Friday, July 12, 2013

ANKLE SHMANKLE

I will be 54 next month and I'm relieved to tell you...I've NEVER broken a bone!  this is the result of being a cautious, adventure-less, nervous nelly.   My kids on the other hand....Sheesh... that's another post.
Three weeks ago I was teaching my Zumba class at the library where they are replacing the A.C.
( who the heck replaces a system in summer?!) HOT doesn't have enough letters to describe how uncomfortably hot it was in that room.
The sweat covered ken tile floor was just too much for my purple ZOOM Nike's and DOWN I went!
I was more stunned that I suddenly was on my Buttocks then I was embarrassed for being down there.
I didn't even realize I had slipped, it was that quick.
I felt a shooting pain on the top of my foot, but once I stood up... it didn't hurt too much... so what do you do when you're a CRAZY  albeit nervous nelly??  YOU keep on dancin'!   Like I thought I was in Pippin or something, the show must go on! so crazzzzzy lucy gets up, motions to her sweet concerned Zumba girls that she is OKaY!  And continues the FUN,Fabulous songs for another 15 min.

My ankle felt 'fragile' but it didn't hurt to dance, walk, climb the library stairs or drive home. 
Regardless, I decided to R.I.C.E.all that day!   (Rest, ice, compression and elevate.)
The following day I worked a  10 hour day on my feet. By evening, my ankle was So swollen, that I got VErY nervous.. I called my orthopedic, but he and his group were at a convention!  the following day, I worked again, but cut my day short to ice and rest some more. One of my sweet friends was an ER nurse, she looked me over and she told me she thought it was just a sprain. I felt relieved by her opinion and  It felt well enough that I decided to teach Zumba monday and tuesday with the help of my amazing Students, who know my routines real well.   
About a week later, my ankle was less swollen and only hurting in certain positions. But I decided (thanks to a client who owns an insurance company) to be smart and see my doc. to touch base (and document my fall, especially that my lower back was hurting too ) My dr.  didn't think my ankle was broken but thought an MRI would be smart, since i am on my feet for both of my jobs. She wanted to make sure ligaments, tendons (and whatever else we have in there )were Okay. ( I will have to wait for insurance approval.) The next day,  I decided to spring (well , summer)clean my neglected bedroom.  I got up too quickly from being on my hands and knees vacuuming under furniture and accidentally  put all of my weight on the top of my foot and  I SCREAMED profanities to an empty house like a downed surfer to the roaring sea.  WOW....took me back 20 years to the labor and delivery room!

For the next week, my ankle felt worse than it did after that library zumba class.
I decided to call my podiatrist.  ankle? foot?  same thing,no?  he is right near my home and he is a BIG personality and a GREAT dr. ... unfortunately, he was away (surfing?)  but his associate was able to see me.
He did an xray, and told me that I didn't  have a sprain I instead had a fractured fibula!! My first break in nearly 54 careful, boring years???  I could, however, continue doing all I was doing and it would heal...  I felt like such a moron. I was beating myself up for not getting an xray sooner. If it were one of my dare devil, accident prone sons... they would have been in the ER the same day!  I drowned my regrets and foolishness  in two lovely glasses of pinot noir and fell asleep. 

Today My dr.called, telling me she got the approval for the MRI... when I told her it was a fracture, she said it would be smart to see an orthopedist. I started feeling so stupid AGAIN! although, that IS who I called initially, that is THE bone expert, right?? Why didn't I try him again?  It's been 3 weeks and NOW I want to see him...sooo desperately!  I suddenly think the Foot dr. is a moron too!  I don't trust anyone but this BONE man who I SHOULD have called back!

Well, I just came back from  Mr. bones  office. he couldn't make out anything in the cloudy,foggy xray that the podiatrists  RECEPTIONIST took.... so he took his own. Guess what?  I have a freaking SPrained ankle and it will talke time, but It will be FINE! It is NOT a BREAK!  my sweet ER nurse friend was RIght!  I still feel stupid and overwhelmed... even though I writing this while on my 2nd glass of pinot.   







Saturday, May 25, 2013

An Invisible Thread


Back in February, I had TWO weeks off from work, as I was recuperating from some minor hand surgery. Finally! A PERFECT opportunity to truly participate in my book clubs next discussion, by Actually reading the book selection instead of just showing up for their great company and delicious food!  I had been absent from the previous meeting but the girls emailed me to tell me our selection was "An Invisible Thread" a non-fiction book from a local author.

