It's a beautiful late spring day here, and I have absolutely nothing to say.  After weeks of rain--but no severe weather--Topeka is looking greener than it has for a long time.  Our new patio furniture has arrived, and four out of five pieces have been assembled.  As the delivery men schlepped the table and chairs (minimal--haha--assembly required), everyone noticed that the box had a hole in it, that the smaller box inside with the connecting pieces also had a hole in it, and that parts were falling out across the lawn.  The Sears people picked up a couple of them, but once they'd left and assembly had begun, it turned out that three necessary pieces were missing--hence, three chairs and the table put together, one chair in pieces in the garage.  Still, for the two of us, three chairs are sufficient, and it feels wonderful to sit outside in the sun.  Even inside, I love this period post-furnace, pre-a/c with the windows open and fresh air circulating.

Putting the chairs and table together wasn't that difficult once we had the right tools, since the cheap and flimsy wrenches that came with the set were worthless.  Unfortunately, by 'we' I mean Mohamed, since because of my damaged left scapula (and I'm a leftie), I can't fully extend my arm or use much force; although my right, titanium-filled leg works pretty well, I can't get down on my hands and knees; and my energy level for physical work flags awfully quickly.  It was frustrating to have to just stand there and watch Mohamed do all the work.

In general, though, there haven't been any significant changes to my health--the same ups and downs in the same unpredictable "pattern."  I still need a one-hour nap in the morning (almost exactly 3½ hours after I take my chemo) and a longer, two-hour nap in the afternoon.  Again, it's frustrating to have so much of the day broken up by sleep.  It's hard to gain any momentum.  The goal now is to accomplish one thing a day.  I consider that a success.  Next week we need haircuts, so one day will be devoted to that one-hour task.  I need to renew my driver's license.  Another day, another task. 

I start every day by watching "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," which I've DVRed the night before.  Last night's "Daily Show" was the last for Jon Stewart for three months, as he goes off to the Middle East to make a movie about Iran and its people.  His sympathetic interest began with a story he did from Iran just before the last election there.  I'm going to miss him for three months, but, as someone who's known a lot of Iranians, I can look forward to the movie he produces.

And that's all the news that's fit to print--and some that isn't--on this beautiful morning.