Deja Vu All Over Again

We arrived back at "Spinnaker Bay"--the name of our apartment building--about 5:30 PM yesterday.  We both commented on how much easier it was to move in the second time around, being familiar with the parking, elevators and where to find the elusive luggage carts to haul your stuff to the apartment.  It was also easier because we had only ourselves--no cats--and a minimal amount of luggage. 

Dinner was at the Thames Street Oyster House, our favorite restaurant in Baltimore and ususally the number one restaurant on Tripadvisor.  It only seats about 40 in the dining room and it was packed.  The big draw is the raw bar that features two dozen or so varieties of raw oysters and clams plus cooked lobster tails, shrimp and crab claws.  The oysters and clams change with the season.  They also have a small but excellent number of entrees, salads and desserts.  Ernie loves the raw oysters; myself, not so much.  Ernie said we were having "the second to the last supper"--the "last supper" being tonight with my sister and Charley at Aldos in Little Italy. 



Ernie enjoying oysters and the local brew (Natty Boh)

This morning we took my sister to The Blue Moon, our favorite breakfast joint.  Ernie and Heather both had the "Sweet Baby Jesus" (seems we have a religious theme going here): a layer of hash browns topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, lump crab meat tossed with Old Bay (a spice mixture invented in Baltimore), two poached eggs and then smothered in Hollandaise sauce.  I had the giant (5 x 5-inch) cinnamon roll.  As you have probably guessed from this travelogue, I am trying to get Ernie to put on a few pounds before his surgery as most people are unable to eat solid food for a few days post-op.  I don't know if it is working for  him, but it surely is for me! 

This afternoon we are just hanging out and mentally gearing up for the next few weeks.  Ernie had his pre-op physical in Winston-Salem before we left.  This morning, the nurse from John's Hopkins called and reminded him of the "rules":  nothing to eat or drink after midnight (the nothng to drink is especially hard for him with his lack of saliva); no meds in the AM; arrive at the hospital by 6:45 AM.  I think we are as ready as we can be. 

The surgery is at 8:45 and is supposed to take about 4 hours.  I will be posting updates as they become available.  Stay tuned...