This is the Saranac River, on my way to Plattsburgh this afternoon. It looked soooo inviting, down the bank from the road. It reminded me of the rivers in the Midwest, wide and flat, no rapids.

This is a favorite view of the Saranac River. I see it every day on my way home but have to look over my shoulder to see it on the way in. It's incredibly green right now.

I didn't realize a river could be a public highway--

A beautiful day in the neighborhood
It finally stopped raining and the sun is blindingly bright, the sky is a wonderful blue and the forest is lush and green. It's a really gorgeous day and I was able to enjoy the scenery this morning when I drove to Lake Placid to a new orthopedic surgeon to have my knee checked out. I had to wait nearly 2 hours to see this doctor, which is a really long time when there's no reading matter in the waiting room and the television is next to you, not in front of you. OK, I could have moved, but it was just the news anyway and I'd heard it and seen it at home earlier in the morning anyway. Was it worth the wait? Well, wowie jet is this doctor ever cute! He's really attractive, charming and everything you want in a doctor. Hit the jackpot on this one. I even lost my frustration and feelings of abandonment as soon as he walked into the room. He twisted and yanked on my knee, make it crack ("That's your ACL, it's supposed to do that") then had me hop on it. I haven't hopped in years, told him I was too fat to hop but managed to do it anyway. He suggests physical therapy twice a week for a month or so, then visiting him again to see if I can stop taking massive doses of ibuprofen. Surgery to relieve pain isn't terribly successful, he says, it's better for mechanical problems, which is not what I really have right now.

I had a sort of crappy weekend, but did have nice times with Linda. It rained constantly, which drove me to my couch. I'm surprised I don't have bedsores. It was very depressing, I'm depressed, the whole thing was the pits. This is the down end of my mild mania. Anyway, Friday night we all had a great time--dinner at our favorite spot, Bill, Linda, Erdvilas and I. We didn't even spend that much money, just enough. Good food and great company. I ate monkfish, very tasty. Saturday I spent the entire day on my couch and slept for hours. I hate days like that if there are things I'd rather be doing--like planting, digging and mowing. Really depressing. Sat. night I went to Linda's for dinner and Fred joined us, a really nice surprise. We had a lovely time and it was a nice break for him. He's retiring on July 1st and has to be out of his apartment at the museum so will be moving to Silver Lake then. I'm looking forward to having him in the neighborhood.

Sunday was the annual SUNY Credit Union meeting/brunch, which Bill, Ken and I go to, and Linda and Erdvilas came along for the second year. We had a nice time, but it was raining so I was in a manic/depressed mood. Strange. Went home and did guess what? lay on the couch. Back to Linda's for cocktails and Bill and a friend showed up, so it was a really nice social hour. The friend is putting in a downstairs bathroom in Bill's camp so I asked him lots of questions about pumps, tanks, water supplies, etc. He gave me some great advice. Now I just have to follow through. My water supply seems ok right now and my sump pump is running a lot so presumably my well is healthy. I need to take off the well cap and look down it, but that is not easy: have to take a ladder down there, climb up, heave off the cap (which is really heavy) and look down. When it comes to my water situation I really do feel that ignorance is bliss.

So the sun came out today and I drove to Lake Placid, through some of the most beautiful vistas in the Adirondacks. Very uplifting. Lots of mottled mountains--the hardwoods are now bright and the fir trees are dark. It's a stunning effect and one of my favorites. We missed out on the brilliant green because of all the rainy days, but I had a really nice drive to and from Placid. I always feel funny going there--my ex-husband is the mayor, his parents live there and though I never see them when I'm there I always feel I should be hiding behind mailboxes and looking over my shoulders.

I had to drop off my glasses because one lens had compression fractures. This is a real drag, as Cat can attest to. I walked into the office, gave them to Barbara and said "I hope you know you're taking them right off of my face." She said she'd send them right out and get them back to me as soon as possible. I have my icky tri-focals to wear in the meantime, and my computer-focus bi-focals. Nothing good for driving, except for sunglasses. Those will work for today and tomorrow, but then it's supposed to rain again.

I didn't get to work until 2--was due in at 1, will work until 5. Hope to mow my lawn tonight. Stopped for gas, running on fumes, and the cable to the lid release stuck so I had to disconnect it (luckily it had done this before and I watched the guy at the dealer disconnect it). Then the trunk latch stuck so my trunk is stuck open, too. My car has 35,600 miles on it: 400 miles left under warranty. I put 300 miles a week on it just driving to & from work. Dealer has not returned my call this afternoon to schedule appointment for repairs. I am frustrated and depressed about car.

Will things improve?