Monday, October 08, 2007

Ka-put

Last week I was called "graceful" by someone who saw me running. I laughed and said that they must not have been looking at me correctly. Sure enough, my lack of grace proved itself accurate when I wiped out while running. I don't do this a lot ... I think this is my first fall in a few years. (The last big fall I remember occurred on a 6 mile run in college when John and a buddy just happened to be driving by at the exact moment I wiped out. How embarrassing!) Either way, today's fall was a hard enough ka-put to bruise both my palms, cut one of my palms, cut two knuckles, cut my knee, and get a dandy of a bruise on my left outer thigh. Oh brother!

Scrubs knew something was up. (Maybe it was the huge thud I made and then the yelp!) He started running on top of me and trying to eat the plastic bag I keep tucked into my waistband in case he decides to leave a message on someone's lawn. I tried to explain to him that I hurt everywhere but instead managed to get up and walk the rest of the way home. I also managed to take a quick look around to see if anyone spotted my fall. It didn't appear so, but I know somewhere, someone was laughing hysterically from inside their blinds.

All this on the heels of reading on Tara's blog that she just ran a half marathon. I'm jealous. Tara's a gazelle. (Okay Tara, don't reply to that one. I can't remember what animal you are from Africa, but I don't think it was a gazelle. I also know you don't consider yourself graceful. That's probably true. You are a tad bit clutzy.)

Speaking of Tara, I remember in Africa her trying to do something that required balance and John saying to her, "What in your past would lead you to believe that you accomplish this?" or something like that.

Okay so Tara isn't known for grace, but I think she's more graceful than me. (Don't argue Tara! Just accept it!)

I've actually been a bit frustrated at my body lately. I turned 30 in May and for the first time in my life, I feel like my body is fighting against me. This makes me mad! I have had some swollen joints for quite a few weeks now. John believes that this is the result of a viral infection (I think he said viral -- if I got that wrong, please don't correct me because I really don't care, and dog-gone-it there are too many physicians reading this blog to just let anything slide by.) (That reminds me of the zookeeper last week who said the giraffe at the zoo died from getting dirt in his lungs. She said this was called a pulmonary embolism. I nodded thinking it sounded good to me. JB rolled his eyes and later told me that dirt in lungs in not a pulmonary embolism. Okay. Whatever.)

Anyways, I've had some swollen joint issues. Then I dropped that stupid battery on my foot which has been compounded by a little puppy who finds that a perfect foot to jump on a daily basis. I fell while running, don't forget. Oh and I twisted my ankle at the bay the other day. I was running in the surf and hit the sand funny and rolled the ankle I blew out in high school (Kelly Stegs, formerly Gritz -- you may be the only one reading this blog who was on my team then. Right? Do you remember how swollen that sucker was? I think we were at St. John Newmann? Maybe the former Lisa Cascio is reading this. Were you on that team? Man I'm getting old. I can't remember.) Anyways, I twisted it again. That makes the fourth time since the original twist at 17.

I just sort of feel old. I don't think 30 is old. But when I was 15 I thought 30 was old. I remember that I was 9 years old when my Dad turned 33. I have a memory of me telling him he was old as I gave him his present and then him telling me he was glad to be 33 because that's how old Jesus was when he started his ministry. Does the Bible say that? I'm not sure. Where did my Dad come up with that one?

Another thing my Dad came up with. He told me my whole life that the crust on the bread was the best part for you! I'm sure he did this so I would eat the crust on the bread. But you know, I was 22 and married when JB went to cut the crust off a sandwich, and I told him not to do that because that was the best part for you. John started laughing hysterically and asked me who told me that. Well my Dad . . . well my Dad did and he lied to me! Horrors. Geez Dad. At least correct it when I move out of the house so I don't look like an idiot!

Okay, back to the fact that I am kind of old. So JB has this philosophy that old is 30 years older than whatever you are. I think that is true. I think that 60 seems pretty old to me right now. But when I am 60, that won't feel old. 90 will feel old. Sheesh though. At 90, I think I'll have to admit I'm old because 120 isn't readily attainable. Oh well.

I need to find a band aide for my cut knee.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wendi. You aren't even close to old.
30 is the new 20.
See you in 40 days (and 40 nights)

Anonymous said...

Wendi -
Hope your scrapes and bruises heal quickly! I am in the same boat about feeling a little old lately (I will be 30 soon enough). I hurt my leg playing soccer a few weeks ago & this is my first injury that has lingered.... granted it does feel better over all, but I think I have a permanently problematic knee now.

Just follow my mom's wisdom that age is just a number - so pick whichever one you want! People can't believe that she has a daughter that will soon be 30 (and I have a brother who is 40)!

btw - "Scrubs in scrubs" made Dan & I smile - we both needed that!

Anonymous said...

