It all started when ...

As I mentioned in my last post, I'll be away on training all next week so I probably won't have much opportunity to keep in touch with all my blogging friends out there. So, to keep you amused in my absence - and me amused upon my return - I'm going to leave you with a few questions that occurred to me while reading the responses to Snooze 's recent post on Perception vs. Reality [besides, I'm sick & tired of writing about my blasted leg!]:

1. Do you know (in person) any of the people you blog with? If so, how did you meet? Was it before or after you started blogging?

2. If you've never met any of your cyber-friends in the flesh (or even if you have), how did you come to have your current blog "gang?"

3. Why did you start a blog in the first place?

And just to show I can take it as well as dish it out, here are my answers:

1. I met Sister StaceyPatrick the first day of Grade 9. We were, if I'm remembering correctly, paired up in science class. I was tall, shy, and extremely geeky while the Sister was vivacious and funny and had this whole artsy-cool thing going on. I found out her evil step-mother had been my evil teacher in Grade 7/8. She discovered my rather warped sense of humour, and a bond was born. My parents (and I) loved her because she encouraged me to do things a normal teen would do - shop (the Sister bullied me into buying my very first pair of tight jeans), go to parties (including my one and only pool party), concerts (Gowan at Canada's Wonderland), and dances. Oh yeah, she taught me to ski, too. Somehow we kept in touch through the university years, and by then ... well ... the habit was hard to break.

I haven't met in person anyone I've chatted with in blogdom ... yet!

2. I met virtually all my cyber-friends through Sister StaceyPatrick's blog.

3. The good Sister hounded me until I gave in (personally, I think she was just tired of me hogging all the space on her comment page!). Well, that is PART of the reason anyhow. I also began blogging because I wanted to remember what it was like to write for fun rather than work, to explore some of the thoughts flickering about in my mind, and simply to see if I could create some new connections with the world. ... But that's a story for another time.

So, there we are. A little more about me is floating through cyberspace. Your turn!

Balancing act

Well, it looks like my life will continue to be a bit of a balancing act for the next few weeks. I saw the orthopedic surgeon late last week, and although he's not concerned about the bone mending cleanly, I'll be on cast and crutches for the next 21 sleeps(at least). The doctor seemed competent and nice, if overworked, and I'm not entirely sure that saying he was "really happy about what [he] was seeing" on my x-rays was appropriate given that it was a picture of my demonstrably broken fibula!

However, the point is that the surgeon isn't particularly concerned about my prognosis as long as I don't do anything mind-bogglingly stupid. No guarantees that will happen, of course, but I'm doing my best to be careful. In fact, I'm actually getting quite good at manoeuvering on crutches - even up and down stairs! - although I'm constantly trying to find somplace to put my "sticks" so they'll be handy but won't actually kill someone (me included).

I am also continuing to work - partly from home and partly from the office - on a special project that needs to be completed (surprise, surprise) by the end of the month. I suppose I could have just bowed out under the circumstances, but it's a proper writing gig (which comes around all too rarely) and they really don't have anyone else who could do the work on such short notice. It's interesting work at least, but, as ever, I wish I had more time to do things properly.

Oh yeah, I've also just been sent notification that I've made it off the waiting list for a week-long Project Management course that takes place ... wait for it ... the last week of March.

Under the circumstances, I'm honestly not sure how much time I'll have to blog for the next couple of weeks. I'll be doing my level best to keep up with your posts at least ... just so you don't forget about me entirely! :)

Just call me "Gimpy"

Hello to all you able-bodied folks out there. How's the weather? (I ask since I haven't been outside for more than 2 minutes in the last five days).

This will be, unusually for me, a post that is short and sweet ... well, short at least ... since I'm finding it pretty uncomfortable to sit at the computer for long stretches of time.

I made another trip to Emergency last night after becoming concerned about the fact the pain in my leg was noticably increasing , and that everything from the ankle to my toes felt hot. I'm normally pretty cold-blooded at the extermities as a result of Raynaud's Disease (a fairly common circulatory disorder) so having one hot foot all the time was a bit disconcerting to say the least. I did at least call first to find out whether I was being a hypchondriac, and was mildly grateful that I wasn't just being a wuss.

The emergency doctor decided my Raynaud's was making my leg a bit sensitive to the regular fibreglass cast, and recommended I be switched to a walking cast (think oversized ski boot) instead. Unfortunately, the X-rays showed that the fracture had worsened a bit over the past few days, so I'm not actually allowed to walk on my walking cast. Instead I'm learning the fine art of getting around on crutches -- a DECIDED challenge -- at minimum until I see the orthopedic surgeon next week for a check up.

The actual walking part of crutches isn't too hard to master, but I haven't quite figured out how I'm supposed to move things around (e.g., drinks, cereal, books, etc.) with me. If anyone out there has experience using crutches and has any tips for making the next couple (or few ... or more) weeks a bit less of a pain in the a...nkle, I'd love to hear 'em.

Sorry for the rough and ready prose. I'm not feeling quite my usual elegant(yeah, right!) self these days!

Home safe and sound (sort of)

Well, I’m back. Very sorry for the delay in posting and all that, but I think you’ll agree my excuse is pretty reasonable. I spent most of yesterday in the hospital emergency ward waiting to have a cast put on my left leg – which appears not to have listened to any of my lectures about stepping carefully on icy surfaces (my driveway, in this particular case), and so deserves everything it gets.

What it got … I’m sure you’re curious to know … is a fractured fibula – just above the ankle. Thankfully, there was virtually no displacement of the bone so no pins or other metallic accessories were required (or requested!). I walked – well, limped … pathetically, I might add! – out of there with just a snazzy white fibreglass cast, a burnt-orange and sunny yellow knitted “toe warmer,” and a big brown vinyl bootie with a rubber sole and velcro straps (size: medium).

I’m scheduled to escort my wayward leg back to the hospital in two weeks, where it will meet the orthopaedic specialist and, I hope, graduate to a less irritating form of punishment for its absent-mindedness.

In contrast to the very end of my vacation, the beginning, middle and beginning-of-the-end were thoroughly enjoyable. I stayed up late, got up late, ate far too much, and talked just enough to be glad of a solitary 5-hour drive back to Ottawa on Monday.

One of the high points of this particular long weekend was seeing the debut of Measha Bruggergosman, a 28-year-old soprano and future international diva (in the best sense of the word), at Roy Thompson Hall. Her voice is absolutely superb – a true, clear soprano with almost smoky undertones and a remarkable degree of control, expression and genuine warmth. Her repertoire ranges from classical opera to cabaret to spirituals to jazz – and even if you’re not “into” opera or classical music her talent and genuine love of the material is obvious.

The other high point was, naturally, an altogether too-rare visit with my dear friend Sister StaceyPatrick. She fed me tea and many muffins (they were delicious!), and we gabbed for three hours without stopping about: cats; food; families; books; neighbours; friends; jobs; tv; and all sorts of other life-crap. The good Sister, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know, is looking wonderful and is maintaining her sense of humour … despite her very understandable frustration with the evident stupidity of employers in the GTA. Sister – for the record, you are just fine (better than fine, actually). It’s the HR guys who are poop-heads!