June?

Nope, I didn't post that TV post last night. It will go up sometime over the weekend. When I posted yesterday, Sydney had posted an extensive look at June television which I think warrants some more attention as my post a bit usurped it.

Her post is here.

I also want to throw out kudos and huge thank yous to both Sydney and Zoetawny for all of their work in keeping the blog going! They both rock, as do all of you hanging in the comments!

In my physical therapy yesterday, I was up to 102 degrees bend. There is an issue with pain and swelling in the back of the knee. That's holding my bend back more than the actual knee or other issues at this time. My physical therapist has a few theories -- it could be blood clot related, or a Baker's cyst, or something wrong with the Popleitius (sp) muscle. Although I can feel the swelling and the back of the knee was hugely bruised post-op, the only time I have pain from it is when I push the bend of the knee. If it's still an issue when I next see my surgeon a week from Thursday, I'll have him check it out.

I'm Alive and ... Free, Free, Free at Last (sort of)

Look, look! I've been outside! Later tonight I plan to post a longer TV-related post I worked on for a few days, Unfortunately, my computer corner isn't as comfortable for my knee as I thought it would be. Stints of over ten or fifteen minutes get very uncomfortable. I find it hard to keep shifting positions and try to think at the same time. Of course, right now I'm not sure if I can walk and chew gum at the same time either!

That said, since the beginning of last weekend, I've deliberately been cutting down on the heavy duty pain meds. All this week, I've only taken them about an hour before my physical therapy appointments. Since I do have some pain outside of the appointments, I have to ask my doctor for some kind of lighter duty pain relief. I don't like the zombie feeling I get from the heavy stuff (though it's definitely needed for the physical therapy -- PAIN!).

But the big news is ... I'm walking with no walker, no crutches, no cane around my apartment! When I go out in the real world, I'm walking with a pretty even gait using one crutch. It's tiring, but not painful. Until I rebuild my quad and calf muscles, I'm going to rely on the one crutch for stability.

I've had out patient physical therapy twice so far this week and will head off my the third time after I get this posted. To get there, I've walked a block to the bus stop near my apartment and have taken a city bus two towns over to Scotch Plains and the therapist. Once in town there, it's a half block walk. I got there early yesterday and took some photos in the park and of the cannon in the street. Don't ask me why there's a cannon in the street, I do not know. In the cannon photo, I used layers to make only the flowers have color.

I know someone mentioned Roofus in comments, but I won't get that way for a while. That's about seven blocks in the opposite direction of anywhere I have to go right now. And, though I know I'm improving and feel stronger every day, my jaunts are still pretty limited and I'm only really going where I have to go.

But it is nice to actually get out of the apartment, feel my mind clearing a bit from the medication and the surgery itself. I'm starting to have more of an appetite, but think I may have lost nearly 20 pounds -- my clothes are all loose. That's a good thing, mind you. My range of motion is at a 92 degree bend now, up from 60 leaving the hospital. I can actually stand on just the operated leg, but not for long.

So that's the latest. Later on tonight I'll get that long written while a zombie TV-related post up.

Today's musical non-sequitur:
"I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain."
- "Horse With No Name" - America

Proof SOMETHING is on in June....

OK folks -- we should be hearing from Jackie soon. I spoke to her today and the lilt was back in her voice... now the question is, when will the spring return to her step?

She has something written up that she will post. But it seems the way her desk is configured, it's hard to be comfortable while using the computer for long, so she has just not been on it... and frankly, after a double year of Big Brother, I think that is not such a bad forced rest. Glad to hear things are going well and we look forward to hearing from you Jackie!!!

Entertainment Weekly has devoted a whole issue to Summer TV and since we've been grappling with what that is exactly, I made up a nice little list for y'all to look over.

Weeds:  June 16 on Showtime at 10 PM (13 eps) Emmy winning, title speaks for self!

30 Days:  June 3 on FX at 10 PM (6 eps)  This is a FAVORITE of mine!! From Morgan Spurlock, the guy who did the movie Supersize me. Takes people from one walk of life and makes them spend 30 days doing something or being with people that are polar opposites, to challenge their thinking and grow their compassion, doing the audience the same service. A+!!!

Nashville Star, hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus (Orkmommy do you hear that?) on NBC, starting June 9th at 9:30 PM (9 eps) NBC rescued this from USA channel, this show's 6th season gets good reviews.

Celebrity Circus: NBC June 112, 9:30 PM (6 eps) Joey Fatone hosts an 8 wk boot camp and circus training with c list stars.  I'll watch, lol. 

Hopkins: ABC, June 16, 10 PM (6 eps) Puts the doc in documentary re: life at Baltimore's John's Hopkins Hospital.  Rise in female surgerons makes this the real life Grey's Anantomy.

MVP: SOAPnet, June 19, 11PM (1o eps) set in the bedrooms of fictional pro hockey players , steamy nighttime sudser is from Canada)... for Tom 's and Lars (not that you watch soaps)

Camp Rock: Starts June 20 on Disney Channel, 8 PM  ( new movie, probably like High School whatever that thing is that's sweeping the nation)

Army Wives: Lifetime, June 10, 10PM (19 eps) Life on an army base in S. Carolina, part deux. Endorsed by both presidential candidates... um.

