Welcome, David.
There are some things you can do prior to surgery that'll keep you busy and help take the edge off.
First, determine to enjoy Christmas and New Year's. A few drinks and good food won't hurt your heart, and since you won't feel much like eating right after surgery, be good to yourself.
Secondly, take care of paperwork. You need a will and a living will and power of attorney. Your hospital will have the papers for the living will and power of attorney. This is something you do for yourself and is important. Make arrangements for someone to pay your bills, or write your checks and have them ready for someone to post for you. Make arrangements for someone to do your banking for you, too. The first week home is NOT the time to be fiddling with your checkbook.
Make arrangements for Sam. You won't be able to walk him when you get home (and with the weather like it is in Albany, you probably will have difficulty walking outside for a while. Don't want to slip on that ice, you know.).
If you don't have one, go buy a recliner that is comfortable for you. I know you're out of work, but this is something that will really help your recovery. Perhaps your family could go together to pay for one for Christmas? Be sure the handle works relatively easily, as it is difficult to wrestle with one with a new sternotomy.
Practice with your spirometer if your cardiologist has given you one. Immediately post-operatively is NOT the time to be figuring out how to use it.
Be sure you have a good scale at home. You'll need to weigh yourself every morning to be sure you're not retaining fluids when you get home.
Get a small stool to put in the shower. The hot water can make you light-headed and sitting in the shower helps a lot. And you will want to shower a lot - the chemicals used in the surgery take a long time to get out of your system.
Have layers of warm, comfortable clothes ready for you at home. You'll likely be really cold. I found a silk undershirt really helped, and was smooth and non-irritating on my incision. I also had a small quilt to use while lolling about in my recliner.
Rent or borrow movies or tv shows you like. Concentration is difficult, so these help pass the time when you're not breathing, walking or napping.
Welcome aboard, again.