weekend that was

Friday, we got Kiddo to school then packed our bags to head back to Sooke Harbour House. The room was ready to go when we got there (early check-in, yay!) so we dumped our stuff (this time in the Driftwood Room, next door to the room we stayed in on our anniversary) and headed back to the kitchen for our "adventure."

As it is off-season, things are a little quieter (fewer than half the staff of the busy summer and wedding season) but that's why the package is only offered October-May. At any rate, we got "suited up" in cook's jackets and aprons (we were allowed to forego the checkered pants -- phew!). After meeting the chefs and a quick tour of the kitchen, we were put to work -- basically we were prep cooks for the afternoon. We cleaned and chopped a lot of mushrooms (some so fresh that foragers were still signing off on the delivery when we arrived) then I got to sautee them while Hubby moved on to making tartar sauce from scratch. Next I helped to make a chunky golden beet and hazelnut pesto and fishcakes while Hubby was rolling up springrolls containing the mushrooms and other veggies. We also looked on while the chefs created asian-style braised lamb shanks and an amazing soup made with squash, root vegetables, and quince. I had expected a little more instruction and/or some time with the pastry chef but perhaps they were waiting for us to ask? It all seemed very.... organic in its (lack of) structure.

Later, as we ate dinner it was interesting to see which things we had prepped ended up with which dishes on the menu. (Kiddo and my Mother in Law joined us but apparently it was all too much for Kiddo -- she and Hubby ended up eating in the room instead of the dining area). When it was time for dessert, I just asked to have that sent to the room as well and went down to see what was up. Kiddo was already curled up in bed.

While waiting for breakfast we went out and watched the waves rolling in along the shore but once we were done eating we basically packed up and headed back to town. On the way in, we stopped and waited in a big line with a few hundred people to get H1N1 vaccines (yes, I decided ultimately it was the lesser evil) since as of Friday it was available to the general public. It didn't take too long (just over 90 minutes from door to jab) and now it's done so I can bring my internal panic level down a notch.

Worst thing about this weekend? Between the standing in the kitchen Friday and the standing in line Saturday, my left hip is really sore.

Tonight, we decided to "take advantage" of Hillside Mall's special "Night before late-night shopping" event. The key was that it was ticketed entry only at $5 per ticket (kids under 10 free, proceeds to BC Children's Hospital) and there were oodles of door prizes, appetizers, fashion shows, etc. plus special sale prices at most stores. Well, lemme tell you, I feel like a rube. The place was PACKED. Like December 23rd, no-room-to-park packed. Insane. We took advantage of 25% off everything at the dollar store plus bought a few other things (most of them at Bolen Books where stuff was 10%-15% off) then got the hell out. Seriously, not worth the savings.

Torn

For the first time in a long while, I am absolutely torn on a health issue. Usually, I can sort my way through the hype, find some decent research papers and make an informed decision.

I thought I had done that with H1N1 -- I was pretty confident that this posed no greater threat than the seasonal flu, something for which I have never bothered to be immunized. I usually get a bunch of colds and the odd bout of flu every year so it never occurred to me to be concerned.

Now that I am seeing the results of this flu hitting people I know, making its way through my workplace and my city, I'm not so sure. Throw in the never-ending media microscope and FightFlu.ca, the Public Health Canada website I was accessing in order to send out info on the Union listserv and I caught myself in something close to a panic, trying to decide if I already had H1N1. Now I've read almost every document on the site plus a lot more around the web and mostly convinced myself that the vaccine is better than the virus.... and yet part of me is still torn (admittedly more about the fact that there may be some truth tucked in the sensation that the media is peddling.)

However, my biggest worry is Friday. We are planning to be in town to watch (and photograph) part of the torch relay and the protests that are bound to accompany it (Kiddo will be going to school as usual). My worry is that people who would otherwise stay home because they are sick and that's the right thing to do will instead be crowded shoulder to shoulder in order to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event. Sigh. I'll have to check my paranoia level Friday morning.

home today...

