Just a typical evening at our house

My husband came home last night earlier then usual.  I let the dog out to greet him and then went outside to my laundry room in the garage.  When I finished there I messed around in the kitchen for several minutes.  Finally, noticing that the husband hadn't come in to greet us I went to look for him, finding him standing in our bathroom his left foot in the sink.

Me:  "Get your foot out of my clean sink!  I just cleaned this bathroom today.  What are you doing?"

Him:  "I'm soaking my foot."

Me:  "Why?  What's wrong with it?"  I peer at it closely, looking for cuts and blood.  "There's nothing wrong with it.  Get your nasty foot out of my clean sink!"

Him:  "I didn't cut it.  I twisted it or something."

Me:  "Twisted it?  What do you mean you twisted it?  Just now?"

Him:  "I was turning my foot around in my shoe and I heard a pop, and the thing hurts like a mother."

Me:  "What?  You were turning your foot around in your shoe?  What the hell does that mean?"

What it means is that Tom bought a new pair of dress shoes for work.  He wore them on Friday and again yesterday, but the shoes were very stiff and never really loosened as he wore them.  He was sitting at his desk last night working and the shoe was tight on his foot so she twisted his foot around some to try to get the shoe to loosen.  The shoe held in place while his ankle twisted and he pulled something.

Me:  "You heard a pop?  Is it broken?"

Him:  "No, it's not broken, but I definitely tore something."

Me:  "Well, we should probably get it x-rayed."
 Him:  "What?  Why?  I don't need an x-ray.  I just need for it to stop hurting."

Me:  "Well, get it out of my clean sink because soaking it isn't going to help it!"

He dried his foot and then tried to put weight on it to leave the bathroom.  It was a no go.  He couldn't put any weight on the foot and collapsed on his back on the bed.  He whined and winced and moaned and cursed.  The ankle was swelling some, and I suggested ice, which was rejected immediately.  I finally left him on the bed and went about finishing up my nightly chores.

Darcy was in the shower taking one of her hourly cleanses complete with singing and steam rolling under the closed door.  Madison was in the kitchen doing homework.  I went out into the Steelers room to put away some belongings.  When I returned to the kitchen it was to find the husband sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner, his foot and ankle wrapped with a bath towel as if it were an ace bandage.

Me:  "What the hell is that?"

Him:  "I have to wrap it because it hurts.  I need some stabilization."

Me:  "Seriously?  How about an ace bandage?  Connie has a whole load of those things up in Dunedin."
 Him:  "Do we have any?  I know we don't have any hot water.  I tried to take a shower, but Darcy had used all of the hot water."

Madison: (laughing hysterically at the entire conversation, as well as the wrapped foot)
 Me:  "I'm not sure I follow that logic, but I'll go to Walgreens and get you an ace bandage if that is what you want."

So Madison and I drove to the corner Walgreens and purchased an eight dollar bandage for his foot.  It was self-adhesive and didn't come with the little hooks that Connie has on all of her bandages.  I offered to apply the bandage to hubby's foot, having had athletic training, but he said he could do it himself.

He started at the ankle and wrapped it around twice and then brought the bandage under his heel and over his foot.  At that point he declared it sufficiently wrapped and looked around the living room as if a pair of scissors would magically appear so he could cut off the remaining bandage.  I shook my head and offered up some advice about using the whole bandage for better support, and because no scissors materialized, he took my advice and wrapped his ankle and foot some more.  Darcy sat on the couch with him and critiqued his handiwork.

Darcy:  "Where are the little hooks that go with the bandage?  You need to use those at the end to hold the piece onto  the other piece."
Him:  "It is self adhesive."
Darcy:  "Huh?"
Me:  "It doesn't come with those hooks."

Darcy:  "Grandma's does."

Tom:  "Well, your mother got me the self adhesive kind which means it sticks so that I don't have to use hooks."
Darcy:  "Well, if you want my opinion, you need the hooks cause that it isn't sticking so well.  You need to press that dangling piece better."

Sure enough the end of the bandage wasn't sticking because hubby hadn't applied enough pressure to the end.  He sort of patted it down to the rest of the bandage and then got up off the couch, his wrapped foot in the air behind him.  He began hopping on his good leg around the couch and into the kitchen.  Darcy and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes.  Elliot, the dog, looked at us and then jumped off the couch to join in the fun hopping game.  Tom hopped out of the kitchen on one leg and Elliot jumped up on him.  Tom stopped at the doorway to the hall to catch his breath.  Darcy pointed out that his bandage was coming unraveled and that he seemed out of shape.  Tom made a snide comment about her trying to hop on one leg so she did just so, hopping around the living room.  Elliot ran from one hopper to another, barking.  Eventually, Tom began hopping away, his wrapped foot in the air, his bandage end dangling just enough for the dog to jump up and grab that end with his teeth.

Him:  "Dog!  Dog, stop it!"  Hop, hop.

Elliot pulled in the opposite direction on the bandage.  Hop, hop.  Tom tried to get away.  The bandage began unraveling.  I sat on the couch and thought about how I would try to write this scene in front of me as it was too good not to blog.  Darcy finally got the dog loose, Tom hopped back to bed, Madison went to take a shower, and I helped Darcy study for a test.

