Bad Things Come in Threes : The Daily Journal of an Injured Knee

Monday, I talked a bit about the string of bad luck that’s been shadowing me since November when my computer died, followed by December when my dishwasher broke down just before the holidays.  And, some of you warned me that bad things come in threes so I'd best watch out. Well guess what? The very next day, I injured my knee during Ultimate practice. During a game, my teammate and I both went for the disc, didn’t see each other, and we collided in spectacular form. I took a wrist to the face and his knee slammed into the side of my knee and we both hit the ground. It hurt like a b****. He was fine, but I got the wind knocked out of me, and within minutes my left knee started to swell. !%ù*!!&###!!!

The drive back home after practice, sucked. It’s the only time I’ve ever wished my car was an automatic; I cringed every time I had to push down on the clutch…. Anyway, the next day I went to my doctor. He did a series of tests on my leg and knee and luckily, it looks worse than it actually is. There’s no damage to the knee joint and none of the major ligaments around the knee seem damaged. I’ve basically suffered a deep muscle contusion and have to rest my knee for at least 2 weeks. So if things go well, I should be back to practice in time for the Regional Championship in mid-February. Phew.   

In the mean time, I figured it’d be fun to document the changes in my knee as it goes through the healing process. I love experiments and I’m totally looking forward to seeing it change funky colors as the swelling goes down.

Here is my knee on Day 1:  It doubled in size. 

It's hard to tell from this angle, but the injured knee is the light brownish one on the right (your right). It looks like the swelling swallowed my knee cap. My good knee is the one on the left of the picture that actually looks like a knee cap with a few old scars in the center. 

 

Here is another shot from my perspective. You can see the swelling better on the left and the red spot where I got hit. 

Fun times y'all. Fun times.

As you can see from the pictures, my knee looks like it’s 9 months pregnant. I don’t walk, I hobble. Going up and down stairs is complicated as I can bend my knee only slightly. The skin over the injured area is shiny and smooth due to the swelling and it’s hot to the touch. It feels like my knee has a temperature. I wish I had one of those fish tank thermometer strips to see how hot it really is. There isn’t too much color around the knee, some redness a some light brown discoloration, but nothing overly interesting. 

By the end of the day, my lower back was aching because I’ve had to shift my weight to my good leg. The throbbing in my knee also made it difficult to fall asleep so I took a couple of pain killers. Thank you Advil PM.

So there you have it, my string of bad luck is officially OVER! YOU HEAR ME! I’m done, got my three bad things so now life can you please leave me the hell alone?
 

Thanks for stopping in everyone. I'll do my best to visit you all when I can. I'll be back tomorrow for another day in the life of an injured knee. 

In the mean time, be good and be safe! :D

Lockmeupology- Condom to the Left, Condom to the Right

Once upon a time, a girl went driving through the beautiful French countryside. She drank in the beauty of the endless fields of lavender and sunflower. She drove down countless old tree-lined roads, squealed over the charming country chateaux, and marveled at the architecture of each fortified town she drove through.

"Oh look, an intersection up ahead with more cute signs! 

I wonder where I should go next."

"Oh well, I guess no matter which road I take, I know I'll be safe!"

Today - Yesterday: The Funnies

Today.

This is a photograph of the funnies from my father's paper. It's a half a page long. He used to add the funnies to the packages he'd mail to us until a few months ago. His newspaper stopped printing the funnies.

Yesterday.

In the last package he sent, my father included this:
The Comic Weekly, a section from
the Baltimore American, July 1949.

Back page.
There are six whole pages of funnies all in color.

A classic on page 3.

And another classic, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. advertising for Camels at the bottom of page five.
Wait. What?

Also on page five, blond girl is so excited, convinced The Phantom wants to marry her. Well, he did give her a "wife house." He just forgot to mention she's going to be his three hundred and first wife.
Wait. What?

Luckily, little girls on page two know the best way to make their daddies proud.
Have clean, pretty dresses.
Wait. What?

