While my family has been driving me around, I've noticed several houses that haven't taken down their Christmas lights. Not that they have just not taken them down, but they still turn them on.

Is this happening in your neighborhood? Are your neighbors still enjoying their lights and still being festive into the new year?

This heart problem has meant that I've looked into my family history to see about early on set cardio disease.

My father died suddenly at 65 -- one November day he went out to rake leaves and didn't come back. His father (my grandfather) had a stroke when he was in his late 60s and he died of heart failure a few years later. And, my great-great-grandfather died suddenly of heart failure when he was 63. The newspaper column here is from front page of the Oregonian newspaper on October 26, 1908. It is reported that great-great-grandfather "had been in his usual health yesterday and his sudden death was a great shock to the family". Sounds just like my dad.

So, maybe my having this operation will mean that I might live past the 65 my genes have planned for me.

I haven't been entering many entries because there hasn't been much going on -- I've just been hanging around the house resting. I'm not up to the energy level where I'm attacking my computer and doing neat things to my web pages or anything. I'm hoping for some "perkyness" next week.

I did have my followup visit with the cardio-surgeon today and he listened to my heart and lungs and looked at the foot long scar and said I was doing great. No need for another appointment or anything.

It's clear that being a heart surgeon is not a low margin business. His offices are in the 'doctors' building next to the hospital and you go down long, non-descript hallways and then enter his clinic offices. The offices were richly appointed with antiques and dark, rich colors on the walls. The ceiling was a deep red color and the hallways led one's eyes to lit decorations. The examination room had custom cabinets and wall paper. All, in all, he must not be doing poorly.

It's been a little over two and a half weeks since my surgery and I really haven't had much pain. The doctor perscribed Vicodin(r) but, except for a run in with migraines a week ago, I haven't needed them. My complaints have mostly been being out of breath, tired and just plain run down.

Until this week, that is. It's like the bones in my chest and the muscles around them are finally waking up and they are looking around and sending paniced messages to my brain. "Do you have any idea what happened down here??!?!?!!", they are shouting. Time for a little pain meds while the system settles down.

Last evening I had all my kids over for dinner. The real occasion was for my daughter to open her Christmas presents since she was out of town on Christmas day. The plan was to have her and her husband over around New Years but other things came up. So, she finally got to open her presents at the end of January. Pictures of the eating and the opening are available. Better late then never.