I have favorite everythings. Favorite tee shirt (Farm Responsibly), favorite book (West with the Night), favorite shoes (red sneakers), favorite mug (has Icelandic horses on it), favorite pen (has my name on it), favorite horse: my favorite horse is always the one I am with at that particular moment; although if I had to pick one, it would be Raudhetta. My favorite season, Spring; my favorite time of day, morning; my favorite type of ice cream, chocolate.

Some of these vary, but most importantly, I have favorite things. Like Raudi, I am said to be opinionated.

And I have a favorite day of the year. September has always been my favorite month and the 27th my favorite day. The two are a double whammy. The weather was good today, as it’s been on September 27th for as long as I can remember.

We should have had our farrier visit today. We don’t talk about it with Josh because we don’t want to jinx it, but he’s never come to shoe or trim the horses on a day when the weather’s been bad.

Today did not disappoint. It was a beautiful day. Alas, I spent most of it inside, straightening up then parting with books. Six boxes went to Franz Bakery, midmorning.

Pete came and picked me up at 1:30 p.m. We went to the orthopedic specialist’s office. We went in both at the same time. Pete got the results of his MRI, and I got the results of mine. We both have tears, me in my labrum and Pete in his meniscus. And the doctor presented us both with options. Pete decided to refrain from surgery at this point in time and got an catabolic steroid injection. He was told that if it continued to bother him that orthoscopic surgery (which would take thirty minutes, “not long for knee surgery,” the specialist said) would be a second option. Pete opted for the steroid injection, which is the lesser of two evils.

Me, I have a tear in my labrum, the lining in the hip socket. Just like Dr. Lewis said. And, as said Dr. Lewis said, this is not uncommon in woman “my age.” I told him that I seem to be doing better, and that the swimming has seemed to help. Although the specialist could not take credit for this, he did seem to be happy to hear this.

I added that today was a fairly strenuous day for me, what with me doing a lot of bending and some lifting. I added that I was encouraged given that I felt just fine.

I did not say that my lower back was stiff and that a few laps in the pool would have taken care of this.

The specialist was out of the room really fast after making his concurrent diagnoses. It’s too bad we live in a world where patients are now just numbers.

Anyhow, good news on September 27th for both Pete and me.

Next: 264. 9/28/24: Crowds