I'm a fan of the funnies and it's been interesting reading through this old paper. Things certainly have changed, some for the good, others not so much. I wonder what the funnies will look like sixty years from now, that is if they still exist. 

What do you think? 

Y for YOGURTOLOGY

Another short post because Y is the dark abyss of ologies. 

However, I did find this--

A yucky Y_ology word

well not really yucky

Yogurtology is not a field of study. It is however, a chain store that sells frozen yogurt and ice cream and is apparently the "bees-knees." They also claim to be the art and science of frozen yogurt (source). They're located in many different parts of the U.S. but unfortunately, I've never come across one. However, I may have to wander in if I come across a Yogurtology shop while on vacation. Oh about that, I'm on vacation. Yep. This is a pre-scheduled post (hopefully I didn't mess it up) and if everything is going according to plan (which rarely happens), I should either be on a beach towel in front of the Gulf of Mexico, or standing in some sort of crazy long line with my kids at Disney World. 

Um, that really won't be necessary. I just came here for ice cream (o_O).
(source: Yogurtology fb page)

Anyone bare to eat at Yogurtology?  Sounds like it sure would hit the spot. What spot I have no idea. In fact, I have no idea what the hell I'm saying anymore . . . "slqkmfjei? mqfj2eio kdjsq*ù!" 

Thanks for stopping in everyone. Only one more day left!

:D

G for GELOTOLOGY

Gelotology is the science of mirthful laughter and its effects on the body from a psychological and physiological perspective. This discipline was first studied by psychiatrists, although some doctors in antiquity recommended laughter as a form of medical treatment. (Source)

Studies have shown that laughter can:

• relax the entire body,
• boost the immune system,
• reduce physical pain and stress levels, 
• help the brain regulate levels of dopamine as well as stress hormones: cortisol and epinephrine. (Source)
• increase blood flow throughout the body and improve functions of blood vessels which is good for the heart (Source)

Other great G_ology words:

Ghostology: The scientific study of ghostly phenomena.

Graphopathology: A branch in psychology that studies handwriting as a symptom of mental or emotional disorder. It can also be described as the interpretation of personality disorders from a study of handwriting. (Source)

And this is exactly why I never write by hand. Seriously, my handwriting is so bad, I scare myself. It's typing only for this crazy loon, or Morse code: 

-.. . ... -.-. .-. .. -... . / - .... . / ... --- ..- -. -.. / --- ..-. / .- / ..- -. .. -.-. --- .-. -. / ..-. .- .-. -


Also, smoke signals. 
Hand over the matches. 
I gotta do the grocery list.
Trust me.

Love . . . The Second Time Around Bloghop

This is a bloghop so please click HERE 
to read the other entries. (:

The Love…The Second Time Around Celebration dovetails with the theme of JL Campbell's soon-to-be-released novel, Retribution. I'm helping her celebrate by submitting a story of people taking another shot at a relationship. There will be voting and prizes, and there is still time to submit, so go HERE for more information. 

(The following is my flash fiction piece that takes place on an alternate Earth. I also have to admit that I exceeded the 500 word count limit and understand if this disqualifies me. I didn't have the time to edit out 100+ words but still hope you enjoy the entry nonetheless.)

****

"Eighty-four days," she said with her back still turned to him. "That is how long you have been gone. I didn't think you would ever return."

He closed the heavy wooden door to their bedchamber before speaking. "I'm sorry my love, but it was necessary. I was furious at you and afraid I would destroy the entire castle. I needed time away to think."

"Where did you go?" she prodded.

"To Sherwood for advice." 

"Sherwood!" Heat rose into her cheeks as she spun to look at him for the first time in weeks. "You spent all that time with Robyn Hode and his Merry Men doing . . . I don't even want to imagine what, while I sat here all alone, waiting for you and wondering if you'd ever come back to me?”

“I didn't leave you alone, Guinevere. I made sure Sir Lancelot stayed to keep you safe.” 

“Well Sir Lancelot proved to be a very kind and gentile knight with an enormous heart, more than I can say for his King.”

“Do you still not understand the gravity of the situation? What you did has damaged my reputation and caused tremendous confusion.”

