Back to Indiana and Back to Florida

I think if I have to drive back to Indiana one more time any time soon that I will literally scream all the way north to Indiana on I-65. I have seen enough of that road for a while.

So we left Thursday March 13th around 10a, drove back to Mobile to get the pick-em-up truck and then each of us drove a vehicle back to Indiana. Captain Mark accused me of speeding, but then he is such a slowpoke and just could not keep up with me in MY very fast and very cool pick-em-truck. I think he was just jealous that I had the truck he had the little compact rental car. Anyway, we made it back to Indiana safe and sound and just in time on Friday to watch the heartbreaker Big Ten basketball tournament loss of Indiana University to Minnesota by one point…but that is oaky because IU is going to the NCAA tournament and Minnesota is only going to the NIT.

WARNING: More Finger Pictures

We had planned to literally turn around and come back immediately to Florida however I was able to get an appointment with my hand surgeon in Indianapolis. It was time for the pin to be removed and since we happened to be in the area, reasonably speaking, I called to see if they could work me in for an appointment on Monday. I can not say enough good things about the Indiana Hand Center – everyone is just so accommodating and they were happy to work me in on Monday. So off I go again to Indianapolis – this time by myself as I think Captain Mark really needed some quality piano playing time all by himself. Everything was just fine with my finger and the x-ray looked great, so as quick as could be and with a slight 1/8 of a turn, the surgeon pulled the pin from my finger. Then I was sent to physical therapy where I learned more hand/finger exercises and was FINALLY allowed to wash my hands. For almost two months, I have not been able to really scrub and wash my hands and it just felt wonderful to scour away. The only restriction that I have at this point with my finger/hand is that I can not really soak my finger in water until the area where the pin was located scabs over, but other than that, I can do anything I want from this point forward.



The mat looking stuff on the nail bed is a "placeholder" and guide path for when the nail grows back.





Of course, the first thing that I did when I got home was to try knitting with both hands. I have become a “continental” or “picking” knitter in the last couple of years and this method of knitting utilizes both the left and the right hand, however, when I was in the finger cast, I was only able to knit with my right hand, using the “English” or “throwing” method of knitting. So it was absolutely wonderful that I discovered that I could knit with both hands. Life is good!

Once again the car was packed and we left Indiana during a horrible rain storm on Tuesday, March 18th to return to Panama City, Florida. This is almost exactly two months following the date of the accident which was Wednesday, January 23rd. Between my finger injury and the weather, we are now two months behind schedule, however, since we are retired and life on the water demands that we have no schedule, we are okay with this set back of our time table.

We discovered during this trip south that we have now also driven the entire length of US Highway 231 in addition to Interstate 65. US Highway 231 originates in northern Indiana and ends at our marina entrance here in Panama City.