An hour or so went by and the girls got ready for bed.  I went into the bedroom to find hubby curled on the bed sound asleep.  I turned on the shower and brushed my teeth.  I put my hand in to feel the water and discovered it ice cold.  I waited some, but the water never got hot.  Annoyed at Madison's use of all the hot water, I wrapped a towel around myself and went out into the living room to watch television while the tank refilled. About fifteen minutes later, Tom hopped out on one leg.

Him:  "What are you doing?"

Me:  "There isn't any hot water so I'm waiting."

Him:  "What?  What?  There has to be hot water.  Something's wrong if there isn't any hot water because there wasn't any hot water when I tried to shower.  No way is there no hot water."

Me:  "Well, there wasn't, but I'll try again after this show."

Which I did.  I turned on the water and waited.  It was cold.  I got into the shower anyway because, as people know, I do not go to bed without a shower.  While in the shower I thought it odd that the water was ice cold and never getting warmer, even a tad.  A light bulb went off in my head.  Earlier that day I had taken off the knobs in the showers and bleached them all.  Perhaps...perhaps I hadn't put this knob back on correctly.  I turned the knob toward the cold water direction.  And I had hot water.  I chuckled and began washing my body.

Hop, hop.  I heard Gimpy come into the bathroom on his one leg.

Me:  "If you want a shower tomorrow morning, make sure you turn the knob to the cold water for hot water."

Him:  "What?  Why?"

Me:  "Well, I may have put the knob on wrong after I bleached it out today."

Him:  "I knew it.  I knew something was wrong, and I think I have the flu."

Me:  "What?  The flu?  What are you talking about?"

Him:  "Because I'm shaking and I'm cold.  I have the flu."

Me:  "That's probably shock, Tom, from your broken ankle or whatever is going on with that thing.  You don't have the flu for heaven's sake.  You had a flu shot!  It's shock."

Him:  "I don't have shock.  And my ankle isn't broken, it's sprained.  Like how you twist your ankle playing basketball."

Me:  "Yeah, only you didn't do that.  Although that is exactly what I'd tell people at work tomorrow as you hop around the office, because telling them you sprained your ankle by sitting at a desk twisting your foot around inside stiff, new shoes doesn't sound all that manly."

Him:  "I have a fever, but I took an advil."

Me:  "You don't have the flu."

Him:  "Well, I have something because Melanie went home sick today.  Isn't that weird that both things happened to me at the same time?"

Me:  "Oh, my god, you are as bad as Gabby with the germ-a-phobia thing.  Just because a co-worker went home sick doesn't mean you have the same thing?  Just take your wrapped foot and go to bed already.  What are you going to do tomorrow?  You can't hop around work like that."

Him:  "I'll have to stay home tomorrow if I feel like this.  My nose is all stuffed and I've got congestion like Darcy."

Me:  "Make up your mind on your illnesses, would you?"

He went to bed.  I went to bed.  I felt his forehead.  He did not have a fever, despite his insistence that he did.  He asked me to get him some cold water.  I gave him my bottle that I had brought in with me.  He went to sleep.  The next morning he woke up and walked normally to the bathroom.  He shaved and brushed his teeth.  He walked normally around the bedroom.

Me:  "How's the foot?"

Him:  "Fine.  Like nothing happened.  How weird is that?"

Me:  "Uh huh.  How's the flu?"

Him:  "Gone.  And my nose is fine and the congestion is gone.  It's as if none of that stuff happened.  I feel kind of silly now."
Me:  "Not half as silly as you're going to look when I put together that video of you hopping around!"(Which I wish I had thought to do, but I was too annoyed to do so) 
Him:  "Put it on Facebook."

And so off to work he went, strutting nicely on his ankles, his flu and chest cold gone.  My little miracle.

10 month check on resolutions 2011

It is time to check in on how well I'm doing on my New Year's Resolutions.  I score from 1-10 with 10 being the perfect score.  My goal this year is to actually make all of these things happen.  To achieve that perfect score (at least once)!

1. To not text while driving - This resolution has been so easy to keep and I've been scoring perfectly in this category...except for these last two months.  Ever since Madison started high school this texting thing while driving is stumping me.  She insists on texting from school because she has her phone on silent during the day so she won't get her phone confiscated.  She inevitably does this when I'm driving.  Now that she walks to soccer practice from school her day is different then it was in the beginning of school, and car pooling has grown, and more people are involve,d and everyone wants to TEXT.  And I'm always DRIVING!  Seriously, we all should have our phones turned off in the cars.  This has gotten out of control.  Score: 7
2. To get some form of exercise daily (10 minutes at least) whether it is walking the dog or performing jumping jacks. - Suck at this one.  I keep forgetting this resolution until I feel fat, which is usually in the evening, and I give myself a pep talk for the next day and then I forget.  Score: 0
3. To finish my slide project and to get important photos on CD's to have for...prosperity? - This one is a done deal in the slide project, and I'm so grateful that I can finally score perfection.  As for the photo's I do that a bit over time and since I threw that in for an extra I don't really give it much weight in the final score.  Score: 10
4. To continue to work on toning down the potty mouth. - Sigh.  This has been my tough one.  It depends on who I hang out with and what the subject matter might be when I'm talking.  There are times when these words are very necessary and useful.  Unfortunately, I use these words more often when they aren't.  I'm doing better then I was at the beginning of the year.  Madison, who is keeping track, thinks I was doing better last month then this month, but she isn't here to give me a score so I'll leave it the same as last month because I think it is probably a true score. Score:  7

TOTAL:  24 out of 40  Okay, so I fell 3 points in this check.  Nothing to do but get back up, dust off, and try for perfection by the end of the year.  I'm determined.  So determined in fact that I shall now finish this entry, publish it, and do ten jumping jacks!  Oh yeah!

