Today, I went to my orthopedic surgeon for a final checkup and an X-ray of my new hip. Everything looks good. I have very little pain, and I am walking normally. I am ready for some serious fishing. I leave for Alaska on Monday and will be gone for three weeks. I am very thankful for my new hip; my old one hurt so bad that I don’t think I would have been able to fish much. The X-ray on my right hip looks as bad as my left one did, but it doesn’t hurt right now, so I will leave it alone. My surgeon said that, as bad as the X-rays look, he doesn’t think it will be long before it starts to give me fits. We will see. I am hoping Jesus comes back before I need the surgery. It has been just five weeks since my surgery, and the entire experience has been relatively easy, so if I need to get my right hip replaced, it wouldn’t be much of a trial. If anybody is considering joint replacement, I highly recommend my surgeon and his outfit. They were very professional and gracious. I know that as I get older, the probability of various body parts wearing out is high, and that surgeries of different levels of seriousness are probably in my future. I worked hard this last couple of months to always rejoice, pray for strength and peace, and not be a grumpy old man. It is easy to let life get us down, but God will give us all we need to manage the trials, pressure, and pain if we ask Him. That doesn’t mean He will take it away; it’s just that we can endure it, grow, and be a blessing to those in our lives, instead of a pain.