AuburnChick's Adventures

The Mr. retired in 2020, so he spends his days playing house husband while I work.

His days consist of sleeping in, leisurely drinking his coffee, attending to an old, needy fur baby, and performing any number of chores (putting away dishes, laundering the clothes, and grocery shopping – to name a few).

Once I get home, we tend to our dinner needs before settling in for downtime – which for us has become watching shows together.

We’ve got subscriptions to most streaming services, and since we love sports, there’s never a lack for things to watch.

Last week, the second season of Andor dropped. This is a Star Wars spinoff.

Do I have any Star Wars fans in the house? I’m a child of the 70’s and remember my mom dropping me off at the mall to watch the original movies (originally installments I, II, and III, but currently known as IV, V, and VI). It’s all gotten rather confusing.

Season 1 of Andor came out two and a half years ago. It’s a safe bet that I forgot what happened in the first season, and watching the fifteen minute recap only slightly refreshed my memory.

We watched the first episode, and I truly was lost.

The next day, I did some googling and found this timeline of what episode/movie epistles to watch and in what order.

I thought about rewatching Season 1 of Andor on the down low so I wouldn’t have to confess to the Mr. that I was clueless, but he knows me so well that I finally owned up to it and asked if we could please just start at the beginning. Of the entire movie franchise.

I think he coughed a little. Bless his heart, but he didn’t marry the brightest matchstick in the box.

Regardless, we queued up Star Wars Episode 1.

Can we all agree that Jar Jar Binks is one of the most annoying characters ever created?

Saturday night, it was time for Episode III.

The Mr. did have to explain some of the political stuff to me because my brain kept messing things up. Ha!

We had a whole debate on watching Clone Wars Sunday night. It’s an animated series that’s seven seasons long. Yikes! The Mr. had watched one episode way back when and had not enjoyed it. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything, so we compromised and watched the last episode of season 7.

Then, we watched Episode III of Star Wars.

This movie is heartbreaking. The Mr. had forgotten, but I had not. Anakin’s turn to the dark side is fraught with emotion and life lessons.

Monday night, we watched Solo. Y’all, we had somehow missed this movie when it came out. We found it an absolute delight! It was chock full of humor, and we finally learned how the partnership of Hans Solo and Chewy came to be.

That’s where we currently stand. We are debating whether to watch the Obi-Wan series. I have no recollection of it despite the Mr. telling me we viewed it when it came out.

My rebuttal? I had surgery in December. My brain is still fried from that. 🤣

It looks like we will be watching the Star Wars series for a few more weeks before I feel like I’m completely caught up and in the know.

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Every year, the college where I work takes a week to honor its employees.

This is the week!

But first, a bit of the back story.

When the Mr. and I got married in the late 80’s, I worked for the college. It had always been a dream of mine to return.

I grew up a fan of the college and am in love with its traditions.

God opened the door to that opportunity almost two and a half years ago.

I purposely drive by Samford Hall each morning because it is so beautiful and is an iconic symbol of my school.

Although I park 1/4 mile from my office (gotta love campus parking), I smile because I get to walk past the library, where I worked almost forty years ago. (That’s not the library in the picture below.)

This campus is a special place.

They kicked off the festivities with an Employee Appreciation Lunch.

I dressed up for the affair.

That’s a dress I found on Amazon, by the way. I love the influencers I follow on Instagram. They usually point me to great deals!

Each day, the college will have a special event or happening for employees to participate in.

Today, employees can take part in a free yoga session (on company time). Unfortunately, I couldn’t sign up for this because of my shoulder(s), but I’ve done the yoga two years in a row, and it’s been fabulous!

Wednesday, the university will host a departmental showcase, which allows each department to highlight itself. I attended this two years ago and was reminded of how amazing my college is. We have some innovative people leading our students and contributing to the world!

The university is encouraging departments to get out and enjoy some sunshine during a walk, take guided tours at a museum on campus, and join in on a spring fling.

Friday, the college will have a recognition program for employees.

No matter where people work, they will grump about their job, the people they work with, or even the pay.

To be fair, I’ve been part of that camp in previous jobs.

That’s not the case now. My office is comprised of all women who support one another. That’s rare, if you’ve ever worked in such an environment. Women tend to be catty and competitive.

I feel appreciated every single day, by my coworkers and the university. It truly is a joy to be here, which is what employee appreciation is all about!

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I’ve been going through my photo roll, and upon seeing quite a few pictures from January, I knew I had to share them.

We moved back to Alabama from Florida in 2020.

