Stupid Strikes Again

Before you say anything- I have already and am still going thru a horrific time about this. As you probably know by now, I broke my foot last week. I had gotten very comfortable driving with my left foot. Not driving more than I had to and definitely not on the highway. I am very situated in the truck so as to have my booted right foot well out of the way on the "hump", with the seat pulled up and my body turned "just so" so my left foot had the reach it needed. I had just pulled in the driveway and put my foot on the brake. It happened so fast, I'm assuming my foot slipped and hit the gas. My natural instinct was to reach for the brake with my right foot which just pushed my left foot again on the gas. As you can see in the pictures the house stopped my truck.

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The scary thing is- I was just saying to myself that I had this all worked out and it would be fine driving with my left foot. People do this out of necessity and this was a necessity. Then this happened just moments after I was thinking this. The thing I did not count on is the natural instinct to use the right foot in the case of emergency. As long as things are going fine, it's ok; but when you need to react quickly, the instinct is to do it with the right. So please, please tell anyone you know, not to think it's ok to drive like this, for any reason. You never know when you'll have to act quick, and believe me- you will never be prepared!!!

A number of things could have happened to make this situation worse.

1. Wayne was on the porch getting ready to take the truck to look at a job, could have already been right there.

2. If Matthew had woke up 20 minutes earlier, he would have been sitting there drinking coffee and smoking

3. Maya could have easily been playing in the drive or yard

4. Last but certainly not least-this could have happened in traffic

Needless to say, I learned my lesson. As inconvenient as it's going to be, I will NOT be driving for 4-6 wks. I keep having bouts of " out of the blue" crying in response to the visions of what could have been. Feeling so-o-o remorseful and ashamed. I could not have lived with myself if I had hurt or killed someone.

I'm trying to look at this as a blessing to have learned this without anyone getting hurt. I'm a little sore in the shoulders, arms and ribs, but nothing my chiropractor can't help me with.

Wayne has been a dear, just like our daddy. So calm, collected and comforting. He's held me and not complained one bit. God has raised him to the occasion health wise.

Perhaps Mary Ann will do the honors of posting the pics of my truck attached to my house.

Moral of this blog: Don't try this at home, it brings nothing but heartache!

Well Ain’t that special???

Gearing up to pat myself on the back, and then I hear "snap"!!!

Sure hope that was a twig I stepped on. One look back told me--no such luck. So how could this be??? This changes everything!!!

A friend of a friend needed to find a good home for her dog she could no longer keep. Knowing a family who was looking for a dog, I emailed my friend and set it up to pick up the dog and deliver it to it's new owners. One problem....I have to pick the dog up at 6:30 and the family can't pick it up from me until 8:30. No problem..just more pats on the back for me.

So as not to upset my dogs or cats, I opt to keep the dog in the front yard on a leash until the new owners could arrive. Good idea...could-of, would-of, should-of! Since he'd been in the kennel all day after being nuetered, I decide he'd enjoy a little walk, after offering him water and food. Well he did... me?? not so much! He dragged me over over the place. I was ok with that, although it wore me out. He finally settled down. Yeah, right!!

For no apparent reason, he bolted, throwing me off balance, causing me to mis-step on our uneven sidewalk, turning my foot sideways. (which is where I was at the beginning of this story)

I'm on the ground crawling to catch the leash that left my hand, afraid to stand up on my foot. Finally grabbing the leash, I pulled myself to my feet for a test walk.... Yep! it hurts, but I can walk on the side of the foot, which comes in handy, since the dog got away again. This time going down the street, with me hobbling along 25 feet behind him calling his name. Hmmff.. he doesn't know me or the neighborhood, he's not listening.... I'm almost in tears, hoping ONE of my neighbors will see this spectacle going on and assist me. No one!!! It's 8 p.m. and all our neighbors are older than us and have shut the doors for the night. 3 houses down I catch up to him and I'm able to grab the leash. That's good..right??? Wrong.... He's dragging me now much faster than my hurt foot can take.... NOW I AM crying!!!

