One of my dear friends has lost his mother. I know how much he loved her and how much he knew that she was an amazing person. I ache for him because this is the woman who made him into the incredible friend I know.

I don't want to post this on FB, because it feels like misery porn, like I'm making it about how I feel about my friend. But I need to put it out in the universe that this woman made an amazing man -- my friend, and I thank her for that.

That is lovely, Vortex. I'm so sorry for you and your friend.

I know that feeling, Vortex. Sending warm thoughts to your friend

Yay mac on getting gainful employment!

I feel so out of touch lately. Sorry I'm so absent these days. Busy, but more than busy just overwhelmed

In recognizing the makings behind a good friend, you honor his mother.

Oh, Mac - congratulations on the job. Please learn from it and from your coworkers.

This afternoon I saw my foot doc for my ten week follow up. The pain that has been so horrible the last couple of days? The bone that he operated on and pieced back together with two pins is broken. It broke along one of the pins. The bone isn't straight anymore but it isn't as curved as before. So I'm back in the boot for at least four more weeks and I guess he will reassess not only the healing but also the resulting angle of the bone.

I didn't do anything that I can point back to as the cause of the break. Other than my weight, I guess.

So, my brain is fucked up. I'm back on pain meds and unable to drive myself again...which will fuck up my brain some more. I had driven there by myself, so I had to drive home before rebooting. I put the top down and blasted music the whole way home.

Oh, Suzi, I'm sorry to hear all of that. But I'm pretty sure that this might have happened to anyone, and it's not about your weight. I don't know anything about foot bones, but I know teeth can break on ice cream and salad -- sometimes shit just happens.

I'm staying home sick again today, since I woke up at 4am, totally unable to breathe through my nose, but I have to try to get work done.

I'm sorry, Suzi, four more weeks of boot sounds tough. And, yeah, sometimes shit just happens - breaking along a pin sounds day like that kind of shit!

Vortex, what a lovely recognition of a fine friend and his mother.

Go Mac! Now you have to practice not rolling your eyes as he tells you how awful work/customers/management/TheMan is because surely you never had these experiences.

Oh Suzi! How awful. You knew it wasn't right, but this is not the kind of validation one needs. Foot bones are super tricky. I'm sorry. Also, Not Your Fault!!!

Oh, Suzi, I'm so sorry! That's not fair.

Yay, Mac!

A Bronzer friend -- newt, if any of you Bronzed back in the day -- is writing a freelance article and looking for Pennsylvania residents over 50 who travel by plane fairly often and don't have a passport. Any takers, hit up my profile address and I'll pass on the word to her.

Tis a new day and I feel like I'm going through the stages of grief. Stuck between denial and anger. Now that I know it is broken and not just a muscle issue, the pain seems to have ramped up. But I have so much work and homework, pain meds are not happening.

I appreciate your kind words. My local friends are offering help and I'm going to try to be better about asking for and accepting help this time.

Ugh, I'm sorry Suzi, that's a bummer. For the pain, do OTC meds help? For me they often do a better job than the opiates at killing the pain, but every body is different