Monday Morning Sports Recap

Blogger is updating its website and the one thing I've noticed is that pictures seem to play an important part of this update.  So I've decided I must have at least one photo with every entry which means I must take more photos.  Thank goodness I went to Pittsburgh this year and took plenty of photos for my Monday sports recap blog!

Steelers:

1. Cris Collinsworth - How good is this guy as a football analyst?  I think he is the best in the business hands down.  I would take him over all the rest, past and future.  His call at the end of the first half was epic, with Al Michaels disagreeing with him on whether or not the Raven's Boldin had caught the ball to set them up for a field goal attempt.  Collinsworth insisted he was right and it turned out he was.  Never heard Michaels bow down to him, but he should because he makes Michaels better.
2. Troy Polamalu - Was everywhere in the first half stopping play after play.  He jumped.  He cut corners.  He leaped over men taller then him.  He is so close to intercepting that ball and running into the end zone.  I just know it.
3. Helmet to helmet hits - Once again we get called, but the other team doesn't.  Even after reviewing a play where Ray Lewis hit Hines Ward as he was clearly defenseless, Lewis hitting him from the side, nothing was called.  AAAAHHHH!  Lewis knocked Ward out of the game with what they called a "stinger".  Tells me something ain't right.  He had so better get fined.
4. Run, Ben, run - Nice to see him run a bit, but seriously he has got to finish his run...like into the end zone...and without losing the ball.  The man is clearly bigger than half the football team so run over them for heaven's sake!
5. Losing - I hate it...especially to those guys and that coach.  Not nice folks.

Other:

1. Penn State - Allegations of sexual abuse from a former defensive coordinator have resulted in several arrests after years of investigative work by the Pennsylvania state attorney's office.  Apparently it all stems from someone witnessing a shower abuse incident with an underage male and  Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky back in 2002.  Others arrested for this incident include Penn State officials who knew about the incident but failed to present it to the proper authorities.  Seriously?  In this day and age?  I understand that there are a lot of false accusations and charges out there (hello Justin Bieber??), but if someone makes it school officials have got to act on it whether it is done in house or out.  And out seems a better solution to me as it helps cover the school's butt in the end, doesn't it?
2. Records - Is this the year that the zero win record held by the 2008 Detroit Lions will be broken?  Or how about winning all 16 games?  The Colts and the Packers look ready to do just so after the first half of the NFL season ended.  The Colts lost their 8th straight against the Falcons and the Packers.....
3. Andrew Luck - I hadn't a clue who this quarterback was and I had to look him up with all the hype surrounding him being the answer to the Indianapolis Colts next year.  He is the quarterback for Stanford University and supposedly the one who will be taken first in the draft by whichever team sucks the most by years end.  The article I read about him had Phil Simmons commenting about how great Luck wasn't and that he wouldn't be a huge NFL player.  Uh huh heard that one before...
4. Tim Tebow - about this young lad who yesterday led his team to a huge comeback that led to an interception that led to the Broncos with a win.  Then my favorite thing of all was Jimmy Johnson giving Tebow kudos at the end of the Fox NFL OT like he never was a part of that negative talk way back when.
5. Exciting Endings - Whoa!  How exciting was Eli Manning's comeback for the New York Giants against Tom Brady's New England Patriots?  I watched Brady put it in the end zone for the go ahead score and wasn't so sure Manning would or could do the same by the Giants 3rd down and the clock dwindling down.  I was wrong.  Manning proved once again why he considers himself one of the elites.  And then the San Diego Chargers/Green Bay Packers game came down to the wire with Phillip Rivers leading his Chargers down the field to make up ground.  Unfortunately, his three interceptions of the night set a record and the last one proved to be the Chargers last hope.  That's three in a row in the L column for them, but luckily for them they're in a conference that doesn't have much.
6. Jake Ballard - The Giants wide receiver was the main reason for their win in my opinion.  His catch on third down was incredible!  Then he caught the winning catch in the end zone to call it a game.  Awesome.
7. Tony Stewart - Giving Hoosiers a reason to smile in sports with his latest win in the NASCAR Chase.  Whew!
8. Loyalty - Loved when Fox's NFL OT show ran the tape of Michael Strahan watching his former team put the beat down on the Patriots.  The former Giants defensive end jumped out of his chair, pumped his fist into the air, and then stomped a couple of times on the floor for good measure.  He seemed a tad embarrassed when they played that tape, but I loved it because it showed loyalty and love for a team and fans that got him where he is today.

Happy Halloween 2011

When I first began photographing my children and their friends dressed for trick or treating, I joked about how we would look back over the years as they grew against the red wall where the pictures were taken. 

I'm not sure that I really believed the tradition would continue through the years as I know how friendships come and go with kids and adults, but I'm so glad that this is one that has.  We have grown from our original 6 (Mika wouldn't get in the above photo) in 2004 and it has been a joy to behold.