Wendi,

Man, that stinks, I always think that those kinds of injuries (I used to cycle a lot and got my fair share of scrapes and cuts) always hurt the Worst!

BTW, I have never thought you were clumsy or clutsy and am on the "I think that woman is sooo beautiful and graceful" woman's team. =)

Anonymous said...

I know that most of the people reading your blog are your age or younger. YOU ARE NOT OLD! You are talking to someone who is 10 years older than you and 9 years older than John. No way can you be old because I AM NOT OLD!

I remember our first winter in Rochester. Two deer, running off the road...and there was something else. I can't remember what it was. Anyway, all that in a couple of weeks. Yes, you, Tara, Veronica and I are a little klutzy.

I have sprained my left ankle so many times I would like to just remove it and be done with it.

The Ray Family said...

30!!! GOOD LORD!! I am going to dispute my wife on this one. Man...you ARE OLD! You are already taking the senior vitamins. Right? I hear they are good for your bones. You know--for when you fall and stuff.

Second, I am just saying, knowing that you are okay now, I would have paid $5 for a ticket to see that one. Not $6. Just $5.

But I am glad you are OK.

Anonymous said...

Well, I'm 52 and don't feel that old at all! I just have to stay away from mirrors and I'm happy in my little world!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Wen, My philosophy is that if I'm going to live forever, I don't care how old I get here, I'm still young. Now if only the body parts would understand that...BTW my mom told me that toast was better when it was burnt(since that was how it always turned out-we didn't have a toaster, she broiled it in the oven)so guess who is the one in the family who can eat burnt toast:) Though Bronte gets it if it's really charred!

Anonymous said...

Tell your dad that he is a little off...in his age calculations, that is!! Look up Luke 3:23 where it says Jesus was thirty when He began His puplic ministry and most people belive His public ministry was about three years in length, (Sorry, but don't you like it, just a little, to get back at those English teachers!?! LOL!)

Anonymous said...

Oh, no!! I just looked at my post trying to poke a little fun at George, and I end up with egg on my face because of all my spelling mistakes!!! Pride does come before the fall! Sorry, George, you're not off. ;)

Anonymous said...

Wendi, that was the most hilarious post I've read in a long time. I love your comments about not wanting any of your physician readers to make medical corrections and the dirt pulmonary embolism giraffe story. Isn't that true?! Sometimes we just want to tell a good story and not have it picked apart by people haggling over the accuracy of the details. Well that's how I feel sometimes anyway. If it's a good story, just let it flow! :) Take "artistic liberties". :)

Anonymous said...

When I was in my 30's, 40ish women said, "wait till you hit 40, everything starts going". I said phshhh... not me. Well, 40 has come and gone. I now wear walgreens magnifying reading glasses, which I'm forever losing, but refuse to put them on a chain around my neck (maybe when I'm 50 I'll give in). It takes me a few steps to "adjust" my bones, after sitting for a while. Gray hairs are creeping in. "Nice N Easy" is only a few years away. Not to mention how gravity is slowly taking over. Oooh to be 30 again!
Linda

TAV said...

You are WAY WAY more graceful. And the "what in your past" had to do with couscous!!!! And you are NOT old. You have accomplished so much! You were married at 21!!!!!

yuan family said...

My mom told me the crust was the best part for you as well and I didn't know any different until now!

Anonymous said...

Well if 50 is the new 30 which i hear people saying -then i understand your feelings cuz my body at 50 is doing the same things to me! We just have to keep moving and remember: Picasso said,
"It takes a long time to grow young." -i love that -makes me think of our eternal life in more glory than we can imagine! :)

Anonymous said...

By the way, for your mom - in -law, unless her son refutes this -there is some truth to the burnt toast theory -cuz when we were in Indonesia and couldn't get diahrea medicine we were told to take charcoal tablets --as it would absorb whatever poisons and stop the diahrea...i think my mom said burnt toast was good for stomach aches -- then we found out that grilling food can cause cancer so i wondered how that all worked together -but charcoal tablets (lots of them) do work for diahreaa...We had a jar of them with us in the jungle at all times and any time we got Bogor Belly from eating on the street we just ran to the local "kiosk" and got some charcoal tablets --Good thing doctors/medical people don't mind reading about these things.

Anonymous said...

thanx for sharing!!!

crazystegmamaof4 said...

Hey Wen...my mom just called and I said my name was mentioned on your blog (can you tell I'm blog-slacking lately :)) I actually started reading this post that day, but obviously never finished or I would have seen my name. UM...yeah...I remember that awful ankle incindent in high school. I can still picture the gym and us all hoovered over you. That was awful. I remember being sick to my stomach looking at your ankle which swelled to a very abnormal size. And you've had 4 more incidences with the same ankle? That's crazy. I feel for you, my friend. We gotta start slowing down in our old age :) Love ya! Kel/Stegs/Gritz :)

Anonymous said...

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age.
Amos Bronson Alcott