Life Lessons.

Life's just full of little lessons--for instance, the TLC Channel "Life Lessons" figurine that reminds us that children learn from us, and will repeat every single thing you say--usually at the most inappropriate moment.

Here's another: do you know somebody who has to one-up your pain? You know, when you just want to have a good gripe but they keep telling you what they have that's worse? Yep, fine, you want to tell them, You win in the 'Sucks to be you' contest of life, but dang it, i still need some air time!

You know that internal dialogue, the one where you're really hoping it's "that still small voice" generally associated with God, and not just *you * upping the Crazy Quotient of the family tree? Well, like i said as i closed an earlier gripe-post, there's stuff i can do with fibromyalgia but not with a cast, and vice-versa. It's the first category i'm honing in on here.

It's like the Still Small Voice is saying, "well, look--you used to be able to do that with fibromyalgia--oh, and that--" (Here the Still Small Voice gets the tiniest bit cheerfully sarcastic, which is part of why i worry that possibly, just possibly, it's really that family tree business i mentioned earlier rather than God--) "Hmmm....So, do you think that maybe there are things that are more limiting than fibromyalgia? And that you should be thinking of what you can do with the fibro rather than what you can't?" Yeh, whatever.

So, life's little interruptions may not always be the End All they seem at the time, as much as i hate to admit that. It's so satisfying to have the occasional whinge, and i've always been one to tell someone "Your pain is your pain" and isn't less simply because someone else has it worse. But how can i have a really good whinge about the fibro with that cheerful Still Small Voice in my head pointing out that it could be worse? i mean, it's not as if i can't drive and get out of the house or something--Oh wait, 2 more weeks in this cast. Dang.

Life's Interruptions/Life's Lessons. They seem to have a connection. i hate when that happens.

Please tell me at least i'm burning more calories...

i just showered. Did the whole routine--shoe on the cast, wrap a towel around the cast, giant black garbage bag over the whole thing. As soon as i stepped into the water, i felt it running down inside the bag. Plan B, balance aforementioned casted/shoe-ed/toweled/bagged foot on the edge of the tub, precariously. By the time i'd washed and conditioned my hair, scrubbed my body, and scraped the stubble from underarms and one leg with a dull razor, i was exhausted. Huffing and puffing like i was three times my already generous size... Ready to move on with the day? i don't THINK so--more like "ready for a nap."

So, please tell me i'm at least burning more calories than usual...

Dormancy.

You Are An ISFP

The Artist You are a gifted artist or musician (though your talents may be dormant right now).You enjoy spending your free time in nature, and you are good with animals and children.Simply put, you enjoy beauty in all its forms and live for the simple pleasures in life.Gentle, sensitive, and compassionate - you are good at recognizing people's unspoken needs. You would make a good veterinarian, pediatrician, or composer.

What's" Your Personality Type?

i just did this short version of the Myers Briggs personality test--interesting and quick. i guess a person can change types over time--perhaps as a result of simply growing up, or maybe years of therapy (also aiding in growing up.) i don't think this is what i tested as before. i do always end up in the creative block of the test, but this is the first time i've heard my talent might be dormant. i feel like I'M dormant in the past years--but dormant is at least a kinder word than "stagnant" which also leaps to mind...

Casting the first bone.

It seemed like such a small thing.

As i was walking down the stairs, my left foot slipped. This left my right big toe hammering itself into the floor full force. i hopped around, muttering, and grabbed my toe firmly, and thought "boy that's gonna be sore." But broken, i didn't anticipate broken. My first broken bone and cast in 53 years.

The next morning, Easter, i awoke to my toe swollen and colored like an Easter egg in lovely purple stripes. So it seemed best to have it checked out at Kaiser urgent care before going to eldest daughter Candie's for lunch. i was thinking maybe i'd need a funny little shoe and some tape. Certainly not a cast, what with my favorite jeans on and all. But thank God for stretch denim, i wasn't forced to cut them off that night.

So, yes, it's a cast to the knee, for 4 weeks. Everything is a struggle, i must say. Walking up and down the stairs is an amazing feat of the feet--and since the shoe is slightly curved so it gives a rocking motion for the purpose of walking, it makes walking down the little hill of our front yard an adventure--will she be able to stop before she hits the step of the porch? And driving is out of the question, since my right foot is encased in a lovely blue cast (but it does match my blue purse nicely!) A decent shower is an impossibility, what with the large plastic bag and strict instructions to NOT GET THE CAST WET. i can't use the hot tub. Who would ever think i could tire of my computer or television? AND IT'S ONLY BEEN SIX DAYS!!

So, stuff i could do with fibromyalgia but not with a broken toe: decent shower, soak in the hot tub, do stairs, wear two shoes and get a pedicure.

Stuff i can do with a cast but not with fibromyalgia: get sympathy and have people do favors for me without complaining. ;-)