Us:  "How is it that the red wall has gotten smaller every year?"

 

Wishing everyone a Happy Harvest & Fall Season

Connie Foot Photo #39

This week the appointment was just a look-see before Connie's Integra Graft surgery.  The surgery entails a pressure washing of the wound before The Foot God would apply the two layer synthetic graft, holding it on with staples.  He has done this once before on her, but for some reason it didn't do a whole hell of a lot. 

Connie isn't certain it will do anything this time around, but I have faith; in the Foot God, in Connie's healing ability, and in my willing things so. 

She went into surgery at the outpatient center at the hospital on Friday.  It was a late afternoon surgery, and while she was quite apprehensive in the beginning, she snapped out of it before they wheeled her off.

She was there at noon and done by 5:30 PM.  The plan is to stay off the foot, rest, and not touch it until he sees her next week.  Fingers crossed this will speed the recovery up.  In the meantime, Connie continues to wheel around her condo taking care of herself and keeping pneumonia at bay.  She spends a lot of time with her plants.

This is her herb plant that she thought was basil.  My mother-in-law thought it was thyme.  Connie's neighbor, who gave her the offshoot that started this growth, says it is Italian oregano.  Whatever it is it has taken over Connie's kitchen and she is quite protective and very fond of it.

Between that plant and her pineapple plantation that grows at the bottom of her condo stairs, she is quite the little farmer.  If only she could move about more freely.... Fingers crossed!

Simple, serene, and silly

Every time I go back to the farm I visit my father's grave.  He is buried in a small cemetery next to the church that was built in 1837.

It is a beautiful church inside and out.  I love the old country feel of it.  I grew up in that church, attending services with my aunt.  It is where I went to Sunday school and colored pictures of Mary and Joseph and sang, Jesus Loves Me.

Rusty and I walked the cemetery reading the names on stones, marveling at the 1800 dates and engravings.  Many of the tombstones were the type that is used today to decorate for Halloween. Some of the sites had been visited recently, flowers adorning the area or headstones.

The colors everywhere around us were amazing.  Rusty and I stood at my father's grave and talked.  We told some stories; shared some memories.

Then we walked out together, and as I closed the gate to the cemetery my brother pointed and said, "Check to see if Dad got any mail."

Somewhere my Dad was joining us in our laughter.

Fall in Indiana

Me:  "Oh, my god, look at those colors.  Just look at them!"

Rusty:  "How many times are you going to say that?"

Me:  "I forgot how beautiful it was in Indiana in the fall."

Sports recap part 2

I blogged my Monday Sports Recap in the airport so I wasn't able to add this to it, but knew it had to be on the blog.  Thus I'm adding an extra sports recap.

1. Kudos to the St. Louis Cardinals for winning the 2011 World Series beating the Texas Rangers.  They pulled out what many thought was impossible just getting into the playoffs, and then showed those same people why they were there.
2. Nothing better then going out on top and our Tampa Bay native, Tony LaRussa, did just that announcing his retirement after managing the Cardinals to a win in the World Series.
3. My brother is a huge Cardinals fan, and I got to spend game 7 with him.  I can definitely say I will never forget it...

Monday morning sports recap

Don't have much since I was on an Indiana farm. Watched the Colts play something, didn't much resemble football. Obviously Painter isn't too interested in being a starter. Either that or he just isn't a player. I had some hope for him when I saw him in his start against the Bucs, but seriously yesterday was just painful to watch. Thank god the Steelers game was on in Indiana!

I wore my Steelers hoodie on the plane and truly the only winter coat I own is my Steelers coat, which I brought just in case it happen to snow. Those clothes didn't go over well with the Indiana Masons. Nor did my explanation.

Me: "I thought you guys needed to see what winning looked like."

Okay, maybe a bit harsh, but the Colts lived in Baltimore back in my day. Nice to see the state embrace the team, but I'm loyal to the boys I started out with!

Steelers:

1. Ben - He was on yesterday leading the troops down the field, remaining calm and collected. When he is in the zone you can't dispute he is one of the best.

2. Troy - How great was his last play of the game? Or when he got a tackle by jumping on the back of one of the Patroits? Just love his love of the game.

3. LaMar Woodley - Sacks, sacks and more sacks!

4. Antonio - Finally got in the endzone! I shook his hand you know.

5. Relatives - Having them watch with me? Priceless!

The end of my vegetarian experiment

Rusty: "Are you hungry?"

Me:"Yes I'm starving!"

Rusty: "Where do you want to eat?"

Me: "I don't care, but remember I'm a vegetarian so we need to go somewhere I can get vegetarian meals."

Rusty: "Yeah sure you are. Where do you want to eat?"

Me: "No I'm serious. Did you not know that? I'm a vegetarian now."

Rusty: "Well if that's the case then I'll just pull off the side of the road and you can munch down in the median because you're in Indiana now and we're meat eaters!"

Heading back to the midwest

Last week I received an email from my sister, who had heard from a cousin, that my aunt, who is around the 95 year marker, isn't doing well.  She had been in the hospital for pneumonia and although home now her heart was weaker and she was slower.  She is my father's sister, the oldest of four children.  She is the only child still here, having outlived her three brothers.  She tells me that is hard.  She still hears her back door open sometimes and thinks she will hear my father call out to her, "Hey Sis!".  I understood that.  I too still hear his voice and sometimes smell his cigars.