Before I settled down in (mr. Petals) recliner with a pillow for my elevated hand, ice pack, ipad, cell phone, cup of tea and book club book.. (okay...  there were cookies too...many cookies). I asked my husband if he knew this local author who was from his home town of huntington station.  He looked at her picture, and read her name, 'Laura Schroff, No I don't know her." ( hmm..he said that too quickly and with such disinterest.)  I sat down and googled her name and found out she also went to his high school and as he kissed me goodbye, I asked him Yet again... ARE u SURE?? With excitement I added...she went to your high school!!  she's only a few years older than you!!...  ( I can be quite annoying I guess) because he impatiently snapped back..  I DON'T KNOW HER!   So off Mr. Grumpy went to work.  

AH... this felt so good (despite my throbbing hand) to have a day to myself and to finally settle in to read, I had missed it.  ( lately, zumba choreography has taken up all of my down time)
The story had me instantly glued to it.  I couldn't put it down, tea went cold, I didn't even eat  every cookie.  Not long in to 'An invisible thread' the author mentions her maiden name. It was very familiar.. I could have SWORN my husband had mentioned that name to me. (married for 33 years, I've been a pretty GOOD Listener... and apparently have a much better memory than I give myself credit)  I peeled myself away from the intriguing pages and took a much needed bathroom break then also gave Mr. Petals a call on one of his busiest work days. "Hey Honey, how's it going,  you know that author u said u didn't know"? He sighed and I heard him quietly say "eye eye eye" (who is he? ricky ricardo?)  "Well,  I just read her MAIDEN name and it sounds SOoo familiar, Didn't you know the Carino's? Her dads name was Nuzie".   

There was silence on his end for a few seconds.... He said... "What?!! LU... She is my Cousin!"
"(Sucking in air...) seeee!!! I KNEW YOU HAD TO KNOW HER!!!" (hee hee)  He couldn't believe it and quickly started filling me in on some of his memories of her family. Some that I soon read about in the following chapters of this moving, heart wrenching story.  I emailed my book club friends to tell them of this AMAZING discovery! One friend wrote back that she was MORE amazed that I was actually reading one of our book selections. (wise guy!) 

Small world that it is, another friend suggested I try to get in touch with Laura via her website, or Facebook.  I wrote her a message and to my surprise and delight, she graciously wrote back!!  we corresponded a few times and then I also contacted her sweet sister Nancy, who my husband and his sister were friendly with in their youth. She was closer in age to them. My husband spent many years hanging out at her home. They lived on the same block. He had many memories of that time.  I found this all so exciting, fascinating and touching! so....

I decided to be bold and just come out and ask Laura if she and Nancy would ever consider taking the hour ride back to long island to attend our book group!  As you can see in the photo.. They both accepted! Laura is sitting in the center of the photo and her sweet sister Nancy is on her left.  They were both so lovely,kind, warm and friendly. Within minutes we felt we knew them! We were riveted, hanging on to Laura's EVERY word!  We really enjoyed Hearing so many additional details of her poignant story as well as all the experiences she has had since.  She is incredibly charismatic and can captivate you with her bright eyes, gentle smile and expressive conversation!  My sister-in-law who also LOVED the book joined us to reunite with her cousins.
We discussed our family tree. Laura's mom and my father-in-law were First cousins. So we assume that makes Laura and  my father-in-law second cousins, and then she would be third cousins with my husband and his sisters.  I mentioned cousin 'once removed' and it totally confused us all... so we are sticking with third cousins! 

The book's title comes from the ancient chinese proverb which states, an invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place and circumstance. 25 years ago, Laura was destined to meet and befriend Maurice, a hungry 11 yr. old panhandler. This year maybe she was destined to meet her long lost cousins wife Lucy. We sure hope to keep in touch with this remarkably kindhearted soul. 


*Laura has made many tv appearance including Kathy Lee and Hoda , Rachel Ray and Mike Huckabee.
If you want a beautiful, uplifting, honest book that will touch your heart, break your heart yet leave your heart believing there truly are really good people in this harsh world, you MUST read this wonderful book!   Laura's website is     http://www.aninvisiblethread.com/    You can watch a video of her and her friend Maurice. Their friendship and story can not be missed.
hope you will give me YOUR review! 






