The healing has been slow and gradual. Vickie is taking me to Publix later so I can get some diverticulosis-friendly food. I have soup and some cottage cheese. I think I can tackle some fresh fruit.

I got my reminder for my gastroenterologist appointment—for MAY. This is what I got when I called them on Friday. I’m so lucky this isn’t an ER case of diverticulitis.

I am currently outside with Bo and my plants while I brew some coffee.

I’m not supposed to have coffee with dairy or creamer, but I’ve been using half and half. I guess my love of coffee is really a love of coffee with cream that blends beautifully with the characteristics of the particular bean (varietal).

The weather is still nice. I can’t believe how Old Florida March it has been. I feel as though it’s 1983 again. I remember sitting in a shady spot, under some oaks on the campus of University of South Florida and studying without having a heat stroke in March.

It would be great if this were a sign that climate change had reversed itself, but I know the miracles that would take.

Well, I have my coffee. Look, it’s even cleverly labeled. I’m heating up a new Progresso soup that has barley in it. I’ll see how that goes. It’s the first food I will eat today, and it’s practically 4:00 pm. Eating just hasn’t felt like a good idea.

I’ve been up several times today and each time my gut wanted to remain prone. I have noticed it doesn’t hurt as much when I go from sitting to standing. I’m crossing my fingers that today will be the third day of no chills or fevers. And, that cement in the gut sensation is mostly gone.

I’m inside now because my soup is ready, and of course, the soup is not as pretty as it is on the can. But, it tastes pretty good. I added tofu for more protein.

The local news is on. NASA. Blue Origin is blasting off a rocket tomorrow at 8:00 am. Two civilians are part of that crew. They are from Winter Park (real local). Must be nice to have the bucks to pay for that. I have very mixed feelings about it. I think it’s one of those edge of space flights in which they get to go up, lose gravity and float around inside a rocket capsule. It kind of makes me think of it as an extremely expensive bounce house excursion.

Of course, the slap seen around the world was just covered—Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. I have two, ok, four words, for Will Smith: anger management, and grow up.

The news story on the Oscars ended on a cool note. About five Oscar-winning movies were created with the work of a total of 119 Full Sail University graduates.

Full Sail is a private university that is focused on entertainment and creative arts disciplines. It’s on University Blvd in Winter Park, about five miles west of University of Central Florida.

One of the fun things about my job is guessing, usually correctly, which student customers are from UCF/other community colleges, or from Full Sail. There are a lot of humorous stereotypical differences. Many of the Full Sail students look like grunge band musicians from the 90’s. They are kind of adorable.

I guess one thing I do miss about working at Walmart is the build up to new school semesters. Hundreds of parents with their student children buying tons of housewares. Mixed in with the notebooks, college ruled paper, pens, and blank journals are bath rugs and mats, plungers, toilet brushes, towels, sheets, soap dishes, shower curtains, pots, pans, spatulas, silverware, food containers, pot holders and dish towels. I’ve rung up $800 orders of this stuff. I used to ask, “ UCF, or Full Sail.” That’s how I learned to tell the difference. It was an anthropological study.

All I can think is, wow, these kids are spoiled and lucky. I had to pay for everything and my parents were at home in Seminole while I was at Albertsons on Fowler Avenue in Tampa.

Times do change. I do hope those kids appreciate how lucky they are.