On Tuesday she sat by her eldest son's hospital bed and watched him die.  He has fought poor lungs for years.  She told him to quit smoking.  "Those cigarettes are no good.  I told him for years, but..." she would pause, shaking her head at today's youth, "he wouldn't listen.  I just worry for him so.  He is in so much pain."  He isn't now. 

I'm in Indiana today for my cousin's funeral.  I wanted to be here for my aunt.  She has always been there for me.  She came to my high school graduation.  She came to my wedding.  She bought me Christmas presents when I was younger and recently gave me her chicken dumpling recipe.  I feel a calling to see her now.  She has rallied and lived through many hardships, but I don't know if she can get past all that has happened in the last month.  It is important sometimes to just drop everything and tell those you care about how much you love them.  I plan on doing that this weekend.

Connie Foot Photo #38

We think it looks now like a peanut.  I think we should call it that instead of "the wound" or "your foot ailment" or "that damn thing on your foot".  Peanut sounds so much friendlier?  Although truth be told we are over the whole foot thing now.

We told the Foot God this at the appointment and asked what the game plan was in his mind.  He gave a response that made me think he doesn't worry about his patients once he leaves the office for the day.  He mumbled something about checking on dermagrafts and his new wound care center that is schedule to open next month.  I cut him off at the pass and told him I was tired of coming to the office every week for the same old thing.  I was bored.  Next thing I know Connie is scheduled for an outpatient surgery next Friday where the Foot God will put on a type of graft that he put on once before while she was still hospitalized.  I'm not sure of the name, but it is a two layer graft that he feels would be better then anything else and Medicare pays for it. 

Sounded good to us.  Anything to move on...

In the golden days

This summer Susan and I spent time visiting relatives on my side of the family.  We spent the day with a cousin and then decided to visit a couple of aunts.  The first aunt was my cousin's mother.  She lived not far from the second aunt who was in a nursing facility at the time.  My cousin knew the name of the nursing facility, but not the address, so she and I quickly picked up our Iphone and began punching in the information.  While we were doing this her husband picked up the phone book and looked up the address.  We made fun of him, despite the fact that we both had the information at roughly the same time. 

He then explained how to get to both places, adding in a Dairy Queen stop for the girls.  Susan and I must have asked too many questions in regards to his directions because the next thing we knew he was drawing out directions...on a napkin, using both sides.

He was very serious in his directions and his penmanship.  His wife and I reminded him we had Iphones with navigating systems built in, but he continued drawing and explaining.  I halfheartedly  paid attention because really who doesn't use their phone to get around now days? 

Turns out we used the map.  The town and its street signs weren't exactly a match on the Iphone.  We drove up and down past both places before we turned to the map and made our way to see both aunts.  I had told my cousin's husband that this map would be on my blog as I found the whole thing so hilarious.  I mean who draws out maps now days?

This is the promised blog entry...and me...eating crow.

Overheard, but couldn't believe

Gabby:  "I'm going to watch television here now." (or something along those lines as I didn't really hear that part)

Susan:  "NO!  NO!  I'm watching the game.  I'm watching the game on this television until I finish these dishes.  Then when I'm done with that I'll go downstairs and watch the game and you can watch your shows on this TV.  But not until I'm done."

Huh?  Anyone who knows my sister-in-law will be shocked to read that she was watching a game, let alone screaming about watching a game.  I was driving when this conversation occurred.  I'm lucky I didn't run off the road!  It's only taken 20+ years in the Mason family for this to happen, but sooner or later we pull you to the sports, don't we?

Monday Morning Sports Recap

Steelers:

1. Whew! Played like they played the day I spent at Heinz Field.  The defense was sharp most of the time.  The offense came to play.  I wasn't too stressed.  Made for a great game.
2. Troy made several mistakes and missed tackles in this game.  I don't know if he was still reeling from his $10,000 fine from last week's cell phone on the sideline incident (something that really burns me up, but the rules are the rules) or what, but he will look at the game tapes and not be too happy.  Again he had the opportunity for an interception and missed it.  I keep saying he is due.  Perhaps next week against the Patroits?
3. Big Ben got beat up as usual, more so in the second quarter then the first.  He did some great stuff yesterday getting out of tackles and scrambling.  In one incident a Cardinal defender had him by one leg and Ben was throwing.  The referee blew the whistle and called it a sack, but Ben was far from the ground and still in control so the ref was wrong on that call.  I thought he played exceptionally well.
4. LaMar Woodley was credited with two sacks and getting a safety.  He is an animal!  He has stepped up to the plate and taken over for James Harrison in that position for the past three weeks.  One thing the defense does on this team is step up when needed when it comes to regular players sitting out.  You go Woodley, do your dance.