Put his ass in the kennel!!!!!! Yes sirree!! Mosquitos are already sensing I don't have bug spray on EVERY part of my body and are munching away at whatever is available. Mary Ann comes up about that time, puts the dog in the foyer where Bear used to stay, and we escape from the vampires flying all around us like vultures.

The family came for the dog about 9 p.m. All's well that ends well. Except for the foot part.

Elevated and iced the foot all night and went to clinic the next morning, then the foot dr. the NEXT morning. Yep, it's broke....Soft cast and big ugly boot for the next 4-6 weeks. At least I can hobble on the heel of this monster boot, keeping the crutches far, far away.

Just not in the mood now to pat myself on the back. I feel more like kicking myself in the ......... Mary Ann took a pic of me wheeling myself around on the computer chair. It wasn't that cooperative but it beat walking on the side of my foot. (that was the first day, before the boot) Maybe I can get her to add the pic to this blog.

Is there a moral to this story??

Gotcha Birthday Boy!!!

Last weekend was People Suck's BD weekend. All the family was here to celebrate His Day--a day early. We managed to surprise him with a new recliner. He has spent so much time in the recliner, it has gotten pretty dog-gone worn.

I spent the whole week before going to different furniture stores- sitting in all the recliners I thought were worthy of his body. I finally came to decision Saturday, but had to take the one on the floor since the warehouse had none and would not have any for 2 wks. They loaded it in my truck and off I went, almost dumping it b/c it got to rocking and picking up speed with the wind. Matthew met me in the driveway and we were able to get it in the house in a room he never goes in, while he was still sleeping.

Sunday evening we got together for Gattis pizza and some Marble Slab ice cream cake. Afterwards, he was outside chatting with Rick, Matthew and Mary Ann (her job was to keep him out) Good Job Mary Ann!!!!! Mark, Lisa, Ashleigh and I were busy inside switching out the recliners.

When he was finally released to come back in the house, he walked right in eyeing a small gift bag in the new recliner. Even picking it up to sit in the NEW recliner, he did not realize until he placed his arms on the huge overstuffed chair arms. FYI--he also had his eyes on the kiddos. Then the big smile appeared. It was a good Birthday. I'm glad we were able to pull it off. It's so much fun surprising people you love. I will say, I did not get much done that week, even forgetting to do a couple of things he wanted me to do. It was hard coming up with excuses for getting little done.

What prompted this blog was watching him tonight relaxing in it for the first time since he's had it. He worked Monday - Thursday night and then Friday night we were traveling to Monroe, getting back tonight with just enough time to relax and channel surf. He deserves some down time in it.

Our trips to Monroe are always planned with Catfish Junction in Broddus, TX in mind. It's all you can eat buffet with homecooked veggies, gumbo, sausage and fish of course and so much more. Of course I go for the banana pudding. It's a great place, they also have jamborees every weekend. We need to go for that sometime. We go this way to avoid the highsway 59 ratrace traffic. It's good highways and beautiful scenery.

This weekend was really tiring for him. We rented a compact car for the trip. It was cheaper than buying gas for our truck. When you're used to riding in a big truck, riding in a compact car is like riding a go-cart among all the big cars, trucks and 18 wheelers. Anyhoo, it saved wear and tear on our truck and was worth it in gas, especially since we took the scenic route to the family reunion, Saturday. That reminds me, we passed thru the hunting grounds Wayne used to deer hunt. Coming back thru later that afternoon, we took a chance on stopping by his cousin Bonnie's house. We had a great visit with her and Houston. Leaving her house, we went to the cemetery his great grandfather was buried. Found his grave marker AND his great GREAT grandfather's marker and possibly a great great uncle's also. This ended a good day. Needless to say, Wayne was pooped. I tried to hook up with Stacey, but I guess her social calendar had her elsewhere. Try you next time Stacey.

Today we had my mom's famous hamburgers. Just for Wayne, she cooked up some of his favorite veggies. They have not seen him since November and was so glad to see him, though they have talked with him via phone all thru this illness. Debby (my sister) and Ralph and my neice Jody and her two children joined us for lunch. It was a splendid visit back home, I MUST do it more often. DOWN GAS PRICES, DOWN!!!