Every morning I announce to Sam that “Today’s the day!” … and then I realize there’s no fucking way I can do this.

FRIDAY, 11:24 P.M., 4/6/2018. Hi, boys and girls. Sam is unconscious on the sofa next to me and I’m enjoying the “Law and Order” marathon on Sundance. I love “Law and Order.” I never get tired of the stories, and the regular cast changed often enough to keep it all fresh. Personally, this might have been the best TV series ever, not counting “Downton Abbey” and “The Andy Griffith Show.” Thank you. End of rant.

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In case you’ve been a little worried since reading my last post, please permit me to make a general announcement: I FEEL A LOT LESS CRAPPY TONIGHT. No kidding, it’s like a fucking miracle. My pain level is way, way down — maybe a “2” instead of a “10” — and even my screaming baby toe is barely whimpering right now. I’m going to sleep like a large rock tonight. Sleep is good!

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SATURDAY, 1:20 P.M., 4/7/2018. Greetings and salutations. It’s a fine Saturday afternoon in north Texas, albeit FREEZING COLD AND MISERABLY OVERCAST. Yesterday it was in the 80s here, today we’ll be lucky to hit 40°. This STINKS. And the weather is so depressing that Sam decided to curl up on the sofa with Mister Furry — yes, we actually named our faux mink afghan — while I write this post and enjoy a favorite movie, Rachel and the Stranger (1948) starring William Holden, Loretta Young and Robert Mitchum.

William Holden and Loretta Young in “Rachel and the Stranger.”

I’m guessing we’ll have a movie-filled Saturday night as well. Here are the films I’ve lined up for us: 1) The Mark of Zorro (1940) starring Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone and Linda Darnell; 2) Blithe Spirit (1945) starring Margaret Rutherford and Rex Harrison; and 3) Hearts of the West (1975) starring Jeff Bridges and Andy Griffith.

Andy Griffith and Jeff Bridges in “Hearts of the West.”

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Know what? I still haven’t had the nerve to try walking from the family room to the study! Every morning I announce to Sam that “Today’s the day!” … and then I stand up, take a couple of steps with my walker and realize there’s no fucking way I can do this. So on Monday I’ll talk to my nurse practitioner from Baylor HouseCalls when she’s here for my monthly appointment and ask her to arrange for some physical therapy sessions for me. Before I wound up in the hospital in March my mobility was merely terrible ... now it’s absolutely atrocious. I’ll keep you posted on my progress. But in the meantime, how about another episode of Let’s Learn Yiddish!

We’ll begin today’s vocabulary words with naches, which means joy or pride. Narishkeit is nonsense or foolishness. A nebbish is a pitiful person or a nobody. To noodge is to annoy or to bother with constant requests or complaints. A nosh means to eat lightly or snack. And a nudnik is a pest, a pain or a bore.

I have to write a few emails now, and maybe I’ll even wake Sam and pester him for a couple of pudding cups. With Cool Whip!

Thank you for reading this … and happy Saturday night to you and yours.