Other:

1. Got to say something here about Albert Pujol's night on Saturday.  Whew! Five hits, three of them homers, driving in six runs.  Wish that same Pujol had shown up last night too, huh Cardinal fans?
2. Kudos to Denver Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow for leading his team to a comeback tie and then a win in OT.  Tebow fans have been chanting his name for the past five weeks despite the critics coolness toward him.  He came in a bit rusty, but rallied as we Florida fans know he can do.  And he got the W for the 2-4 Broncos.
3. New Orleans is very happy with their 62-7 win last night over the Indianapolis Colts.  Drew Brees threw for 5 touchdowns, 31 completions out of 35.  Very impressive.  He was taken out in the 3rd quarter, just missing his four games straight with 350 yards total.  All the quotes I read said the team was beyond thrilled with the way they played.  Really?  Let's not get too carried away.  After all you were playing a winless team who is last in the entire league.  Go out and have a game like that against the Patriots and then I'll be impressed.
4. I totally missed most of the games in my pool this week.  I don't think I've been this off in all the years I've guessed games.  Not sure if it was me or the teams.
5. Who's bright idea was the whole travel to London during the regular season deal?  First of all, why are we providing live NFL games to Europe?  Second of all, how about doing that during the preseason when it doesn't matter?  Why are we making players fly across the ocean for one game and then returning home to play another one the next week.  It isn't rocket science to figure out that doesn't work.
   

Playing dress up

I have never been a fan of adult Halloween parties. Mainly because I'm not creative enough to invent an out-of-this-world costume idea and pull it together. I can't sew. I'm not clever. I'm not crafty. All reasons to avoid dressing up. My husband, on the other hand, enjoys all of the above. He use to attend a party every year before he met me, and in his photos he is dressed to a "T" in a handmade costume. Once we started dating I usually got out of going to any parties because my job required me to be a part of our recreation department's Haunted Halloween, which was always the Saturday before Halloween and also the time everyone held parties.

In the course of our togetherness we have attended three Halloween parties together. The first was to his annual Halloween party with his triathlon group. I'm not sure how I got roped into that one, but I was the love police and Tom was my prisoner.  I was young and thinner and didn't mind dressing up so much.

The second party was a last minute decision to attend as the city's Haunted Halloween was cancelled due to mosquitoes. Since it was last minute we didn't have much time to create costumes, and we each went as one of the baseball players in the World Series that year. I didn't even remember which teams were in it until I found the pictures.  Everyone kind of booed us for not being more original, but I thought it not bad for a last minute thing.

The last party was six years ago. Tom went dressed as a cow. I was the farmer. We actually didn't look too bad considering I was a porker, but I was happy because those overalls were some of my most comfortable clothes.

This year we were invited to a casino Halloween party. I didn't really want to attend because of the required costume attire, but I hit the "yes" button on the evite without really thinking it through. Then I proceeded to whine about it and moan about it and wonder why I hadn't declined the invite. Finally I decided to steal Kelly's idea for her party and dress up as Troy Polamalu. (Whenever we dress up for trick or treating around our neighborhood I go as a Steelers fan since I own all that crap anyway) I decided Tom should go as Mike Tomlin. That was as far as I got until two days before the party. Then, of course, I panicked.

Friday I drove to Party City intent on buying a wig as I felt that was the main part of my costume. Before I went I did some research on Party City's website so that I knew what was offered before I popped in the store. I had it narrowed down to two wigs; one was a DJ wig with the guy on the cover reminding me of Howard Stern, the other was a pirate. The pirate was ten dollars cheaper and so that was the one I wanted.  Once there I discovered that Florida has some weird law about returning opened packages containing wigs.  Thankfully the store offered to let you try on the wig if you asked.  Not wanting to do that, but wanting to see if I could make the wig work I asked to see it, saw that it would work if I cut out the bandana, and I bought it.  After that I went home, exhausted from that bit of creativity.

The day of the party I totally began to panic.  I had the jersey and the wig, but that was it.  I needed pants and socks and mostly, a helmet.  Darcy and I set off to look around.  We first went to a second hand sporting goods store.  We found a used kid's helmet, but it was too small and the wrong color.  We headed next door to Michael's where we wandered around and around the store.  I put a bowl on my head, but Darcy vetoed that.  Eventually we found this and when I saw it I suddenly got a vision.  Darcy did not like my vision, but I saw that with the right stuff (hadn't a clue what that stuff was) this would be my helmet.  I bought the $3.00 hat, some black duct tape (Darcy's idea), and yellow felt.  I came home and cut off the reindeer's antlers and ears.  I then covered the hat with the duct tape, made a Steelers logo for the side, a yellow stripe down the middle, and added the number 43.  I was totally pumped, but Madison wrinkled her nose at it because it didn't have the required face mask.  So back to the computer I went.  I found a Riddell picture of a helmet, blew it up, printed it, cut it out, and added it to my hat.  It was awesome!

My second vision was for the shoulder pads.  I had some pillow filler, but found it too itchy so while at Michael's I found some black skeins of yarn and used two of those inside my shirt.  We added some men's black sweat pants (yellow not being a color found here in Florida) from Target, some yellow soccer socks from the sports store, and I wore Madison's soccer cleats.  I wore gloves I bought in Pittsburgh for Kelly's costume, added a mouth guard and a football, and damn if I didn't almost look like Troy Polamalu!

Tom made his own costume with his black shirt I always said made him look like Bill Cowher back in the day.  He added the logo to the shirt.  He got a clipboard from the neighbor and made up a playbook full of naughty cheerleading pictures, added a headset and his Steelers hat.  I think we did a fine job in the end, and thought we should have won the costume contest, but alas we lost out to two sumo wrestlers in store bought costumes.  Whatever!

Fruits, vegetables, and hummus, oh my!

