

Mrs. AOW will load my scooter into the Crown Vic's trunk, and off we'll go for some r&r.

One of Mrs. AOW blogging friends will be meeting us at our destination.

Forget blogging during vacation! I have some serious partying to do!

This Weekend

I haven't been thinking much about blogging lately because I'm getting ready to go to another coin show.  I always study up for weeks in advance, and that's what I've been doing lately. 

I have pages of notes for this trip to the coin show.

I've been doing a lot of research because a couple of my friends have bankrolled me to make some buys for them.  As a former coin dealer, I still can get the dealer's discount when I make purchases at these coin shows.  Plus, and I hate to say it, a man with a mobility device gets treated more fairly by the dealers.

Maybe I can make some good buys for myself too!  But right now, the bid/ask for precious metals is low, so lots of dealers are in too deep and won't sell at the new lower prices.

The paratransit van will pick me up before the sun rises, and I'll stay at the coin show all day long.  For almost 3 years after my stroke, Mrs. AOW had to go to the coin show with me because of bathrooming issues.  Now I can manage on my own!  Except that I fall in the john once in a while.  The guys at the coin show come to pick me up when I do fall; I call them from my cell phone, which I always wear in a special pouch around my neck

Wish me luck so that I can make some good buys - for my friends and for myself.  Now is a good time to invest!

Look who won!

Woodsterman!  Congratulations!

Woodsterman is a master woodworker too!

Off To A Car Show!

Mrs. AOW here.

For the first time since Mr. AOW had that terrible brain hemorrhage in 2009, he's going to a car show with the Mustang!

My Dream Scooter

Mrs. AOW had a lot of buddies on the web. I'm so glad that she took up blogging seven years ago although I bitched at the time.

Her buddy Stogie created this dream scooter for me:

Thanks, Stogie!

I don't smoke cigars, so I'll save them for you!

If you're ever in the D.C. area, pay me a visit.

I really do need that horn. The one that came with my scooter is pitiful.

In Memory of Alex Münch

Our good friend Alex has passed away. 

On Sunday, as soon as I heard the sad news of Alex's passing, I spoke by phone to his son Amnon. Of course, I offered my condolences.

Alex was a good friend to Mr. AOW and me. When Mr. AOW was in the nursing home, nobody called him there - except for Alex, who phoned all the way from Israel to speak to my husband.

"Courage from Israel!"  Alex stated emphatically.

Alex also phoned our home several times after Mr. AOW came home. Mr. AOW loved those calls.  They meant a lot to him and to me as well.

Amnon asked me to post an announcement here on the web as Alex's family didn't know all the Internet acquaintances and friends that Alex had made.

Tough as I am, I am typing this post through tears.

I will miss Alex.  He was a rock - and lots of fun too.