I decided to go home for lunch today. I am financially strapped this month and cannot eat out - beside I already indulged myself in Starbucks for breakfast. Lunch is an important part of my day. I work with criminals all morning and all afternoon and lunch is my break to get away from the drama. Already today I've had a grown man cry, as his mother is in a cancer-induced coma and a young girl explain she will be "taking care of her pregnancy" and it's not a big deal - she's done it before. This is my hour in the middle of the day to decompress and regroup.
It's a nice day out and I'm in my own world - contemplating my bank account balance and how I will afford those shoes I want and a haircut this month. There is a myriad of ways to walk home and I try to shake it up every now and then. No matter the route I never cross Cascade at Platte on the south crosswalk. Drivers in the turn lane on Platte never pay attention to pedestrians and it is very dangerous - I've almost been hit and have seen a few close calls. As a pedestrian, knowing my right of way, I can become stubborn, "it is my turn to walk and you must yield to me." It isn't always the safest stance to take, as they're shielded by steel and me, only cotton and polyester. So, as fitting, today, I crossed Cascade at Platte on the north crosswalk - a much wiser choice - just as I stepped onto the sidewalk I hear a loud, "Hey! Watch out!" I look to see what is going on and watch as a bicyclist gets hit by a car, and lands on the hood. He appears to be moving. I call 911 and another witness pulls over and checks the bicyclist (everyone else, mind you, doesn't even slow down - busy lives to live and intersections to plow through). The bicyclist is okay - looks like a transient and explains he thinks he'll just go. The man driving the car is rattled but the two shake hands...no hard feelings. Police, fire engine, ambulance.... (alas, no single men who discover I am the one they've been waiting for)it is quite the scene. I fill out my witness statement and discover my own witness incompetencies and then that's it. I can go. Bicyclist will live. Other witness will go home and have a drink. Driver will not go back to work and call it a day.
I did make it home - I had just enough time to eat a peanut butter sandwhich and some cheez-ums, then back across the intersection, paying more attention to the cross-walk this time.
So much for my break from drama - so much for the regroup.
Folks - look both ways, it's dangerous to be alive.
-J
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Dangerous to be alive: part I
I'm clumsy, have been most of my life - but that last few months have been dangerous. I'm always tripping, and unfortunately, sometimes falling. I can recount some of the more tragic times like they were yesterday. Biffed it outside of my hotel in Paris in front a group of Japanese tourists; biffed it at a busy intersection in my go-go boots, where a man was kind enough to point out I may have dropped something; biffed it going up the parking garage stairs in the evening, so that anyone looking would have seen it occur in spot-light form through the large window with stairwell lighting.
It happended again on Friday, hours before the single's retreat, and minutes after establishing a payment plan for my physical therapy (after my nasty Alaska fall-PT told me chronic ankle sprainers often suffer from weak ankles the rest of their lives)...I was walking home from work, for lunch. I made it all the way downtown, across the street, across the lawn of the park and was so close to my door and then the next thing I know: concrete - in my face! Somehow my left foot slipped in my shoe and I biffed it. All the contents of my bag were on the ground around me - papers, pens, 6 lip glosses (none of which is quite the right color) and even some unmentionables. I mumbled a curse word and then began the struggle of getting up, discretely checking to see if anyone saw my tummble. My left knee instantly hurt and sure enough I skinned it up pretty bad - I hobbled back to work and then down to the courthouse and then back to work - then the pain really started to set in - all stiff and tender.
How does this happen? Why doesn't it happen more often? How is everyone walking around?
My injury slowed me down on the retreat, couldn't go on the hike, slept lightly, as with each turn in the night, shooting pain. I hate being the one hobbling around, slower and needing sympathy.
Things are better with the knee now, still a little tender on stairs and a nasty scab, but everthing is working.