Whenever I fly I like to purchase magazines to read on the plane. For my flight to and from Pittsburgh I purchased a couple of People magazines and an US or something along those lines. In each magazine was something in regards to vegetarians. One magazine had a huge article about a woman who had written a cookbook on vegetarian recipes. Another magazine had a page on the different types of vegetarians, and another one talked about how healthy a lifestyle it was and how more and more people were tuning in and becoming vegetarian. I read about the ways in which to get protein and the accompanying vegetable photos were colorful and made me hungry.

So I decided to become a vegetarian (albeit one who eats dairy and eggs). For one month.

I began the Tuesday I returned from Pittsburgh. I ate an egg and an english muffin for breakfast. I had a salad for lunch. That night we went to the grocery so that I could load up on vegetarian groceries and get sub sandwiches for dinner. I ordered my usual turkey forgetting I was vegetarian.

Madison: "I thought you were going to eat vegetarian."

Me: "Oh my god! Why didn't you say something before he made it? I forgot. Oh, well, I'll be a vegetarian starting tomorrow."

So I became a vegetarian on Wednesday. I have had lots of support.

Darcy's classmate's father: "Tom, do you call it eating at your house or grazing?"

Another father: "Cara, I have a little something for you in case you get hungry on the drive home." He opens his hand and gives me leaves he has pulled off a bush.

Madison has been helpful. Together she and I make different types of salads. She looked up a black bean burger recipe, and we made it. It was actually good, a tad dry, but that's because I got carried away with the bread crumbs. Darcy declared it too spicy. Tom thought it fine and very filling.

Tom: "It is sitting right here in my stomach."

I ordered a vegetable pizza, minus the mushrooms, the other night and even ate the diced tomatoes sitting on top. I find that I am trying more foods that before I would have turned my nose up at. I ate a spinach and egg white burrito yesterday morning. I'm planning on making vegetarian appetizers for our upcoming Halloween party.

So far I haven't noticed any difference other than an increase and regularity in my bowel habits. As everyone who knows me well knows I'm not embarrassed to discuss fecal matters. I haven't lost weight. I don't feel more energetic. I don't feel healthier. I do find that being a vegetarian requires more work. Whipping up a turkey sandwich is certainly easier then a salad for lunch. A salad makes more meals; however, and I've learned to adapt so that the leftovers can be served that night for dinner.

I craved bacon in the beginning. Now I crave a big, juicy hamburger. I had a small slip when I ordered baked potato soup and it came with chopped bacon on top. Perhaps it was unconscious. I ate the damn soup anyway and don't count the small amount. I bet it was tofu anyway.

It has only been a week so I don't think I can draw any conclusions just yet. I'm determined to make it a month, but I find that the longer I go the more I want to eat meat. In the beginning I enjoyed the novelty. Now I just want the hamburger. There are no easy choices in the fast food department and that is when I became a pescatarian, one who eats fish, although I'm not sure most pescatarians would consider McDonald's fillet o' fish as acceptable.

I'm not sure I can make it the entire month, but I'm certainly giving it the old college try. It might make a good science project topic down the road for my kids if it doesn't make me a healthier and happier individual. Either way...it gives me a blog topic.

Connie Foot Photo #36

The home health nurse told Connie that he thought the foot looked terrible and that it was tunneling.  Just wanted to reassure her apparently...

We went early this week as the Foot God is going to Europe on a "guycation" to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play football.  The hematoma was good.  The foot was the same.  He couldn't really agree with the "tunneling" action, but nothing much had changed in a week.  The whole area is getting smaller, but that little area to the right isn't doing much.  She needs dermagrafts or apligrafts and no one is schedule for one of those anytime soon.  It is very frustrating. 

Monday Morning Sports Recap

I'm starting this entry out differently this week because yesterday we lost a local resident, Indy Car driver Dan Wheldon who was killed in the Las Vegas Indy 300. I had just been reading about him in our paper because he was in the race sort of on a fluke. He was chosen to drive for a $5 million purse that he would have split with a fan had he won. The condition was that he had to start at the back of the field. The crash that killed him involved fifteen cars and started when two cars in front of Wheldon rubbed tires. Wheldon went airborne and his car flipped.

I'm so sorry for his family and for the community of racing. These guys are only human, doing what they love, and we tend to forget that what some of them do is really quite dangerous. I hate to loose anyone in sports. It is a sad morning.  All our best to the Wheldon family.

Steelers:

Me: "I just don't get it. Pittsburgh did so well the first half. They played like they played last week, but they just can't finish it out. It was like they came out the second half thinking, "We got this. It's boring. Too easy." And then they were like whatever. It's so frustrating. I mean, am I going to have to be at all the games to make sure they keep motivated?"

Madison: "Uh huh."

Me: "I guess I could go for the weekend to the home games."

Madison: "Sure, just fly in. Help them out."

Me: "I could fly in on Sunday and take a cab to the field. "Get me to Heinz Field STAT". Of course I couldn't spend the night at the field."

Madison: "You could fly back Sunday night."

Me: "Yeah, but that's hard and then its late."

Madison: "You could get a personal jet."

Me: "That's a great idea, Maddy. I could. Where would I get one of those?"

Madison: "I don't know. Ebay?"

