So, it was on Tuesday the 2 ^nd . Since we do not have any real groundhogs, here in Allen, such as Punxsutawney Phil, I thought I would watch the yard closely on Tuesday. What could I watch for? I have a busy crowd of gophers, moles, and armadillos. I supposed that if I saw one peeking out to see his shadow, I would just shoot it. But none came out. Not sure his shadow would have scared him anyway. For sure, I have not done any good scarring any of them. Not even my resident skunk that boldly strolls around my yard. I do not pay him much attention anymore either. Such is life here on Lee Street in Allen. And it was a sunny morning.

Listening to KFOR TV-4 though I learned that the fairly nice spring weather we have will come to a screeching halt this weekend with the appearance of something called a double artic cold front. As if the air is not cold enough from our own north pole it is sucking air in from Russia’s Siberia which seems to have plenty to spare. Super cold? But I still hope that when February exits it takes winter and our Pandemic with it. I am ready for some nice mild spring weather with no masks.

About a year ago I got up one morning and as Pat announced breakfast, I noticed that I could not button my shirt. Something wrong with these buttons? We went on to breakfast and we prayed a usual morning prayer of thanks for what all we could think of good that was happening. Short prayer. But I was worried about my right hand. I could not pick up my coffee cup or hold my fork. I already knew what it was. A stroke. I went ahead and ate my breakfast but went on to my doctor as soon as it was possible. Yes, I took an aspirin and all that.

The doctors told me the next day up at Veterans Hospital that yes it was a stroke. But it had been caused by a small piece of trash from a blockage removed from my Aorta a few weeks earlier. The doctor said it looked like it affected a part of my brain that was in charge of my index finger on my right finger. He felt it was the Surgeon’s fault. He was right. They doctored me up and I got OK. Last Monday’s trip was a follow up to that nearly forgotten event.

The guy I went to see Monday was a loud talking foreigner. Very bossy fellow. He ran me through my paces. Had to walk quite a bit up and down a long hall while he watched. I hoped I was doing OK. No indication from him about my hall walking as he motioned me to go to his office. In the office he was quite a chatterbox directing me to do things with my fingers, my arms, my eyes, and legs. Lot of tests in dexterity. Somewhere in there he said 3 words. One of them was “Ball.” The other two shall remain unknown. “I want you to remember these three words.” I though, easy job.

We then went into a bunch of mental gymnastics which I welcomed. I was able to do the old math on counting backwards by the number 7. I had already identified Biden as President, the date and that it was February. He got pretty serious about a lot of other unimportant facts and dates. Then he asked me to name those three words. I wished I had written them down. Their nomenclature will probably come to me some 3 AM as I sleep. If they do I plan on calling him. Then. Get him out of bed. Stay tuned. Before leaving I suffered through the doctor’s anti-bacon diatribe. He was sorely disappointed to learn I did not smoke, drink, or do anything else he could admonish me over. I was thinking. “Don’t worry doc. There’s plenty of vets out there in your waiting room that do all those things and more.” I felt pretty smug as I walked out.

Hope your weekend is OK and that none of you perish by freezing during this so-called double whammy cold weekend. And I Love hearing from my readers. Be sure and keep that mask on in public and go to church Sunday. I’m planning on being there.

Wayne Bullard, DPh cwaynebullard@gmail.com