Took a sick day. Just a basic head/chest cold again but I am too foggy to focus at work and with all the swine flu panic, my coworkers were giving me pretty wide berth yesterday. Instead, I am reading through newsfeeds... and playing games on Facebook... and watching Donnie Darko (we bought The Director's Cut last weekend).

A couple of stories that amused me:

• Ferris Bueller's Criminal Day Off: a discussion of felonies and other misdemeanors committed by Ferris and his friends.
• Will real pirates kill fun pirates? Are the Somali troublemakers going to put an end to Talk Like a Pirate Day?
• Make jam, not cream cheese. Costing out of various staples, home-made versus store-bought.
  

It's the first time in a long time that I've seen Donnie Darko. I remember being really impressed by it but there was so much I'd forgotten. It's an odd film... but our collection is full of odd, haunting, similar-feeling films: Final Destination, Butterfly Effect, Waking Life, and of course Southland Tales, another Richard Kelly film. There are aspects of the typical teen outcast film but those are largely overshadowed by meditations on philosophy, time travel, the existence of god, literary theory, good versus evil, human nature, and redemption. Yeah, there's a lot of layers in that movie.

Stress relief.

It's been that kind of week, even though it is truncated.

On Tuesday, I made the last-minute decision to apply for another job in the library -- not because I don't like the job I have, but the other position (at much higher payband) has a variety of duties and responsibilities that are a good fit with my skill-set. It was the first time I had to use the new online resume-builder that is built in to uHire (the University's job posting interface) and that proved to be a little bit of a challenge. Now I keep wondering if I proofread everything enough times. No word yet on when interviews will be scheduled.

Tuesday evening, I tried to take my mind off the resume by sorting more stuff for the yard sale this weekend. (If you are in Victoria, drop by! Head for Finlayson and Quadra and follow the signs.) We have a small mountain of boxes but I still feel like it isn't everything that should be going...

Yesterday work was a constant stream of interruptions -- largely Union-related issues -- so I left feeling like I hadn't accomplished much. Still, last night was a treat for us: one of our favourite restaurants, Eugene's recently relocated from downtown to Gordon Head and they quietly opened for business yesterday in the new location.

Then last night I crossed one BIG item off my to-do list. It's been on my list for well over a year and I started working on it earnestly last fall but the Drupal-ized version of my Unofficial Guide to Victoria is now live. It's far from ready for the big leagues; there's lots and lots of work left to do but the basic frame is there and I can stop being embarassed by how out-of-date the old site was. So go ahead, check it out, and let me know what you think. I can tell you that I plan to add more photos, longer reviews, and possibly a blog or similar section where I can add opinion pieces and local history articles but I also want to be more responsive to readers and those who use the site!

Today started out OK but quickly went to hell -- around noon, Kiddo's school phoned; she'd been sent to the office with an "angry looking eye infection" eww. A trip to the clinic and pharmacy preceded an hour long ordeal between the two of us trying to get eyedrops into our child's right eye. Not fun.

This evening we all needed to get out of the house so we checked out the new Lee Valley Tools in Colwood. Just the recipe; I feel much better now.

Curiosities

Feeling a bit better today -- yesterday this house was flu central and no fun at all. To combat that, today I have been searching for some amusing diversions between naps...

Justine Lai is getting a lot of press for her latest project; she is painting herself having sex with every American president, in order. She began in 2006 and is up to the 18th president; several are quite graphic in content so click with care. The series is called Join or Die.

***

Think you know Star Trek? Or maybe you're an expert on erectile dysfunction medications, having read all those spam messages. Either way, test your knowledge with the Star Trek Character or Erectile Dysfunction Pill quiz at Mental Floss. I only got 40%. I think that's a good thing.

***

Through Craft, I flagged a couple of tutorials that caught my eye: one for a laundry sack from I Have To Say and one to convert a vintage suitcase into a portable craft centre from Bitter Betty Blogs.

Mission accomplished....

... Kiddo has glasses. We purchased two identical pairs in case of loss or irreparable damage.