"Oh Arthur, you are so melodramatic. It's just a sword and I'm sure Merlin can fix it.” 

“It’s not just a sword,” he growled. It's Excalibur, and Excalibur is not supposed to be pink!” He slid the weapon from its sheath to demonstrate his point. Not that he needed to. The bright pink glow that engulfed their bedchamber was a painful reminder of a spell gone wrong. Ashamed, Guinevere turned her gaze away from the sword, but the pink glow cast its light onto everything she laid her eyes on. "Tell me how can I possibly be taken seriously by any man, if I am to charge into battle wielding this?”

Guinevere fought the tears that threatened to flee down her face. “I don't know what went wrong,” she admitted. “I followed Merlin's instructions perfectly and then asked the question word for word of what you loved most in the world. The spell was supposed to make the sword reflect your true desires."

"So that explains your odd question that nigh."

"Yes, but that . . . " Guinevere said, gesturing to a weapon that had now lost all prestige and dignity, "was not the surprise I had intended. In my mind, the spell was supposed to garnish the hilt or engrave words of wisdom into the blade. I wanted to make it truly unique to where no man could ever refute the true ownership of the sword."

Shaking his head, King Arthur slid the sword back in its sheath and the room regained its normal color. "Do you know what I thought of when you asked that question?" he said. Guinevere eyes widened. She turned to Arthur and shook her head. "I thought of you the night of my birthday. You surprised me with that little pink, lace-up French corset." Guinevere cupped her hand over her mouth but couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her throat. "I guess I should be grateful the whole damn thing didn't turn into a giant undergarment."

Laughter erupted from both Guinevere and Arthur and they drank in the sound with relief and healing. She ran into his arms and he received her delicate frame with a feeling of joy he hadn't felt in eighty-four days.

Looking up at her King Guinevere said, “Let’s go to Merlin right now, I’m sure he can fix Excalibur.”

King Arthur smiled as he traced the contour of her nose and lips with his finger. "Do you still have that corset?" he asked.

Guinevere bit her lower lip and said, "I do."

"Then I think Merlin can wait until tomorrow."

(;

Crackmeupology and Happy Nuts

I bought this in a local French supermarket. 

It made me laugh. Apparently, I'm easy with the lols. 

Anyway, I think everyone should eat happy nuts, 
don't you think? 

Psst . . . *shifty eyes* they were delicious. 

(;

Happy Friday and hope you all have a good weekend!

The Morning Star, And a Poll

This morning during breakfast my kids and I were looking out the window. The sun was starting to come up and they asked me what star that was in the sky.  I wasn't sure. I told them I think it's actually the planet Venus, the morning star, but I'm not sure. Can anyone confirm that by chance?

The eastern sky at around 7:30am, November 30th.

Also, Mina Lobo over at Some Dark Romantic is conducting a poll to see what days of the week you guys are most likely to be catching up on your blog reading. It's real quick so hop on over and vote, if you get the chance.

Oh and one more thing!

Happy Friday everyone, and have a great weekend!

(:

Lockmeupology - Happy Thanksgiving

For all of you celebrating Thanksgiving, 

I wish you a wonderful holiday. 

Travel safely, 

enjoy your meals, 

make the best of family and friends. 

See you all on Monday. 

(:

Doo-Doo Talk

Raising bilingual children can really be a hoot. My kids (6yrs and almost 4yrs) have learned to naturally shift from one language to the other depending on the situation. However, there are times when a word or two gets carried over into the wrong language. One of those words is "doudou" used by French children when referring to their favorite stuffed animal, blanky, doll, etc. I believe it comes from the phrase "tout doux" which means, soft all over. Kids who have trouble pronouncing the T in "tout", end up saying something like "dou" which becomes "doudou." The word "doudou" on its own sounds soft and gentile when spoken in French. The problem is it's pronounced "doo-doo" and my son, whether he speaks in French or in English, always refers to his favorite toy rabbit as his "doo-doo." So, you can imagine some of the funny conversations we've had with this.  

