Best Western!

I don't know if you've been to my apartment, but it's kind of small.  And rustic. So, for the sake of comfort and sanity, I spent the first few days of my post-surgery recovery at a Best Western near my apartment. This is where my family usually stays when they visit me, it was nice to see how they live when they come to New York.

Recovery from having my elbow and ulna removed was not as bad as you might think. Surprisingly so.  Still no cakewalk, but I was a lot more active and up for activity than I thought I would be.  

For example, first night out of the hospital Mom and I walked over to Yunnan Kitchen for dinner and walked back, too.  Yunnan Kitchen is a nice little place, completely overshadowed by its neighbor Mission Chinese Food, but a good alternative that stands on its own merits.

Spareribs and roasted potatoes with roasted peppers.

Ham and tomato rice cakes.

Sichuan chicken wings, a much less strenuous alternative to the similar wings at Mission Chinese.

If you spend a long weekend sharing a hotel room with your mom, you're going to watch a lot of HGTV.  That channel has definitely found a formula that works with its viewership, everything is some variation on house hunting or house remodeling.  If hunting and remodeling can both be worked into the same program, all the better.

On Saturday I rested while Mom went out into the world and she came back with a magnificent lunch: sandwiches from Mile End.

Roat beef.

Chicken salad.

A Brussels sprout salad!

And, Surprise! Corn on the cob from La Esquina.

Saturday evening Mom and I walked all the way over to the Film Forum to see the Gatekeepers.  It was sold out! HA!

On Sunday Mom came home from church with a couple of slices from Artichoke Pizza, a well-regarded place I had never even been.  Having been in charge of feeding the family when they'd visit New York for the last 10 years, it was fun to see what Mom would pick when it was just up to her.

Sunday night we went to Peep, a family favorite.

Monday night we went to Fette Sau in Brooklyn with Jeff and Jared.  Fette Sau, you are always so wonderful.

By Tuesday and was feeling better and getting bored and it was also time to check out of the hotel so I decided to go back to work.

Checking out of the hotel was rough.  It was hard knowing I'd never see my TV again, but at least HGTV will be there for me wherever a basic cable connection can be found.

Here I am, all excited to go back to work.  And to have changed the month on my calendar. (If you want a giant piece of paper with the dates for February 2013 on it, let me know.  I feel bad throwing these things out. They have to be good for something.)

That night I went to tutoring in Harlem.  I believe I've introduced you to Christian before, right?  And co-tutor Kim.

A photographer from the Deseret News was there doing a story on the program for the Church News.  The article just came out, perhaps you've seen it by now?  Christian and I are now tremendously famous.

Tuesday night we had dinner at Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles, but I only have a picture of our dumplings.

And then, just like that, it was Wednesday and time for Mom to go back home to Chicago!

Since then I have been getting along well, regaining use of my arm and have now almost completed six weeks of being hooked up to a penicillin pump 24/7.  Right now I'm like the worst place for a bacteria to live.