Wipeout: ABC, June 24, 8PM. Described as a cross between MXC (huh?), Fear Factor and American's Funniest Home Videos. 24 contestants try to complete a series of physical challenges. Try is the operative word. 

The Bill Engvall Show: TBS June 12, 9 PM (10 eps).  A family sitcom, season 2, with surprise guests.  Trying to bring back Dick Van Dyke kind of comedy says Engvall.  

The Singing Office: TLC June 29, 9 PM  (9 eps).  Joey Fatone is BUSY, as host, joined by DWTS and Spice Girls Mel B as colleges from 16 co's battle for $50,000 singings. Could be funny.

Kathy Griffin's D list:  Bravo, June 12, 9 PM (9 eps) 

The Mole: ABC, June 2, 10PM (10 eps) -- in case you didn't know.

In Plain Sight: USA, June 1, 10 PM ( 12 eps) Starring West Wing's Mary McCormack. She and her partner, Frederick Weller, relocate people in the witness protection program to New Mexico. Deals with what happens when you have to reinvent yourself. Sounds intriguing.

America's Got Talent: NBC, June 17, 9 PM (Eps TBD)

I Survived a Japanese Game Show: ABC, June 24, 9 PM Why should I try to explain with a title like that?  I'll tune in. Jackie, will you?

Ice Road Truckers: History Chanel, June 8, 9 PM (13 eps) Season 2 follows rigs hauling loads over frozen the Arctic Ocean.  Deadliest Catch meets Sue from Survivor?  Don't let me discourage you with my poor attempt at humor. This is the channels highest rated series (who knew?) 

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Showtime, June 16, 10:30 PM (8 eps). Imported from the UK based on a real life call girl's blog. Billie Piper from Dt. Who stars.

My Boys: TBS, June 12, 9:30 PM (9 eps) This looked like a fun premise last year, but I only caught 1 half ep... if any of you watched it, would love to know what you thought!

Legally Blonde, the Musical: MTV, June 2, 10 PM (8 eps)  10 Broadway hopefuls vie for the starring role played by Reese Witherspoon. Hey, if I were dating Jake Gyllenhall, I'd be singing too.

Law and Order, Criminal Intent: USA, June 8, 9 PM (12 eps)

Tori and Dean, Home Sweet Hollywood: Oxygen, June 12, Time???

The A-List Awards, hosted by Kathy Griffin: Bravo, June 12 10 EST

Design Star: HGTV, June 8, 9PM EST

When We Left Earth - The Nasa Missions: Discovery, June 8, 9 EST The Nasa film vaults are opened, and with the intended quality of the Planet Earth series, we can live the epic adventures of the challenges and achievements of our space program... in HD.  

Will list what's on in July later in the week.

Another Week for Jackie's Knee

Today marks three weeks since Jackie went in to get her surgery. If it seems like it was much longer than that to me, how must it feel to her???  But three weeks is good.  REALLY good, because it's no longer one or two weeks, lol. Carnak says: Four will be much better, and by six weeks she should be just great.  Using that scale, today marks the the half-way point, and I believe that's something to celebrate!!!  Until then, Zoetawny came up with my favorite graphic so far, with the message of the moment.  ((((Thank you Z!))))

(I hope you can appreciate that I changed the color to match her frame. *cough*)

Tonight is So You Think You Can Dance and Top Chef.  

Thursday the new season of Last Comic Standing starts, though I don't know if there are many fans of it on Jackie's blog.  We are subsisting on the Bachelorette and now The Mole, Netflicks, and filling in the gaps with eps of the favorite shows we missed last season online... Ugly Betty, Greys, etc... until Big Brother starts.

I heard Rescue Me is not going to be summer fare, as usual.  Instead they are filming now for a double long season to begin next February (24 eps). In it's place this summer, they are doing ten  5-10 minute shorts once a week on FX starting June 24th, to keep the audience and get them through... cable really can do whatever it wants can't it? It's the new Wild West.

But that doesn't help us right now. If there's something else you're watching tonight and tomorrow that I missed, don't hold out on us. Please let us know in the comment area.   

The Mole and other stchuff

Many thanks to Zoetawny for another of her custom made graphics for Jackie... You Rock Z.

The much anticipated return of The Mole is also on tap tonight, at 10/9 central time on ABC.

For those who never saw it, it's being brought back after a few years off the air. I believe it had two seasons with regular people, then two with celebrities and it tanked. A shame because it has the potential to be smart and adrenaline filled. We are hoping they hit it this time and we have a little sumpin sumpin to keep our TAR/Survivor cravings fed. Both fingers crossed.

The Premise: 12 people embark on an international mission but one person, whose identity is unknown to all, tries to sabotage it. There will be clues to follow but you can't believe anything you hear or see... The whole show is centered around one burning question: WHO IS THE MOLE????

In other news:

*Universal Studios had a huge fire yesterday, buring many of the famous movie sets and up to 50,000 of the studios videos and movie reels.
* Yves St. Laurent passed away today. Bo Diddly did as well. Rest in Peace.
* Senator Kennedy's brain cancer was operated on today and it's said to be a success
* Yesterday Hillary Clinton won Puerto Rico... but is rumored to really be wrapping up the campaign.
* Jackie is hopefully feeling better by the day.
* What's happening in your neck of the woods?

Put your comments here about the Mole, whatever else you may be watching tonight (Bachelorette has it's own, exclusive post just below) or whatever's on your mind.