Monday, February 11, 2013

Laughter is the best medicine

 I have been off from work and healing from trigger finger surgery.  yesterday I sent my husband to the grocery store to buy something he could cook for dinner. I had a small list which included my (recent) favorite candy.. peanut chews. After a while, he calls me from the candy aisle... he can't find them. While I am describing the packaging so he can better locate them, he said "Oh, it wasn't on the list but I also picked up bagged lettuce so I can make us a salad."  I said... we don't need it, we have plenty of lettuce home.

When he walked in the front door ...not only had he picked up the meat, the oranges, the garbage bags, tissues and the desired peanut chews... he had Two bags of chips, MORE bags of candy (which he claims he picked up thinking he wouldn't find the chews and then didn't want to put them back, because he knows I love twizzlers and raisinets too!) THREE huge bags of peanut chews AND TWO bags of pepperidge farm milano cookies!!    I know this is his way of taking "good care" of me
  (and HIM) while I mend. So I just smiled and said "ARE u kidding me??  you are too funny, I'm going to gain 100 lbs these two weeks!"

  As we were eating dinner... he said... you know, I feel a little bad now, I  didn't feel like going all the way back to the produce aisle so I just put that lettuce back on a random shelf.
 I literally started choking on my vinegary salad.... due to hysterical laugher... I finally was able to speak  to share what went immediately through my mind.  I said...please tell me...it wasn't the candy shelf was it?? haha...
 If anyone was watching you they would see you putting ALL that candy in the cart on top of  the chips and cookies and then you go.. NAH... i don't need no stinkin lettuce!  And you put it on the candy shelf!!   I could just see it so vividly  and he could too and we both just couldn't stop laughing for so so long.
 I just know that  somewhere there is someone writing a blog post about the chubby guy in the candy asile at stop and shop, who had second thoughts about adding lettuce to his cart.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Illuminate...literally



..it all began with that biatch..sandy. aka... superstorm sandy.

We were very lucky Ny'ers.. we only lost power for one week. With the horrors others were going through we didn't want to gripe about having no power/ heat/ hot water.. instead we tried to focus on  what we were grateful for AND what was useful... talking often about (to whoever would listen) these 6 little LED tap lights that we had picked up at costco back in the summer...JUST in CASE we ever lost power.  they even had a remote... coming home late at night...you just hit the remote and five of these lil discs would brighten up our kitchen and den brightly enough to make it to the bathroom where the other one was.
Well, I found them smart and helpful but my (crazy) husband got crazy with them! They had double sided tape so he taped one up on the underside of my beautifully faux painted ceiling fan blade, claiming the light was better illuminating DOWN on our scrabble board. (it was) He also taped one under the soffit above the kitchen sink,
 (allowing me to see the dirty dishes past 3 pm) but ....6 little lights were NOT enough.. he NEEDED more! He's always been one to OVER-do a good thing... He is always teased about how he likes making things better until they're worse.... for example-his garlic mashed potatoes... they are amazingly delicious... so what does he do? he tries to Out do them each time, till we want to puke from TOO much butter and garlic.
back to my illuminated home...
He goes back to costco... they of course are sold out of anything related to a power outage, except cheese... ever notice how much cheese is on their shelves? they'll never run out. (related how?)

So Mr. Petals keeps on checking weekly... well right before christmas he hits the LED jackpot. Not only do they have the 6 little round tap lights... they now have something BETTER! STrIpS of led lights that can be MOunTED with screws! (yes the tape ruined our paint)   and wait for this................  they have MOTION CONTROL TOO!  
He says he wants to get ready if we lose power again... I thought.. He is getting ready for the Nut house!

Now we have these rectangular strip lights on motion control mounted to the kitchen cabinets, molding, bathrooms and even in the boiler room above the panel box. (the electrician thought this a genius idea!) We don't turn on light switches at night anymore.. like royalty... everywhere we walk is just illuminated!!  (please read that last line with your best english accent)
 I got a bit on the crazy train and asked for them to be mounted in some of the darker clothes closets. which you must admit is a smart idea too! (can u 'catch' crazy like the flu??)  because...It all began to seem normal and quite smart to me...

 But then... My son came home from college for the holidays. After a few days being home, He pulled me aside one morning and with a look of concern  he asked ... "mom?, what is UP with ALL of  these stupid lights going on everywhere I Go?? I can't even walk around the house at night, thinking I will wake u guys up!  Have you and dad gone crazy?"
hmmm.... he made me wonder again!  I replied warmly... we may be Joey...but at least it's a nice BRIGHT shade of crazy!!   Do u want one in YOUR room?   ;)

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