things i find #4

Won't you please go camping with me?

i will be thankful

I'm about to be really, really honest with you. I have bruises on my elbows from Izzy & Frank (yes, I named my crutches), bruises on my knees from crawling up stairs, a swollen foot and a fat calf. Not to mention I've been shitting Vicadin for a week. Izzy's a bitch and Frank's just annoying. I've walked in the boot, sat in the boot, propped the boot, smelled the boot, and even danced in the boot. I've yet to name the boot because then I might forgo ownership of the boot. I own the boot. The boot does not own me.

It's amazing what freedom you give up with no right foot. Upon breaking your foot you might think, "Cool, so this hurts really bad," followed quickly by, "darn, I broke my foot, life goes on," which is then immediately trailed by a slew of...

"How do I get groceries?"
"How will I deposit this check?"
"Who will take me to work?"
"Which shoe will I wear today?"
"How many things can I safely carry up the stairs so I don't fall, and yet don't have to come back down for a second trip?"
"What are the chances someone will see me crawling up the stairs?"
"How long can I balance on one leg?"
"How far can I hop on one foot without Izzy & Frank, without falling?"
"I wonder what the neighbors think of me as they see me hop along, loudly and gracelessly?"
"How many more times will I answer the same damn questions about my boot?"

Seriously, the list goes on. They may seem like trivial questions to you, but over time it all becomes incredibly wearing. It's wearing to not be able to do what you normally do, to be out of your normal routine or the things you're used to. I realize it could be much, much worse, but the fact remains, I have no right foot. Sort of.

As cheesy, theologically incorrect, or evil as it may sound, I've already told two people, "If you're not careful, God's gonna do this to you too." Now, I don't necessarily think God did this "to me" but it does open the whole conversation up of "Did God let this happen to me?" I can't necessarily say I know the answer either way as I don't really think the answer is worth my time to think about. However, I realize that it happened (breaking my foot) and now I get to deal with the repercussions-er-I get to learn from the experience. One of my incredibly-super-awesome-wonderful-committed weekend volunteers asked me, after making sure I was OK, "Now what is the Lord teaching you?" Again, I realize that question could sound totally cheesy, but really, there's got to be something to it, right? At least that's what I'm telling myself.

One thing I have learned is what it looks and feels like to slow down. Mind you, my brain continues to flutter away at warp speed, but my body is humming somewhere around the rate of our growing economy. Not only am I learning this lesson, but those around me, those helping me, have also been forced to function at half speed. I'm only two weeks into this ordeal (I promise not to drag it out too long for you) so clearly I don't know where I'll be at come November 23rd (D-day), but I can't imagine continuing such a slow swag through life post boot. If anything I can say that I will be back to normal with a newfound appreciation for two feet. Yes, two feet.

Which brings me to Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. It truly is my favorite holiday. What better day than one filled with food, family, pie, pajamas, and little to no real financial stress? If you're like 90% of traditional American families (I made that percentage up) then I wouldn't be surprised to find you circled with your family & friends at some point during the day, likely before ingesting your weight in potatoes, sharing what you are thankful for this year. You might even say, "This year I am thankful for...

"my family."
"my job."
"God's_____________."
"provision."
"our home."

Et al. Come that fateful 4th Thursday of November we find ourselves grateful for the great gifts we've been given and the blessings we've received. We remember the big things that happened in the past year hopeful those things will continue to bless us. But what if, just what if this year, I broke into your family-friendly circle of thanks and gave thanks for my foot? What if this year, instead of giving thanks for your new home, you gave thanks for electricity? Even better, maybe you could get a little more creative and share gratefulness for Thomas Edison's discovery of electricity. Or what if you gave thanks, not for provision, but for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups because they make you oh, so happy and bring joy to your life each time you eat them? Ok, maybe these are poor examples, but you get the idea. What if this year we looked past the big stuff to find joy and gratefulness for the small things in life. Like a functioning right foot and the ability to take a shower.

This is what I've got so far. I imagine there will be more. In the meantime, what are you thankful for?

things i find #3

I'm not sure about you, but I could use some laughter in my life right about now. Well, actually, there is plenty of laughter to go around, but you get the idea.



Oh yes, please, I would love some bear vomit [click to enlarge].

curious much?

Wondering about my adventure to see M.I.A.? Here's a little something to tickle your fancy until I get to that. Stay tuned.