Adventures in Optometry

first_eye_test
Originally uploaded by triviaqueen

On and off Kiddo has been complaining of headaches and sore eyes and more recently these complaints have increased. This coupled with the news that she needs to work on her hand-eye coordination really hit the point home that we were long overdue in taking her for an eye exam.

I arranged to take her in at the same time I got mine done so she could see how some of the tests worked. Unfortunately, I didn't warn her about just how uncomfortable the glaucoma test (that nasty little puff of air to test the pressure in your eyeball) so that wasn't pleasant for anyone in the office. After that she calmed down and the rest of the exam was relatively uncontested. As soon as she started trying to read the letters on the chart I knew she needed glasses. My heart sank -- why had we waited so long? Eventually I stopped kicking myself and just decided it was better late than never.

Me? Well, aside from getting nauseous from the eye dilating drops, I discovered that my eyesight has improved again. Weird. I have roughly 20/25 vision plus a mild astigmatism in one eye and "virtually 20/20" in the other. Of course the change means new glasses again. Sigh.

So, tomorrow, we'll go find some glasses.

Are we there yet?

Sometimes, Friday can't come soon enough; sometimes, it just appears. Today, Friday was all up in my face starting at 6 a.m. and I really just wanted it to go away.

I woke up early, just close enough to my regular alarm-time that I couldn't go back to sleep. I got up and managed to get out of the house. Things were fine until I stood up to make my way to the door for my stop to transfer buses. The bus driver braked earlier than I was expecting and before I could grab hold so I ended up falling forward, hitting my knees hard. I was, however, able to keep my coffee mug upright so it wasn't completely tragic. I mumbled "Yes" to the "Are you OK?" queries, stood up, gave my right ankle a quick check and got off the bus. Later I realized that my right knee looked like coleslaw under my jeans.

At work it was just a bunch of little things but, at one point, I opened a door that turned out to be heavier than I was expecting and now I have a bruise on my right arm from the handle whacking me. Sigh. By early afternoon I was feeling tired, achey, and just generally miserable so I called it a day.

Tonight, Hubby will be watching BSG with the guys; I'm going to hang with Kiddo and maybe design some Barbie® dresses from some fabric remnants.

Of Aches and Aging

I ache today. I am tired and achey but it's a "good ache" ... I think.

I've been going to the gym lately; I finally sucked it up last month and forked over the cash for a membership on campus. (It's dirt cheap -- especially compared to health clubs or even rec centres -- it works out to about two bucks a week.) I've been going a couple of times a week with a co-worker, doing about 20 minutes of cardio plus 20 minutes of weight training in the weeeeee hours of the morning (i.e. before 8 a.m.) I've also been walking (semi-regular "walkies" around the Ring Road with another coworker, plus walking elsewhere and, yes, I do count my wanderings with camera-in-hand). Since I finally replaced my VHS Kripalu Yoga "Gentle" program with the DVD version, I have also managed to work in a session or two of yoga.

The strangest revelation to me out of this recent round of fitness is that despite not being a "morning person" it seems that morning really is the best time for me to exercise.

So why all this now? A couple of years ago, I made myself the goal of being "fit by forty" but now that I am staring down my 39th birthday, that long term goal seems pretty short-term... and I am far from fit. Sure, I got derailed last year with the whole ankle-breaking nonsense, but I still maintain that the regular walking I had been doing prior to the accident helped me to heal as well as I have, and recognizing that made me more eager to embrace the idea of regular exercise for the rest of my body, lest anything else get broken (touch wood).

So, I will continue to make every effort to work all the parts of my body that don't get worked while I sit at my desk, and we'll see if I am any less achey a year from now.

I am starting to hate February.

I think next year I would like to skip straight from January into March, thanks.

This time last year I was very ill. This year, I have a nasty chest cold and Hubby has pneumonia.

Add to that the-renos-that-never-end and this afternoon's LONG wait for a plumber... and well it all adds up to 5 letters: S-U-C-K-S.