• Polamalu - I keep saying that he is so overdue for a pick, and I still believe it. He had a couple of chances this week, but he is so focused on getting the other guy to the ground. He left in the fourth quarter due to "concussion like" symptoms whatever that means, but again he had a good defensive game. At one point he tackled the opposition by flying around the defensive line for a two yard loss. If I were coaching the other team, I would have one guy whose job it was to just follow Troy around to make sure he doesn't cause any damage. (Note: Troy is fine and should play next week).
• Mendenhall - Tomlin make reference to spreading the running game around among the three, Mendenhall, and last week's heroes, Dwyer and Redman, and Mendenhall must have been worried because he went out and ran like the devil was chasing him.  146 yards rushing kept him in the game over the other two, but after his 68 yard run I still think the Steelers should have Redman run into the end zone.
• Run, Ben, run - He did get an important first down by running with the ball, but I'd like to see a bit more rushing from this guy when it is necessary.  But then again I listen to all the experts telling quarterbacks to stop rushing and stay in the damn pocket, so maybe I'm missing something.
• Heinz Field - I watched the game on my computer this week and pointed out all the places that I had been in the week before.  I could hear the announcer say, "And that is another Steelers...." and I yelled, "First Down", pretending I was back in Pittsburgh.  Still have that glow from last week.

Other:

1. Coaches Fight - Apparently the coach of the 49ers, Jim Harbough, started something with Detroits coach, Jim Schwartz, during the after game handshake. I've watched it several times. Harbough shook Schwartz's hand and then clapped him on the back.  Look at it from afar and the smack on the back looks harmless, but look at them close up and it seems like a dismissive push. Apparently Schwartz felt like it was, and instead of just sticking out his tongue and walking away, he went after Harbough screaming and bumping into Harbough. Either way it was childish.  Schwartz should have walked away, and Harbough shouldn't have been so smug about winning. Now everyone is asking whether the league will fine these two idiots. I understand that if the NFL expects the players to act a certain way, then they should expect the coaches too as well, but aren't we just looking for things to fine lately? Watch the tape again and you'll see all the players and people around the two babies laughing at them as if they can't really believe this has become something.  Fine them?  Come on. What they need is a good spanking.
2. Eagles - And then we have the opposite end of the spectrum.  Eagles coach, Andy Reid, has taken heat all week long on the fact that his "dream team" has not done what everyone hoped they would do.  His players rallied around him, took the blame, and then went out and proved everyone wrong by beating the Redskins.
3. Eye Black - I noticed on my HD TV while watching Brian Urlacher being interviewed that he was wearing eye black stickers under his eyes, and for a moment I felt that feeling I get when I've thought something for a long time and then get called on it for being wrong.  I've always  thought that the players painted that eye black under their eyes.  So I got curious and researched it and found I wasn't so stupid after all as it was once painted under the eyes.  Now, of course, there are stickers, although some players still use the grease combination of beeswax, paraffin, and carbon.
4. Cowboys and Patriots - All the sportscasters on Fox NFL Pregame were talking about how the Cowboys were going to win this week. They agreed it would be a close game, but that Tony Romo would step up to the plate and show America how wrong they have been in regards to his quarterbacking skills.  Huh?  I'm telling you right now, if I were betting my life savings on a game that was coming down to the wire and could choose a quarterback, Tony Romo wouldn't make my list of choices, but Tom Brady would be in my top two choices.  It was a close game, but Romo got the Cowboys ahead with a field goal and more than a minute on the clock, and Tom Brady went ahead with a touchdown.
5. Sean Payton - As Penn State's Joe Pa will tell ya it is dangerous on the sideline.  Payton got tangled up with his own player on the sideline and broke a bone and tore a ligament.  He ended up coaching from the locker room while being tended to, but his team lost to division rivals Tampa Bay.
6. Aaron Rogers - Have you seen his commercial for State Farm?  Could he look more uncomfortable?  Something about this guy just seems odd, but I can't put my finger on it.  And I felt this way before he demolished my Steelers in the Super Bowl.  But it is a cute commercial.
7. Brandon Marshall - The Miami Dolphin receiver did some mouthing off this week about he was going to "get kicked out in the second quarter" on Monday Night Football.  That sound bite made the rounds with everyone speculating and wondering if Goodell would be keeping an eye on him, but seriously?  These guys get mikes shoved into their faces and are asked stupid questions and in the heat of the moment they mouth off.  Apparently he got called into the office for some scolding, but he laughed it off and told everyone he was joking.  Whatever.  The way to show people?  Kick ass on Monday Night Football Marshall.
8. St. Louis Cardinals & Texas Rangers -  Let the World Series begin.

Connie Foot Photo #35

Before she even got her boot off Nurse Kelly noticed blood coming from Connie's right leg.  "What's with the blood?" she asked.

"Oh, it's a hematoma," Connie said.  "It's fine.  I took care of it and bandaged it."

In came the Foot God, in a hurry because he had his own doctor appointment.  Nurse Kelly, who had removed Connie's bandage job, pointed out the leg to him and suggested he take a look.  He did and he didn't like what he saw.  It was deep and so he had Nurse Kelly measure it and now he is adding that wound to his care as well.

The foot?  It looked "better".

"We don't want that," he said, pointing to the leg wound, "to turn into that," and he pointed at the foot wound.  So she has added a wound instead of healing a wound.  Somehow we think that isn't what she is suppose to be doing.