Now, a little history.

I lived in Colorado until I was nine. That’s when we moved to Alabama, where I lived for ten years. The Mr. And I got married when I was 19, he graduated from Auburn, and we moved to Florida.

So, although I’d lived with snow for the first bit of my life, I truly hadn’t seen the white stuff come down on my home in over 40 years.

That changed the third week of January. We knew we were getting a storm. The university decided, wisely, that employees would work remotely, and students would attend class remotely as well.

I wasn’t sad one little bit. Each person in my office has a remote day each week; I do not because of the nature of my job. So, this was quite the treat.

The snow started coming down January 21. We have a long sliding glass door that enabled me to watch my backyard change from brown to white.

The transformation was pure magic.

In between work phone calls and Teams messages, I popped back and forth between the front and back of the house – carefully of course since I was still sporting a sling from my shoulder surgery.

The reflection of the street lamps that evening was mesmerizing.

The sunrise the next morning was equally as stunning.

We were completely iced in the morning after the snow fell. Fortunately, the college decided to keep employees remote two more days. It’s a good thing because there was no way I could have gotten out of the driveway safely.

The street was frozen over in both directions.

The clubhouse across the street was also sporting icicles.

The snow stayed on the ground for several days. Gambit was not amused.

Our three-day Snowmageddon was certainly one for the memory books!

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First of all, thank you for the warm welcome-back wishes. I had desperately missed writing but couldn’t muster up the time or energy to do so. Your encouragement is very motivating!

I thought, for posterity sake, I’d share the details about my shoulders – or rather my left one, which is currently getting the most attention.

We have been buying season tickets for our beloved Auburn Tigers since we moved back, and our little crew of friends decided to do a tailgate last season. We had purchased parking passes for a lot up the road from our tailgate location, so we were set.

We used our beach wagon, which has big wheels, to tote our stuff back and forth, and all went well the first week. The walk back after the game wasn’t much fun because it was all uphill, but you do what you’ve gotta do in the name of college football.

Between the first and second home game weekends, the Mr. hurt his hip playing pickle ball (because all retired people play this sport now), so I offered to pull the wagon back after the second game.

I figured I was in decent shape because I’d been doing yoga, weight lifting, and kickboxing each morning before work.

Well, that walk back to our car was all uphill. It was also nearly a mile away.

That’s a hard walk, y’all. Especially when you’ve tailgated all day in the South in early September. It’s even worse when you’re petite and have short arms, and you’re trying to pull a wagon uphill for almost a mile.

To his credit, the Mr. offered, three times, to “take the wheel,” so to speak. I refused because I’m Ms. Independent.

The next morning when I woke up, my shoulders and biceps were on FIRE. I figured I’d gotten a great workout and would stop hurting after a day or two.

I figured wrong. Although both arms were sore, the left one was the worst of the two.

I flew to Florida a couple of weeks later to visit Chicky and attend little man’s second birthday party. I wasn’t sleeping well by this time, and when I reached in her cabinet to retrieve a plate, I found that I couldn’t. The pain was unbearable. I cried when the Mr. picked me up from the airport. I was absolutely miserable.

I made an appointment to see an orthopedic doctor a couple of weeks later. He followed what I later learned was standard and conservative protocol. An x-ray didn’t show any fractures (I knew I had not broken anything), and after performing typical rotator cuff arm tests, determined that I had bursitis. He gave me a shot and sent me home with a prescription for an anti-inflammatory medication. He assured me that I’d be feeling better within a month.

The shot worked for half a day; the meds did nothing. I quit taking them two weeks in, waited a month to see how I’d feel, and scheduled another appointment with the doctor. That’s when he decided to do an MRI.

Unfortunately, my insurance company had a major technical issue right as my provider put in the referral, and it took almost three weeks to get the MRI. Meanwhile, the Mr. and I visited Chicky’s family for Thanksgiving. I had the MRI when we returned.

The surgeon had ordered it with contrast, which would show up any issues much better. That was the most painful shot I have ever had, and as he pulled the needle out, he said, “We are going to hope for the best, but I think it’s torn because there wasn’t any resistance.”

I went back the next day for the results, with the Mr. in tow, and that’s when I learned that I had a high-grade tear in my rotator cuff, a torn labrum, and a bone spur. It was real bad, y’all.

Did I mention that I wasn’t sleeping? I’d fall asleep and wake up three hours later in TREMENDOUS pain. I couldn’t turn from one side to another without picking up my arms. The pain was the worst thing I have ever felt.

