Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Monday, June 15, 2009

I feel like I have walked all over creation today

although that's an exaggeration, of course. I did walk over to the doctor's office today to see about my ankle. I have peroneal tendonitis and a possible stress fracture in my foot. I have an appointment for an MRI on Friday. They asked me if I were claustrophobic and I said yes. Apparently if you are they sedate you and you have to have someone drive you. I am the main driver, so I really don't have anyone to drive me, unless Margaret was free. So I said I'd just work through it. Only my waist down has to go in the machine. When I had the stress fractures in my other foot a couple of years ago I had trouble with the MRI but managed to get through it okay. Now when they did my head I had an open MRI and felt much better.

The doctor had a hard time trying to fit a boot on me because although my feet are very small, my calves are large, and the uppermost strap wouldn't close. She sent me across the street to a brace office, but they weren't in my insurance network. Since it would have been next Monday before I could really go to another orthotics office, I said I would go ahead and pay out of pocket, which in this case meant $250 out of my flexible spending account. But when I saw the orthotist, I mentioned that I had a boot that had been on my other foot. They're universal, and although he couldn't say for certain that it would help in this case, he suggested trying it and seeing. It's shorter than the one the doctor tried and therefore the calf issue is moot. They didn't charge me for the consult. I got to the bus stop before realising I'd left my umbrella, had to go back, and then managed to catch the bus to work.

I used some points I'd built up at Papa John's to get a free pizza today. That's pretty much held me all day. I talked to a friend who was really down and upset. I hoped I helped her. Then I went over to another friend's to do some work for him. I got in from there about an hour ago.

I'm looking forward to getting the car fixed on Thursday. I hope it won't be too expensive. It's also the day that LexTran rides are free. I haven't decided whether to take the day off or go to work during the repair and going back out to pick up the car. Thursday is our catered employee appreciation cookout, and we get a gift from the hospital. Although I don't eat the hamburgers, hot dogs, or baked beans (which have meat in them), they usually have garden burgers that have been cooked separately. So it would be nice to be there. I'm leaning towards that, especially given that I was out two days last week for the museum and the seminar, and I'll have to leave early Friday for the MRI.

Tomorrow and Wednesday I'm working from 10 am to 10 pm, with only a bus ride down Richmond Road between jobs. In theory I should be off from the store on Thursday and work 6-10 on Friday (another reason I couldn't do the valium sedation for the MRI).

I did my good deed for the day during my wait for the bus home. A pit bull puppy had wandered out of a house and the little boy who was holding the door open and calling it was being ineffectual. Of course, it came over to me, being the only other person around and it being a curious pup. I picked it up and brought it back over to the townhouse entrance. Fortunately the bus didn't come for another few minutes.

I meant to mention the other day that there is an advantage to riding the bus and walking down the road--you notice so much more along the side of the road. For example, as we passed the reservoir on Richmond Road the other day there was a turtle or tortoise sunning itself, its head bobbing up and down. There are also lots of geese with their goslings there. There were the daisies the other day, of course, but at the inbound bus stop across from the hospital there is a patch of tall yet small-flowered thistles that butterflies really love. I'm sure when they go to seed the birds will be all over them. When I used to live over by the hospital and walked, there was a creek where I'd stop and watch the fish for awhile.

Speaking of which, my platy mom has been having more babies. I'm not sure how many I have now, but the first ones are over a quarter of an inch now and a darker orange. The black swordtail is pregnant too. Thursday I hope to take some water over to Animal House to have it tested to see if it's okay. If so, I want to get an Amazon lily and a couple of golden snails at the very least and maybe a catfish or algae eater of some sort.

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