Yesterday I went home (for lunch again - this time driving) I changed shoes, because the pair I was wearing had given me a blister on both feet. At the end of my lunch, and with a new pair of shoes, I headed back to my car with a letter I had received in hand, I began to skim my grandfather's illegible handwriting and wouldn't you know - down I go.
I'm looking at complete disability by 30. Do you think they sell walkers in a stylish black, or fall-look tweed?
-J
It happended again on Friday, hours before the single's retreat, and minutes after establishing a payment plan for my physical therapy (after my nasty Alaska fall-PT told me chronic ankle sprainers often suffer from weak ankles the rest of their lives)...I was walking home from work, for lunch. I made it all the way downtown, across the street, across the lawn of the park and was so close to my door and then the next thing I know: concrete - in my face! Somehow my left foot slipped in my shoe and I biffed it. All the contents of my bag were on the ground around me - papers, pens, 6 lip glosses (none of which is quite the right color) and even some unmentionables. I mumbled a curse word and then began the struggle of getting up, discretely checking to see if anyone saw my tummble. My left knee instantly hurt and sure enough I skinned it up pretty bad - I hobbled back to work and then down to the courthouse and then back to work - then the pain really started to set in - all stiff and tender.
How does this happen? Why doesn't it happen more often? How is everyone walking around?
My injury slowed me down on the retreat, couldn't go on the hike, slept lightly, as with each turn in the night, shooting pain. I hate being the one hobbling around, slower and needing sympathy.
Things are better with the knee now, still a little tender on stairs and a nasty scab, but everthing is working.
Yesterday I went home (for lunch again - this time driving) I changed shoes, because the pair I was wearing had given me a blister on both feet. At the end of my lunch, and with a new pair of shoes, I headed back to my car with a letter I had received in hand, I began to skim my grandfather's illegible handwriting and wouldn't you know - down I go.
I'm looking at complete disability by 30. Do you think they sell walkers in a stylish black, or fall-look tweed?
-J
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Singles Retreat
This weekend, J and I are heading up to Crooked Creek for our communities' singles retreat. I've been on the committee for the past couple of months and it seems a little strange to see it take a life of its own and work it way to the end. The weather doesn't look all that promising BUT even if that doesn't lean our way, we have plenty to keep ourselves occupied. That place is great!! One of my favorites will be to sit in the "TRINITY" shaped hot tub. YIKES.
Our speaker will be talking about the Immutability of God. Basically about His Unchanging Nature. It promises to be both a learning and humbling time for me at least. How many times is my clock not lined up with God's and I keep moving to a pace that doesn't recognized that God is outside of TIME and nothing I do will ever change the path and plan He has for me? Like I said, humbling.
This also means a rap up of some fun times with the rest of the retreat committee.
I still need to wash my clothes, pack and plan for a quick getaway after work tomorrow. =-( I think I am becoming a little overwhelmed.
WHOOHOOO!!! We have received our first spam comments. This is very exciting. We finally got the telemarketer to stop calling and now we are on our next adventure.
CA just started subbing for the local school district up in Anchorage. YOU have to tell us some of the better stories!! Hope you are doing well, we got your message and I am hoping to be able to call you once this retreat stuff is OVER.
Our speaker will be talking about the Immutability of God. Basically about His Unchanging Nature. It promises to be both a learning and humbling time for me at least. How many times is my clock not lined up with God's and I keep moving to a pace that doesn't recognized that God is outside of TIME and nothing I do will ever change the path and plan He has for me? Like I said, humbling.
This also means a rap up of some fun times with the rest of the retreat committee.
I still need to wash my clothes, pack and plan for a quick getaway after work tomorrow. =-( I think I am becoming a little overwhelmed.
WHOOHOOO!!! We have received our first spam comments. This is very exciting. We finally got the telemarketer to stop calling and now we are on our next adventure.
CA just started subbing for the local school district up in Anchorage. YOU have to tell us some of the better stories!! Hope you are doing well, we got your message and I am hoping to be able to call you once this retreat stuff is OVER.
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