The surgeon’s plan was to fix my rotator cuff via arthroscopy, and perform a bicep tenodesis for the torn labrum. Bicep tenodesis involves making an open incision near the armpit (in the front of the shoulder), removing the bicep from the labrum, trimming the damaged end, drilling a hole in the humerus, and pushing the bicep through the hole and securing it with an anchor. He was also going to remove the bone spur from my shoulder.

Yeah, it was a lot, but his confidence as he described each procedure gave us peace, so we scheduled surgery before we left the office. Surgery Day was set for the week before Christmas. I was fortunate that the college closes for two weeks, so I only took two days off beforehand. We had to get up at the butt crack of dawn on the day of my surgery. I’d had the absolute WORST night of pain. It felt as though my arm was falling off. They make you shower off with surgical scrub, and it was not easy for me. By this time in this journey, I was barely moving my arm. I couldn’t lift it at all. Forget fixing my hair. Everything was difficult. I would have let anyone welding a knife to have a go at my shoulder. I was pretty desperate.

The surgery center that my doctor uses is new and super fabulous. Every staff member who tended to me did so with so much tenderness. I felt very loved. My surgeon asked if he could pray with me before they wheeled me back for surgery, and even though I was barely awake after getting my nerve block, I heartily said yes. It was the longest, sweetest prayer. I knew I was in good hands.

The doctor called the Mr. while I was in recovery and told him that my rotator cuff was hanging on by a thread. I had so much damage in my shoulder! He said he’d fixed everything you can fix in a shoulder. Go big or go home is my motto, y’all.

I woke up to no pain (yeah nerve block) and with my arm in a sling; we were home by lunch time. My entire arm from my neck to my fingertips was numb. What an experience!

I wound up with three holes in my shoulder and an almost two-inch long incision from the tenodesis.

Even after the nerve block wore off the next day, I already felt so much better. The sleeping situation was still a situation. I started sleeping in the recliner because I had to keep my arm elevated. Sleeping after shoulder surgery is not fun. The only way I could sleep was with the prescribed muscle relaxer, which I was hesitant to take but finally caved to.

The Mr. continues to be a saint through my various health challenges. He has shined through this shoulder issue. He had to help me with almost everything those first few weeks. Forget driving. He had to do it for me. I couldn’t get my own food, drinks, or dress by myself.

I started physical therapy FOUR days after surgery. That was the most humbling experience. By this time, I was pretty uncomfortable, but I still wasn’t in as much pain as before the surgery. Physical therapy after shoulder surgery is not for the faint of heart. It’s all about the very smallest of baby steps.

My physical therapist has been kind from Day 1. He is gentle as he stretches my arm each visit, and he always listens with a sympathetic ear. We have developed a great rapport – full of humor and real-talk – and he pushes me when I need pushing while providing sound guidance with the stuff I can’t do. He put the kibosh on me going horseback riding and snorkeling during our recent cruise. He knew those activities would result in a lot of pain and discomfort.

The progress has been s-l-o-w. Like so much slower than rehabbing my broken ankle back in 2017. I’ve purchased some of the contraptions I use in PT for home use. I currently have a pulley, and I put up my BeachBody track to help me with my triceps and biceps work. The Mr. fashioned a cane-like thing from PVC pipes after seeing the one I use at PT. This has been a handy tool that I’ve used to work on my external rotation. I’m also trying to regain the ability to put my arm behind my back. This tool is helping with this.

I slept in the recliner for two months and only started sleeping in a bed during our cruise. That was the best sleep I’d had in months, so I tried sleeping in a bed when we got home, propped up with pillows. Being able to sleep again has been such a blessing! I still keep my arm propped up, and I cannot sleep on my side yet, but those days are coming.

I went to physical therapy twice a week for 15 weeks until my insurance company decided to cut me off. Ha! Last week, we bumped my visits down to once a week now, and my PT office is working with me on the $$. So, at the moment, I’m still in physical therapy. I have a little ways to go before I’m ready to fly solo again.

I’ve had good and bad weeks, but I think I’m finally on the upswing. I’m in constant pain, but it’s dulled a lot. I’ve found that the day following PT or an afternoon of home exercises leads to a day of additional pain – much like day one or two after a gym workout where you’re sore in an almost-good way.

I still have things I can’t do, like washing my back, reaching behind me to hook my bra, taking off a jacket or sweater, and opening or closing my blinds. I’m getting there though!

I’m also not working out yet. I still struggle with reaching my arm out to the side, so yoga is a no-go at the moment.

