I went to the closest branch of the gaming store Hubby managed to look into selling some comics and Magic cards. It's a good sign when the person assessing the cards pauses and says "Wow."

Aside from that, it was wonderful to walk into a place where they knew Hubby and I was referred to as Neil's Wife. For years that's how I was referred to at the Keep, "Wife of Neil," I even received mail under that name. My official title was Infamous Wife of Neil, and I loved it.

So a profitable and melancholy day.

That's nice, Connie. It is good that the warm memories helped ease the melancholy.

Ugh, I hate that I love that I came to the office today. But I did about an hour and a half of work, feel much better about the state of things, and will now leave because I don't feel like doing any more! (Even though there is plenty more to do.)

In theory, I want to go to the movies, but I can't find the right combination of movie/location/time, so I guess I'll just go home.

Consuela, that is so awesome!

Warning - whine-fest ahead.

Add me to the constain pain club. Not a cherished membership. I have figured out how to walk without putting pressure on the outside of my foot by either limping, not doing a full heal to toe stride, or if I do, rolling to the inside so I don't put pressure on the area just below my pinky toe. The good, is that my foot hasn't been in as much pain lately. I also haven't been doing much thanks to the work, two classes, and crafting that take up the vast majority of my time right now.

The bad, when I do get out to grocery shop or visit with friends, I piss off the rest of my body, namely the opposite hip and my lower back. Friday I met up with some friends to go to a horse jumping competition at the annual stock show. Before it started, we roamed the vendor booths (I bought an amazing hat) for about an hour. My friend's mom is a slow walker, so we were all going at a slow pace and they kept asking me if I was doing ok. Not sure if it was ego or just denial but I kept saying I was fine. And I kinda was until Saturday morning. All day yesterday my body was in utter pain. Moving hurt, sitting hurt, lying down hurt. I couldn't concentrate on school or crafting.

My weekend goals had been to declutter the house, finish putting away Christmas, write two papers, and finish crafting the floating candles and flying broomsticks for the wedding (less than two weeks away). Yesterday I did dishes and got some work done on the candles. I HAVE to get school work done before I even think about the rest of the list. I'm still in pain but I have gotten initial work done on one paper and have completed the outline on the other.

I wish I could confidently feel that the surgery (in just over a month) will fix the whole body pain, but I will be using crutches for about 6 weeks and then in the boot for a bit longer. Ugh.

Straying away from the mememememe crap.

Consuela - that is so cool. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the experience.

Wife of Neil - what a lovely game store visit. Even with the melancholy.

Jessy - I have too many people in my life who don't understand PIVOT!

Debet - My heart still skips a beat when I read about or see pictures of those warnings and I don't even live in the affected zone. The potential is all too real.

SuziQ - Can you go to a physical therapist about the rest of your body? Obviously there's not much they can do about your foot until after surgery, but they might have suggestions about either ways to prevent the rest of your body from seizing up or suggestions for strengthening the other muscles to compensate. I'm seeing a physical therapist about arthritis in my hip and while my bad hip is a little better, the exercises have helped my good hip cope with the things I do because of my bad hip.

Ugh, Suzi, I'm sorry about all of that.

So my outside lights stopped working a couple of weeks ago, and now I have no idea why, because after I took them down, I tested each part, and they all work! Hmph.

bennett - that is a good suggestion. I'm kinda doing this? Right now I don't have time for extra appointments BUT my daughter is a Physical Therapist's Assistant (think Physician's Assistant) and she has been advising me on stretches and exercises. They help some and there have been times when I thought I had gotten out of the pain cycle only for it to hit me full force again.

Thanks for the reminder though, I just did one of the stretches that helps the most and for the moment, my back isn't screaming at me.

One of the other frustrating thoughts surrounding this is the ease I have getting pain meds to deal. I am a white woman, so maybe that is the difference, but when I ask my doc for a refill, she happily does it without me need to explain why or come in for an appointment. I don't need the same level of meds that ita did, but it sickens me that she, and so many others, have to fight to get appropriate care. Conversely, while I do have them, I hate using them during the day because I need my brain to be sharp for school and work.

It still astonishes me how much shit they gave me for relatively minor back surgery. I think I have a reasonable pain tolerance, but you guys also know that I whine and complain. I had surgery on Thursday afternoon, got discharged Friday afternoon, and was off Rx stuff by Monday. They gave me so much Percocet and Vicodin, they came in the biggest prescription bottles I've ever seen.