Now I am off to sulk a little more... and call the plumber's dispatch... again.

Sigh.

Two Acronyms and a Little Glimpse into my Psyche

As Valentine's Day looks to be derailed yet again in our household (this year it's sickness, just like last year but thankfully not quite as intense -- past years have also included post-op surgery watch and finding out someone close had died. Really I think we might have had one "good" Valentine's Day out of the last half dozen...) I give you instead a wee rant and some humour to temper said rant.

1. (The rant) Exactly when did our society decide it was acceptable to refer to Valentine's Day as VD?? I'm sorry but to me VD stands for venereal disease. Yes, I know the more up-to-date acronym is STD or sexually transmitted disease but nonetheless VD brings to mind nasty thoughts of itching and burning below the belt. This year, more than ever before, I have seen banner ads, etsy crafts, and countless other references to VD and it's starting to get under my skin. I can only guess it's the IM/txt generation getting it's way by boiling everything down to the lowest common denominator. Please be assured that if you see the letters V and D capitalized and adjacent to one another in this blog, I am referring to a disease and not the 14th of February.

2. (The humour) OK, so this is only somewhat funny... but it made me smile only after I realized that Singles' Awareness Day was abbreviated as SAD... (and that, following the above rant, should give you a window into the infinite patience Hubby requires on a daily basis in decoding my lexicon of what makes me laugh and what makes me growl). So anyway, here's a video:

Maybe it's the weather....

I haven't talked about my ankle for a while because it's been feeling pretty much OK. I get the odd ache, but overall it hasn't been bothering me. Until now.

Since sometime yesterday, the top of where the plate is on the outside of my leg (fibula) has been really sore... like it feels bruised.. but there is no visible bruising. Hubby thinks it might be the change in weather (it has warmed up a little again) but I am skeptical.

I am finding myself fidgeting because I tend to hook my left foot behind my right leg while sitting at my desk but in doing so, my left foot presses precisely on the sore point of my right leg. I am OK walking, but the background ache is persistent and about as noticeable as it was back in late November when I first stopped using my cane.

It's annoying, I'll say that much... and it makes me want to just sit somewhere quiet where I can rest my leg comfortably and drink coffee or tea all day... but I don't quite have that luxury.

Oh. I needed that.

When I came home yesterday, my head was pounding from what was beginning to feel like the never-ending sinus congestion. I got home, made dinner, then put what effort I had into crafting. I was still feeling miserable at bedtime but I woke up feeling somewhat better. I'm still coughing but it isn't constant any more and neither is the sinus pressure. Yay.

So anyway... today I went out. Mostly shopping. I even drove this morning! Wheee! I got lots done and in between the morning trip to the mall with big retailers and the afternoon leisurely wander through downtown Victoria, I met up with Hubby and went to Chikara Sushi for lunch. MMmm (I had the bento box lunch with nigiri sushi and tempura).

I took lots of photos this afternoon -- the day was chilly but bright -- and indulged in a few things just for me (some extra yarn, most of which will go to making baby hats; a dark chocolate mint meltie bar from Purdy's; and a whole lot of window shopping).

Tonight, I bound a few more of the Coffee Haiku books -- easy peasy now since I found a great Japanese Binding tutorial.

It felt good to go out on my own again, not too worried about how long I could go before I would have to sit down and not relying on other people to get me from A to B and back again.

For those of you keeping score....

There was no post yesterday, November 13th. This is because I spent the day trying to coax the lining out of my stomach. Nuff said.

Here, look at this pretty picture of some earrings I made, photographed with some maple leaves when the sun briefly appeared on Monday....

As the Ankle Heals....

It's been a while since I've updated about my broken ankle. So, lucky you, you get to see a photo of one of the two scars (this is the prettier one, on the medial side of my leg).

Physiotherapy has been helping a lot; each time I visit, the physiotherapist adds new exercises to my routine. As I mentioned yesterday, the gym here has almost everything I need to do all the exercises I've practiced thus far (and I did do them tonight).

I am starting to rely less and less on the use of the cane to walk; I even ventured out without it last Friday -- I decided it would be easier to lean on Hubby as needed rather than take the cane into a movie theatre (we saw the Bee Movie which I don't recommend doing, even though Richard Roeper and Guest saw fit to give it two thumbs up. I don't think they saw the same movie... but I digress...). I did fine.

I also have been encouraged to venture short trips outside the house in shoes (as opposed to one shoe plus the AirCast) and to wear shoes during the day at work (both of which I have been doing). Today, I wore the cast throughout both the morning and afternoon session, which was too much. Tomorrow the plan is to wear the AirCast in the morning and the shoes in the afternoon.

As for pain, most of the time it's fine. After a long day or immediately following my physio routines, it does ache and if I try to walk fast, I end up jarring my foot and sending sharp shooting pain up my leg. The only other time I've noticed major pain has been when I forget that my foot is injured and use it like "a real foot" -- twice now, I have pivoted on my right foot and regretted it for the following day. In the long run, it's probably good but in the short term, not so much.

I'm still working half-time until at least the 15th when I next see the doctor (I see the surgeon the following monday). Hopefully both will give me the go ahead to stop using the AirCast all together... and possibly return to work full time (though I may use my vacation days rather liberally through to Christmas....).

One "step" closer

Had my first visit with the physiotherapist today. Nice guy, very personable, and answered my questions pretty clearly. He assessed my current mobility, did some manual manipulation of the joint, gave me some exercises then hooked my foot up to a functional electrical stimulation machine... which felt very odd.

At any rate, he didn't see any barriers to a gradual return to work; if my GP gives me the all clear, I will be back to work (part time) next week.

I suppose I should say "woo-hoo" but I am going to miss hanging out around the house doing my own thing. ;)


On another topic altogether, file this under geekily cool: a whole bunch of online Periodic Tables. I particularly like the first one they link to: a Dynamic Periodic table built using ajax. Verrry handy for parents whose kids are taking any level of chemistry....

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No more staples...

Saw my GP this morning, despite a huge screw-up with the appointment time. [The p/t receptionist had told me the appt was at 9:15, then she confirmed it as 9:00, I figured the difference of 15 minutes was no problem. Then I got there just before 9 and was told the appt was in the books as 11:15 -- I was NOT impressed. Luckily the regular receptionist was very accomodating, and got me in "right away" which on a Friday meant about 9:50.]

Most of the staples came out easily (I'll spare you the details, but if you want to see the tool he used, I took a photo of the tool and the instructions; I didn't take a photo of my foot this time.). I also got a note and some other paperwork signed -- I now am the proud holder of a temporary handicapped parking pass (woo!) so finding somewhere to park at the mall, etc will be less of an issue for a while.

Hubby was great helping me to and from the van and the doctor's office plus getting the parking pass, and even getting me a much needed latté.

As for the ankle itself, the incision sites are healing well; the swelling has gone way down; and the bruises are much less prominent, but the whole process will be long. I was told though, to take my foot out of the Aircast when I am resting (which Hubby says the surgeon also told me, but I don't recall that instruction). Anyway, it's out now... getting some very welcome air.

Doing better...

smiley_graffiti
Originally uploaded by triviaqueen

Today has been a good day, all things considered. I spent time downstairs, was getting around better with the walker (still not comfortable with the crutches) and even managed to pitch in with household chores by folding and putting away the laundry. Woo!

One of my friends also brought over a book for me; one I've never heard of, but look forward to reading: Salamander by Thomas Wharton.

Hubby took Kiddo out to get a new backpack and to try and get her haircut (but the usual place was closed today...)... at least she got the backpack. She's definitely ready to go back -- she even has her outfit picked out for the morning.

Broken Ankle: Day 7.

Well, it's been a week since I fell down the stairs. I'm slowly adjusting to life in bed which is neither as comfortable nor as awful as it could be. Max, our cat, has been by my side almost constantly. I have all manner of media close at hand -- internet, cable television, and a shelf full of books -- and everyone has been a great help at bringing me food and drink as needed. Friends even dropped off some ratatouille meals yesterday. MMMMm!

I've even ventured downstairs a few times (down is easier than up, though, and the only bathroom is upstairs, so I am limited by my bladder for the length of time I spend downstairs).

The hardest part is relying on other people. There are lots of things I can do by myself, but just getting up and moving around is exhausting. I tend to do several things while I am up but inevitably I will forget some little thing, so I have to ask.

My moods have been all over the map, but now that I am back to drinking coffee (and not suffering withdrawals!!) I think I am in a better headspace. Tuesday I go back to the hospital to see the surgeon, after we drop kiddo off for her first (half) day of school.

I've been watching lots of television (HGTV, CSI, and crappy reality shows... I even sunk as low as watching an hour of Montel Williams) and movies (some on TV) ... napping ... playing Chuzzle... in other words, not much of substance so far. Of course, I have also been reading lots about broken ankles, their treatment, and rehabilitation exercises online, and bookmarking anything useful or interesting on my del.icio.us page.

However, as I get better, I am starting to cross the odd thing off my to do list (articles I've half-finished, work on various websites, and so on). Hopefully I can use some of this time productively while I am healing -- but I'm no fool, and plan to spend most of the time resting and letting my body do the work it needs to do.

You know that scene in Misery.....?

I used a lot more obscenities when my foot folded that way Sunday afternoon.

So... for those of you who have asked, here's the details (skip em if you are squeamish, but I will try to keep it to a minimum). I was carrying two small computer towers (sideways, stacked one on top of the other) to the strata complex's common room. This room is down four concrete steps and the door is at a right angle to the bottom stair. Hubby had already propped the door open, so I just wanted to get the computers in the room and go back up to watch kiddo (still in the townhouse). Instead, I slipped on the second to last or last step (not sure which) reached out with my right arm to steady the fall (bruised and scraped, but not broken), dropped the computers (I think they missed me, but may have in fact complicated things) and slammed into the door at the bottom. As I say, when I looked down, my foot was folded sideways; dislocated at the ankle.

I screamed bloody murder and Hubby got to me in about three strides. He steadied my leg and got me to focus; a neighbour was already on the phone with a 911 operator. Hubby called his mother to come watch kiddo while they loaded me into the ambulance.

I arrived at the hospital at roughly noon and was seen to fairly quickly. X-rays confirmed the dislocation of the talar (foot bone) plus breaks to both the tibia and the fibula (leg bones). The surgeon spoke to me about the operation (pins and plates and other fun stuff) and said he may or may not see me that evening. By 8:00 we learned that there were no more spots in the operating rooms, so I would be going in first thing Monday. The operation seems to have gone smoothly; I go back to see the surgeon for reassessment on September 4th.

I won't say much about the hospital stay except that sharing a room sucks -- I shared mine with a loud, bitter old man, a loud, whiny teenager, and, on the first night a man hooked to a machine that went click-click-click-WHRRRRRR all damn night. The second night, machine guy was replaced by a woman who reminded me of my grandmother (broken hip and all) who, in the middle of the night started mumbling that she needed to "get back to the hospital" for her operation in the morning. The nurse had to turn on the lights to prove she was *already in* the hospital. My extended medical covers a private room, but I tried that after kiddo was born -- the hospital staff did everything they could not to laugh out loud then; I wasn't about to suggest it this time. As it was, the shortage of beds meant that the bed beside of me was empty for less than three hours between patients.

Still, it all could have been worse. I landed on my back on the steps -- I could easily have damaged my spine or my head... and that would never do. Plus, I am thankful that my recent walking regimen (generally twice a week around Ring Road -- about 1.2 miles -- plus stairs in lieu of elevators where possible) has kept my legs in good enough shape that there doesn't seem to be any muscle, nerve or other major internal damage on my foot; and getting around, though tough, is not impossible.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch some Looney Tunes before I dip into some more Tylenol 3s.