Monday afternoon of this week was spent at the orthopedic hand doctor getting another shot of cortisone in my left thumb.  Since this bum thumb has been an issue since last September, the cortisone shots have been maxed out and the next step is an outpatient procedure to fix the problem once and for all.  The plan is for this shot to get me through the organ/piano playing that needs to be done through the end of May when church services go down to one per Sunday and choir takes a break for the summer.   This afternoon was spent at the orthopedic knee doctor to get the results of the MRI done on my right knee (my "good" knee) which has been bothering me for about a month now.  Unfortunately a cortisone shot will not fix the cartilege tear and the arthroscopic surgery needed cannot be put off unless I want to make the problem worse or create new problems by limping.  So calendars/schedules have to be checked and arrangements have to be made for the two to four week recovery time after the procedure is done.   This year and this contest has presented a whole new set of challenges and lessons to be learned when it comes to diet and exercise.  So far I'm not being a very good student and right now I don't even want to study.    Tomorrow will be a fresh start -- tonight I'm just going to pull the covers over my head.  Barb