Son:  "Mommy, I can't find my doo-doo."
Me: "Can't you sleep with another one?" (I know, I know, stupid question...)

Son: "I don't want you to clean my doo-doo!"
Me:  "I have to, it's way too dirty." (Heavy negotiations ensue...)

Son: "My doo-doo wants to eat at the table."
Me: "Fine, but if you play instead of eat, I'll have to put it away." (sure mom, whatever you say...)

But sometimes even I slip up:

"No, you can't take your doo-doo into the store, it has to stay in the car."

"Please don't make him cry, give him back his doo-doo."

"Oh, no. Looks like I'm going to have to sew up your doo-doo."

So the other day while driving my kids to school, I tried explaining why we needed to stop saying "doudou" when we speak English and instead use the term "stuffed animal." Of course they asked why, and the moment my kids found out that "doo-doo" is just another word for "poo-poo" in English, they laughed, and laughed so hard, even I was cracking up, and by the time we got to school my kids were saying stuff like:
     
      "You sleep with poo-poo!"
                       "HAHAHAAHAHAH!"

      "You play with your poo-poo!" 
                       "HAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!"
  
I don't know why but at that age, anything having to do with poo or pee is the most hilarious thing with kids.  Anyway, we're still having fun with the word "doudou", though I wonder how long it's going to take before the word "stuffed animal" finally takes it's rightful position in my son's vocabulary...I have a feeling it may take a while, lol! 

The doudou. (:

She's Right Behind Me, Isn't She?

Ever put one of your characters in that awkward situation where they're talking trash or making fun about someone and suddenly the person in question is standing right behind them? And isn't it so funny when it happens...to someone else? 

While I was procrastinating on the net doing research for my ms, I came across this clip that compiles a bunch of movie examples of the "(S)he's right behind me..." moments. It's pretty funny but I kept waiting for the scene from Kung Fu Panda where Po is making fun of Master Shifu with the noodle bowls for ears and a string of noodle draped over his nose, know what I'm talking about? That scene totally cracks me up but I couldn't find it online. Anyway, enjoy the clip below, it has a bunch of funny moments.  (:

Do you all have other examples? Written this into your wip? Has this ever happened to you in real life? Oh, if it has please share! :D   

Lockmeupology

Here's hoping you all have a big umbrella. 

If you don't, you can borrow mine.

Happy writing and have a great weekend!!!

Ramona Forever and Ugly Princesses

I moved 8 years ago and would you believe, I still have moving boxes that have yet to be opened! I’ve been going through some of this s*** stuff and I’m now realizing how much of a pack rat I am. When did this happen? I used to be much more orderly and loved the feel of a nice, crisp, neat, organized living space. So I ask again, what happened? Oh yeah, kids, a husband and a monumental move to France, that’s what happened. And my house, it’s now a Feng Shui nightmare.

Anyway, I was feeling particularly bummed today wondering why I’m so exhausted all the time, why my right shoulder hurts when typing at the computer, and wondering why, for the love of God, am I now trying to become a writer during a time in my life when I have NO time. And then, I found this postcard from Beverly Cleary stuffed in a dusty cardboard moving box. I was nine when I wrote her and reading her reply brought back a rush of memories and emotions that I had all but forgotten. That’s when I realized creative writing has always been my primary instrument for emotional expression. And along with B. Cleary’s card, I also found my first attempt at writing fiction. It was a short story entitled The Quest, written when I was about eleven. Reading over that story (which was printed on a dot matrix printer mind you) about knights, witches and ugly princesses, made me chuckle. And you know what, it wasn’t half bad! So thank you Beverly Cleary for your kind words, they mean just as much to me now as they did over 20 years ago, and thank you The Quest, for helping me let go of some self-doubt issues I’ve been hanging onto lately. I’m not now trying to become a writer because I’ve always been, to some extent, a writer.

If you have the chance, go back and dig out some of your earliest writing projects. Not to read with a critical eye, but rather with the eyes of a young writer during a time in your life when everything seemed possible. I'd love to hear about it. And if nothing else, I’m sure it’ll put a smile on your face. (: