This has been the coldest winter that we’ve experienced in Arizona; in fact, it is the coldest we have experienced since wintering away from home. Highs have mostly been in the 50s, and lows in the high 30s and low 40s. Combined with light to moderate winds, it’s been chilly. Nevertheless, on Friday afternoon we wandered outside to play pickleball with the Arkansas contingent; it was my first time to play right-handed in two weeks. Afterwards, we had “dinner” as a group at Boston’s. My right shoulder ached afterwards. 

Most days here are carbon copes of one another. We have dinner out with friends a few times during the week (Saturday was at Texas Road House with the Bushees), attend concerts/dances on Sunday evenings, and Kay and I play pickleball or golf most days, including Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Temperatures were so cold on Wednesday that over 150 pickle balls were broken during play. The right shoulder was re-injured playing golf during a match on Thursday, January 26. I have ceased playing pickleball for the time being because of the injury. Here’s a panorama of 24 of the 32 courts here at Palm Creek.

On Friday, January 27, we attended the Major League Pickleball tournament in Mesa featuring all the big name pros. It was one of the most exciting days of sports either of us has experienced. With the intent of only staying three or four hours, we stayed nine! 

Kay injured here left hamstring Saturday, thus neither of us did much of anything Sunday or Monday. Finally giving in to the pain, I visited a chiropractor on Tuesday, and he did a couple of adjustments and activated a TENS unit for about 20 minutes. He was a great practitioner and surprisingly referred me to a sports ortho clinic and arranged for an appointment there in the afternoon.

Without an MRI, the ortho specialist suggested and executed a “diagnostic” cortisone injection, advising not to play pickleball for a couple of days.