I’m up already!

A Dreatime Post

I left Ashland and moved to the Cities to try to rebuild my life. I just gotten a job at a boutique downtown that sold Hondas with some assembly required. But they had really good deals. Until I could get my feet under me, I was living with my parents.

My Mom and I were arguing over what the best way for me to get to my job on the first day was. “I want something simple and straightforward,” I yelled. “I’m trying to give you the best way to go, but that map isn’t going to help at all,” she yelled back as I was online trying to plan my route.

I was already late and didn’t have the number of my boss at the new place, so I was freaking out about losing my job on the first day, not to mention making a bad impression. At the door of my folks’ house, I realized that I had no wheels. “Uh, I really need to use your car,” I called over my shoulder. “You just bought one; use your own!” came the reply. “Mom, my car is still in these,” I pointed to the boxes scattered over the floor. “Besides, we still don’t have any frozen broccoli to fill the seats.”

I was driving through the Cities in Mom’s Civic, and I was completely confused. I was now more than an hour late for my job, and it was snowing and traffic wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great, either. I headed up this huge, steep, snow covered hill on Minnesota State 80 (does that exist?), and went down the far side toward some small collection of farm implement dealerships and gas stations that had sprung up around and interchange. I was looking for a way to turn around and head back into the city, so I got off the highway and drove along the frontage road that went alongside the overpass.

Suddenly, a white Ford cargo van came plummeting off the side of the overpass, spun upside down, crushed the car just in front of me, but bounced over the Civic and disapeared. Yelling “Holy shit!” I slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car and ran over to the cruched car. There were already two people there, one holding the hand of some poor, mangled person in the driver’s seat and puking in the snow, the other inside the car, trying to get to the person in the passenger seat, screaming “Call an ambulance!”

I scrambled mack to the Civic, grabbed my phone, and realized I had no idea where I was.

My poor, useless arm

Those of you who know me know I generally have a huge pile of firewood in my yard at any given time. Those of you who know me well have helped me transform said pile into stove-sized bites. What only a few of you know is that this sort of work is really bad for my right arm, particularly my elbow.

In the last couple years, I’ve had an almost constant case of tendonitis going, and it only gets worse in the winter when I’m really in full-bore wood mode. I’m at the point now where I can barely use my right arm for anything (typing is OK because my elbow doesn’t move). Hell, last night, I even brushed my teeth with my left hand.

The funny (strange, not ha-ha) part of this is that last night in taijutsu, my arm didn’t really hurt at all that I noticed. Since I don’t live at the dojo, I figured I’d go to the doc, hear what he has to say, and hopefully get some sort of stretching/strengthening routine for both arms and wrists that keep them healthy.

If any of you have words of wisdom in that area, feel free to chime in, OK?

House Husband

Meg is sick today, so I get to be a house husband for the day because my boss kicks ass (yea, bossman. Goat roper.).

I put Finn to sleep, I fed Alden pancakes, we all watched bits and pieces of The Princess Bride, and generally walked around, screamed, and snotted on each other while Meg went to the doc to get meds.

She’s back now. Peace and harmony has been restored, and the boys are snoring on the couch while I type and Meg pages through the Martha book she scored at the Book Nook for fity-cent.

Long Damn Day

Today was a long day, mostly, i think, because while Alden started the night in his crib last night, he soon moved into our bed which always makes me sleep like crap. So I was tired and crabby all day and instead of trying to take a nap when Meg and Alden went to town to run some errands, I watched part of a movie that’s been kicking around the house.

Now it’s seven, I have a half-watched movie in my head, a kid who doesn’t want to go to sleep in his crib, though he’s tired, too, and a house with stuff left to do before I can go to sleep. Oh yeah, and a headache. Man, am I ready for tomorrow.

Mixed news on the Taijutsu front

We (all six of us) went for a walk down the road this morning. Bub had a nice sled ride, the dogs got to see something that isn’t the yard, and we generally had a good time.

‘Bout half a mile down the road, at the neighbors’ driveway, I slipped on some glare ice and went down just like that. *Whump!*

However, in the space of “Whump!,” things slowed down a little and I managed to do a two-sided break-fall! I’m totally stoked about it because it means my training and practice is starting to become internalized and automatic.

Unfortunately, it was a two-sided break fall because as I was falling on my left side, there was some of me under me, which rolled me over to the right, but not soon enough. Most of my left leg got twisted up beneath me, hurting my ankle and knee on that side. I gimped the half-mile home OK, but as I sit, things get a little tighter.

Proving the old “go out the back door” saw [ask Pete, if you don't know it], I bought a big container of Aleve last night. ;-)

All right, all ready

Jeesh, some people get soooooooo impatient.

By the way, Alden says:
m ,jny hujm,

\\
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”””
N BIBUJl

Not Sick Enough

So, I felt kind of crummy this morning, but not bad enough to stay home from the two teeny emergencies that waited for me overnight at work. And then I started feeling better. So I went to lunch. And now, the pendulum swings back. *sigh*

Another Northland Shirt

I made this one a while ago, but just got around to posting it this morning. I’m a slacker; what can I say? Anyway, two shirts down, one to go (unless, of course, I go to the thrift store and find more…). Anyone have suggestions for the third one. Aside from buring it in a parade at high noon on the streets of Ashland?

Yea, comments!

Michael, me casa es su casa, and the same for little witticisms that I steal from other folks.

Pat, of course I’m a good dad, which is why I’m posting on my blog while Meg puts the kid down to sleep. What can I say? Except that I have a loaner phone while the other one goes to the shop.

Mom, even though you haven’t yet left a comment on here that I haven’t deleted under suspicious circumstances, I still love you, and thanks for the kick in the rear about this thing.

Phones and Slush

I found my phone yesterday morning. Outside by the car. In the slush. Turned on.

It’s time for a trip to the phone store.

Stupid gravity, stealing my phone from my pocket.

Update

I talked to the phone store, and apparently, the wet didn’t reach all the way into the phone, according to the magic little color tab in the battery compartment. So Motorola will fix the phone under waranty. Yee haw!