We are getting more into the routine of rehab here on Saratoga Street. We’ve created a facsimile of the schedule they had at RIO only this one is headed “THOR” an acronym for Tanja’s House Of Rehab, obviously. It’s just a sheet with slots for every hour, but it lets Tanja plan her day and make room for her exercises while also enforcing plenty of rest which, like any growing teen, she needs in abundance. She is capable of dropping off to sleep with stunning alacrity only to awaken fifteen minutes later seemingly renewed.

Today she walked around Peninsula Park and home again, a distance of approximately 1.5 miles. She did this at a brisk but not punishing pace that showed no sign of flagging so it was surprising that, on passing through the threshold, she took immediately to the couch and launched into sleep for a solid hour.

She also did another round of the electro-therapy, this time on her shoulders. It’s a strange bit of science but it’s said to help.

I would say that progress is to be found in odd moments. Little things are striking her as uncomfortable–finally!–after more than three weeks. An unscientific opinion, based in optimism, suggests that as she heals the obvious stuff that wasn’t bugging her can begin to make itself known.

Chief among these is the collar which is truly starting to annoy her now. The good news is, the collar is something that is guaranteed to go away. The bad news is, it might be another month.

But if you want a real concrete example of progress, in the category of a thing she did today that she could not do yesterday, here’s this. As she was getting ready for bed she asked me if I would take her cardigan off.

“Of course,” I said.

“Oh,” she said. “I just took it off.”

It is truly a great way to end the day.

Just like this song! Babs starts so big you think she has nowhere left to go. Then she proves you wrong.