Random, scattershot update

Hi there! It's been a while, eh? (<-No, I'm not Canadian but I grew up in Erie, PA - which is pretty darn close.) So, since there's so much that's happened since blogged last, I thought I'd give the Reader's Digest version.

Back in June/early July, we went on a SCUBA trip to Saba, N.A. Wow, was that place beautiful. Some of the best diving I've experienced yet, and a tiny, unspoiled island from which to enjoy it. The residents are friendlier than any I've ever come across, as well. Maybe because the main activities are hiking and diving - so the tourist influx isn't overwhelming enough to annoy them. Regardless, fabulous trip. The kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa - they also had a great time being spoiled by their grandparents and playing with their cousins. So it was a winning week all around.

At the end of the summer, we took another trip, this time all four of us. Hubby went on a business trip to London back in May and the pictures he sent back enthralled the kids so much, they wanted to go, too. They've become big Doctor Who fans over the past year, so they really wanted to go to The Doctor Who Experience. But it closes in November. So we needed to find a time to go before then. Rather than jump through the hoops of getting approval from the school to take them out for more than two days, we just put the trip at the end of their summer vacation. Spent the first couple of days staying with friends in Derby (which is pronounced Darby, and is a couple hours north of London). Then a few days in Cheddar - exploring the countryside, visiting castles, hiking Cheddar Gorge, visiting my ancestral hometown and on our way from the country to London - STONEHENGE! Coolness everywhere; it was amazing. Then we continued on to London, where we hung out with friends, saw a show (The 39 Steps - hilarious!), enjoyed London's gorgeous parks, historical sites, museums, restaurants and one big shopping trip to Harrod's. Took the tube just about everywhere - which was one of the kids' favorite parts. Oh, and of course, our trip to The Doctor Who Experience - which was lots of fun.

Then the school year began. Both kids are in elementary school now - in school all day, taking the bus together, the whole shebang. And while you'd think with all of the extra solo time, I'd be all productive and stuff...you'd be wrong. *sigh* Oh well...

Still doing the QVC gig. My weekly Tuesday morning Denim & Co. slot is ongoing - but I've also got some other work recently, which is great! Recently, I've been modeling for Stan Herman. He primarily does pajamas and loungewear. This stuff is outrageously comfortable! Also, I did a couple of stints for a brand called Women With Control - which is basically clothing with the shapewear built in. Pretty neat idea, huh? I think I may have to do some of my Christmas Shopping with QVC. After all, I have them to thank for having my own spending money - not to mention getting out of the house and being an actual grown-up with social interactions and everything. How cool is that?

So, there you go...you're pretty much up to date now. What should I blog about next time?

Sometimes there really is such a thing as too nice...

...as in, to the point of stupidity.

So, you may remember that the fam and I went to Disneyland and Legoland for vacation just before Easter. Well, on the flight out, A had to go to the bathroom. But Guy Sitting in the Aisle Seat was asleep. We'd already woken Guy once to let A go to the bathroom, so I hated to do it again. I decided to try to lift A over Guy's lap and into the aisle. About 2/3 of the way over Guy's lap, there was a sickening *POP* and poor Guy was startled awake anyway, because I had just dropped A onto his lap when my knee gave out from under me.

I guess trying to twist and lean in a confined space while lifting almost 50 pounds isn't such a great idea.

But the funny thing is, other than the initial horrific stab of pain, it didn't really hurt that much. I could put weight on it right away, and it just felt a little stiff, maybe slightly out of joint. I was convinced that a trip to the ER upon landing wasn't necessary. Still, the pop was pretty nasty. So, the next morning, before embarking upon our Disneyland adventure - I found the nearest pharmacy and bought myself a brace. I figured just because it didn't hurt much right now didn't mean it could tolerate walking around amusement parks for a week without some support.

And we had a lovely time on our vacation. Managed A's food well, with just one oops on my part that led to an afternoon of hellboy reaction. N enjoyed Disneyland less than we expected because, as it turns out, even though it's supposed to be for kids - many of the rides have some sort of "startle" factor to them that N really didn't like. Legoland ended up being much more her speed.

Anyway, back to the knee. By the end of the week, it felt pretty good. I was still wearing the brace for support, but it was more of a "just in case" measure than anything else. Got home and continued to improve. So, after another week of taking it easy, I resumed normal life, including running.

But when it still didn't feel 100% after a month, I figured I should do something about it. It just felt slightly out of joint - so a visit to my Chiropractor seemed in order. Dr. Cole moved my leg around a bit, felt the knee and asked me to let him know what hurt. After about 30 seconds of this he said, "Yeah, I can't adjust you. You need an MRI."

I was shocked! "Why??" I whined.

He informed me that, "I think you may have torn your ACL."

A flurry of expletives went through my head. The only thing that saved Dr. Cole from hearing them was N's presence in the room.

So anyway, I scheduled the MRI for a couple of days later. I had the report sent to both Dr. Cole and to my primary doc. Primary doc's office called first to tell me I needed to schedule an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon because, yeah, I tore my ACL and possibly the meniscus as well.

Isn't that just peachy?

We have a dive trip scheduled for the beginning of July, so I wanted to be FIXED ASAP. So, the surgeon scheduled me for the procedure last Friday. I was supposed to be able to put some weight on the leg right away, with the assistance of crutches. I was supposed to start physical therapy less than a week after surgery. I was supposed to be working on strengthening my leg right quick, so I could be strong enough to dive.

But my bones seem to have other plans. Turns out, they're soft. I'm not exactly sure what this means in the big picture (though you can bet that I'll be finding out as soon as someone in the Orthopedics office calls me back), but the short-term effect is that I have to keep weight completely off the leg until after my post-surgical follow-up, which is a week from today. This delays the start of PT, which means I won't be strong enough to dive in six weeks.

Blech.

Still, a week on a tropical island won't suck - even if I can't dive.

In the meantime, my Mommy flew in from Erie to help out for the next few days. Thank goodness! With the unexpected extra limitations, I'm not sure how I would be managing, otherwise.

The moral of the story? Wake the Guy up!