To my immediate right is a content Odin - our one-eyed pirate cat. Off in the distance, and high in the cat tower, is a blissfully snoozing Simon. He is a little put off with me since I have twice now evicted his treefrog girlfriend. That in itself is a long story, so we'll save that for another time.
You're sharp if you've noticed the odd time and date of this particular post. If it didn't dawn on you that I penned it during work hours on a work day, don't feel badly about your sad powers of observation.
No, I am not playing 'hooky,' per se', but I am using a little PTO because my hip pain has actually caused me to call out "uncle!" for the first time. Not responding to the pain meds as I would expect...and I could only imagine my worthlessness in trying to work this morning, all the while praying to find a comfortable position to sit or stand in at my desk to get through the day. And then there are the endless inspections and sorts, reviews of returned shipments, etc, etc. Lots of hoofing around, but thankfully less of the physically aggressive outgoing inspections of thousands upon thousands of cartons for accuracy and correctness and no damage. Oddly enough, our customers really hate the incorrectly labeled and/or damaged stuff - go figure.
Anyhow, I managed to get myself out the door and into the car this morning, but found it impossible to lift my leg comfortably enough to shift gears without complete pain. Usually, (lately) I've been able to get myself started on a drive to wherever and ignore the feeling while driving. More like I can distract myself - to an extent - to get the job done, only to be further pained by getting out of the car once I've arrived at my destination, and hobbling around until once again crawling back into said vehicle for the next leg of the day. So it's no wonder by the time I get home it's all I can do to take off my shoes and settle into a comfortable position until the cats need feeding.
Yes, Hipzilla has finally taken its toll, and I can no longer ignore it or blow off the pain. In less than a month I will be having hip replacement surgery. Still wrapping my head around this thought. As a child of the '60s this is not how I thought my sixties would play out.
As I was saying, I was on the way to work when I found myself crying from the pain. Crying! I mean, I have cried a couple of times now, facing the realization of what is ahead, and I am not happy over it. And while I am not talking about my mom coming to town to stay with me (for a MONTH) - hang on, I have to cry again - I couldn't believe how that took me over. It sidelined me. I had to pull over to compose myself and figure out what I was going to do; go to work or turn around and go home. I pulled back onto the freeway and drove another two miles before getting off at the first exit and stopping to text my boss. Then I sat for a few minutes before pulling back onto the expressway to return home.
Yes! I came home to try another round of something for pain, and ice packs.
In the meanwhile, I have eaten my 1/2 a meatloaf sandwich and had a cup of tea. I am now drinking a large bottle of ice water and seriously contemplating a bowl of steaming cream of wheat. The ten-year-old in me seems to think this would be the best remedy for what is ailing me. Can't argue with ten-year-old wisdom.
So, until I write again, I hope this finds you well and free of worries and ailments.
Keep it that way.