P.S. What the crap does "tickle your fancy" mean anyways? Ohh, the inappropriate things we say.

ignorance is bliss

There is nothing like a broken foot to stop you, literally, dead in your tracks. There is also nothing like a broken foot to make you feel totally useless, a little lazy, overwhelmed, exhausted, underwhelmed, bored, and nonetheless totally annoyed and emotionally dramatic. I guess you could say I've spent a little too much time with myself in the last 3 1/2 days, which is definitely not a good place for me to be. Sure, maybe I have had or will have a multitude of life altering epiphanies, but I also can't help but rationalize them, blaming them primarily on the 48 hrs+ that I've spent on Vicodin.

As introverted as I may be, as much as I love T.V., being by myself, and being a homebody, there IS such a thing as too much of a good thing. T.V. lasted about 24 hrs, being by myself lasted about the same, and the whole "homebody" thing is about over. I've discovered I'm not very good at doing nothing. Actually, I've known this for quite some now, but knowing and feeling are two different things. I've KNOWN for some time that I am not good at doing nothing, but now I've truly FELT what it means to do nothing, so know I know know that I am not good at doing nothing. Some people have such a talent, to appreciate nothingness, but I am clearly not that person.

I've also never been (in my adult memory) this dependent on others. My roommate definitely wins the "Roommate of the Century" award. Too bad there's no such trophy for that. Even my close friends (co-workers) deserve kudos, or an honorable mention for "Friends of the Year". There should be a trophy for that one too. Oh yes, and "Sister of the Year" should be in there too. I'm often to busy being the do-gooder to let other people help me, and to really be able to appreciate others for what they have to offer. It's bittersweet on the other side. You may perhaps want to be in my shoes, but I'd rather be in yours. Like they say, the grass is always greener on the other side.

I'm not sure what "epiphanies" I've had. I've had a lot of thoughts though. Nothing life altering, but enough to make you stop in your tracks, get frustrated, then appreciate what's on the other side. It's true, ignorance is bliss. I would have been totally OK not knowing what a broken foot felt like. Who knew physical pain could actually bring you to tears? Not just any tears. Sobbing, snot out your nose, heaving air in and out, ugly cry-face kind of tears. Ever wonder what you looked like when you cry? I do. How else will I know if I have the ugly cry-face like that teen mom on "Teen Mom"? Poor thing. I bet nobody ever told her. Wonder what she thinks now that she's seen herself on T.V.

Any who. I'm really just starting to ramble now. Remember? That's what I do well. I may not ramble in conversation, but I definitely ramble when I write...when I think.

I'd really like to be done with this whole boot thing, but I better not start thinking that now. I've got 5 1/2 more weeks with this bad boy. Wish me luck! And if you happen to see my cry-face anytime soon, remember what I said. Ignorance is bliss.

10 things

Here are the 10 things I did or didn't do on 10-10-10:

1. Wake up in the middle of the night.
2. Fall on my foot going down the stairs.
3. Crawl up stairs on my hands and knees to get back to bed.
4. Call my sister to drive from LBC to take me to Urgent Care.
5. Beg my friends to cover me at work.
6. Not shower.
7. Crawl to the following locations: kitchen counter to eat breakfast, bedroom to get "ready", bathroom to brush my teeth (while sitting on the floor), the kitchen and pantry to get a snack (said snack also eaten while sitting on floor), and down the stairs to the car.
8. Drive to the wrong Urgent Care.
8. Get lost going to the second Urgent Care.
9. Piggy back on my sister from the car to the Urgent Care.
10. Fracture my foot.

Here are the 10 things that might not be so awesome this week:

1. Getting to work.
2. Showering while standing on one foot.
3. Crawling up and down the stairs at home (1 set to the front door, 1 set to my bathroom, and an additional set to my bedroom. Stupid townhouse).
4. Going to a super awesome club to see super awesome MIA.
5. 4th & 5th grade special event on Friday. 2 words: Bounce. Houses.
6. Feeling nauseous every time my food hurts.
7. Rocking the crutches--I think I might need a backpack.
8. Lack of groceries.
9. A fractured driving foot.
10. A super lame story to tell about how I fractured my foot.

And what, you may ask, could be awesome about this week?

1. Calling in sick.
2. Getting help from people.
3. Having an excuse to "catch up" on T.V.
4. Telling people my super awesome story about how I fractured my foot.
5. Fabricating fun stories I could tell people about how I fractured my foot.
6. Getting rides to work from my friends.
7. Laughing at myself for being retarded.
8. Figuring out how to do normal things in a not so normal ways, and laughing at myself in the process.
9. Watching "Clueless".
10. Letting other people take on my responsibilities (it's not like I don't do it for them!)

Ilovemylife.

club M.I.A.

So this is where I will be next Thursday with my hollywood girlfriend. Talk about sticking out like a soar thumb.

I'm so excited.

Ilovemylife.