Groundhog Day was a quirky movie that has reached epic cult status especially on–Groundhog Day! If you have not seen it, in a nutshell a guy wakes up to the same day everyday no matter what happens to him including dying. The guy is Phil Conner (Bill Murray) and he is a weatherman stuck in Punxsutawney, PA doing a live show to see if Phil the Groundhog sees his shadow predicting when Spring will begin. (I explain because I know one person who is reading this who has NOT seen the movie).

He wants out. Back to normal. Nothing works. Even tries killing himself and every morning at the strike of 6 a.m. when “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher comes across the radio he knows he is back at the same place he was yesterday. Groundhog Day. Everyday it gets harder to get up and report on the groundhog.

For the record I, in no way, have ever thought about exotic or simple ways to end my days and hope to hear “I Got You Babe” tomorrow morning because it is one of my wake up tones. Enough of that public service announcement.

Now there is a woman (Andie MacDowell as Rita the producer of the news he works for) that is there and part of the deja vu unaware (like everyone else) her life is on hold. Phil confides his predicament and asks her advice. She gives it and then…

Before her paradigm shifting thoughts here are my thoughts…

Took me 3 solid months of recovery to get to the point where I could function again on my own. It is here that my Groundhog Day begins. I did fantasize about what I would do if I got new lungs. Never made definitive must do plans but in general plans were looking like reading, writing, cleaning, and a major scan of every photo I can find in my possession onto storage. Gotta tell ya. Easier said than done. Start this, redo that. Time for bed! Cue “I Got You Babe” and try it again. Seems like it should just be a simple process. New lungs. They work. You recover. Move on! Really. Just get going again. No I mean it! Just continue with life. Trouble is that I am locked into this world of nowhere to go and as much time as you want to get there. Some of you get it better than others.

The list of what I CAN’T do is extensive. I have been crafting a list of what I CAN do. The can do list is short right now but I am hopeful of adding some items I miss. My 1st Lungaversary is on Feb 28. On that day I will still have to take 25 pills a day. Four scripts for anti-rejection. Four scripts for infection prevention. Various pills for stuff I did not know I needed to worry about. In that regard nothing will change. I still have to be wary of so much but eventually…

Eventually is happening more for me. By that, you may have seen some photos of me and Cindy with our children, grandchildren and a few friends. Those events are more staged and planned than “The Unmasked Singer”.

We are out in the world just not at rush hour if you will. Lowes at 7:00 am on a Tuesday leaves me the garden section to myself. Walmart Market on Lithia is peaceful around 10:30 pm most nights. Since my diet is still very unprocessed, uncarbed (I made that word up) and uninspired at times not eating out is fine by me.

I have found a passion in something. Maybe you have been a lucky recipient of some delightful sourdough baked goods from me. Always wanted to figure out what a starter is and what to do with and brother (is that too un-woke of me) have I! Never had time to do starter but I have it now. You need starter? Ask me for some. Be looking for that Youtube channel eventually.

This week also marks the return of one of my favorite eventually events. February of 2020 Cindy and I participated in three events that month at Safety Harbor, Savannah and Orlando. By 2021 the world was shut down and my lungs were doing the same. Saturday, Feb 4 will mark my return to the Best Damn Race at Safety Harbor. 5K. 3.1 miles of a brisk walk/run for me. I signed up for this race on March 17, 2022 just 6 days after getting out of the hospital and 17 days after lungs. I could tell you how I started to walk in my driveway. Garage to street and back 360 feet. Seven trips is a half mile. I worked up to 14 trips. Started to walk into the back acre and worked up to two miles with less trips. Back to walking Durant to Mount Carmel to Lowes down to Nativity. Left on Oakwood all the way to Lithia and back home again-3.65 miles. But I don’t want to bore you…

…Back to Phil and Rita. Rita said (paraphrasing) he should look at it as a gift. To have the same day over and over think of all you could do. Phil did just that. All with the idea of winning Rita. I just want to win me back again and of course keep connected to you. When I get up I thank God for that day. I give thanks throughout the day and when I lay my head down. It comforts me. It keeps my focus where it belongs, on Him more than me.

I plan to do the best I can with what I have and that should be enough. Most days it is, just some days I want to be able to do more. Eventually I just will not sit and wait for eventually. I will make eventually happen everyday. Cue Sonny and Cher.

Thank every one of you that has prayed, thought, called, written, texted, emailed this past year. It all added up to today for which I am grateful for.

Drop me a comment and just maybe you will get a box of sourdough chocolate chip cookies in the mail. Trust me. Paradigm shifting cookies.