Repetitive movements lead to a lot of pain, so I’m not at the point where I can knit or crochet. I tried, but my shoulder was a hot mess for a week, so I’m giving myself more time to heal.

I had a follow-up with my surgeon this week – most likely my last with regard to this shoulder surgery – and he assured me that this recovery is one of the toughest a person can go through and that everyone’s timeline for healing is different. Honestly, I’ve read that it can take between nine and 12 months for a full recovery. I’m almost five months in, so I can see that.

I’m so thankful for the other patients I’ve been doing life with since December. There’s a sweet lady who had the same bicep procedure I did – a week after me. We see each other each week at PT, and we encourage one another because this journey has been SO HARD! I’m sad that I probably won’t see her with my new PT schedule changing, but I know that God walks us through different seasons with different people.

I am so grateful for my Christ-minded surgeon and every medical professional who has helped me. My PT’s office often plays Christian music in the background, which I find incredibly soothing. I know that God is with me – that this chapter in my life is preparing me for the next one (probably surgery for the other shoulder, which is progressively getting worse).

God is so very good, y’all. All the time – in every situation.

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Hello.

Is anyone there?

Excuse me while I grab my duster and get rid of the cobwebs because y’all, it’s been a minute (or rather five YEARS – as of tomorrow) since my last blog post.

What led this writing, you might ask?

Well, my friend, Rebecca, posted for the first time in almost a year, and she inspired me to do the same.

Hi Rebecca!

Lots of life has been lived and a bit of gray hair added during the last five years.

Where to start . . .

April 2020 saw us at the beginning of the pandemic. Everyone was working remotely, including this girl.

In the middle of learning how to work online, we were also preparing for a BIG move to our dream town in Alabama.

Part of that process involved fixing our house from Hurricane Michael, which happened on 2018 but took FOREVER to recover from.

Chicky was planning her wedding, Rooster and his wife were expecting their first baby, and we were getting the hubby ready to retire.

It was an exciting yet overwhelming time, let me tell you.

We moved into our new home June 1st of that year, and I was offered a teaching position in my new town two months later.

Our house in Florida was finally fixed, and it sold less than two days after we listed it. With that taken care of, the Mr. officially retired and became a house husband.

That October, our first grandchild was born – way across the country – and we spent lots of time and dollars flying back and forth to see the kiddos and bond with our sweet E.

The years started flying by, and I lost track of time in the busyness of exploring our new town, rekindling old friendships, and working ridiculous hours.

Rooster and his crew moved to Alabama after his Air Force stint was complete. It’s been lovely having them within driving distance.

Chicky and her husband welcomed their first child into the world almost three years ago and added a beautiful little girl to their crew last Fall.

A little over two years ago, I changed professions, leaving teaching behind for a very satisfying administrative assistant position at our local college. I adore my coworkers and honestly have the most fun! My health has improved thanks to a healthy work-life balance and less stress.

Gambit is still going strong. He’s fourteen years old now and has had two cancer scares in the last year. His hearing is starting to fade, and we aren’t sure that he sees as clearly now, but he still lights up our world with his affectionate snuggles and grumpy requests to sit outside.

Let’s see . . . what else . . .

The hubby and I have taken several trips – a few with our little crew of friends. We went on an Alaskan cruise in 2023.

We went to Nassau in 2024.

We did a Caribbean cruise with friends this past February.

I’m still proving myself to be accident-prone. I broke my foot last Spring during our Nassau trip. I walked on it three weeks before having it looked at and spent the next five weeks in a boot.

Then, last September, I tore up one of my shoulders and injured the other one pulling a wagon back after tailgating for a home football game.

I had surgery to repair my torn rotator cuff, torn labrum, and bone spur right before Christmas. The surgeon told me that the fixed everything you can fix in a shoulder. It’s tough to be such an overachiever, y’all.

I’ve been in physical therapy ever since and hope to recover my full range of motion in the next few months. I’m probably looking at surgery on the other shoulder later this year.

It’s always something.

While many things have changed, others have not. I’m still a vegan and cooking my little heart out. My office loves the vegan treats I bring in.

I’m still knitting – here and there – and have branched out into crocheting!

I love God and feel as though my relationship with Him has deepened over the years. We attend a large church in town, which is a little daunting for my introverted self, but the preaching is Biblical, which is so important given the times we are living in.

The hubby and I remain staunch Auburn fans.

Watching our basketball team thrive has been a great joy to us!

I guess that’s enough catching for now. Whew!

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