The hillside

The dog was finally able (and ready) for a walk and it was a good thing because the hillside called today.

It's been really gloomy and a bit rainy and just pretty much crushing my mood for the past few days. I'm glad we went. There were even a few flowers poking their pretty, purple heads out.

Out and about

The dog... Well she had another surgery so I had to walk without her today. I tried a new route north, it was about four miles and if I ever get back into running it will be a good, hilly route. It was kind if grey and a little sprinkly out, but I did it.

Yes

Made myself go out on this 50*day. You'd think I wouldn't have had to drag myself out there, but for some reason I did.

Later I get to drag myself to my last hockey practice. Maybe I'm just starting to grieve?

Word of the year

"Fear disconnects us from compassion and clouds clear thought."

Yes. Thank you, Kristin.

Years ago I followed Kristin's blog, and now she's back with the same thought provoking, intellectual posts she used to have. That line from her post from the other day really resonates with me right now.

The word "compassion" is my word-of-the-year and I have noticed that giving into it a bit has resulted in a different kind of assertiveness. While I certainly don't feel "fearless", maybe I am acting more out of compassion and the fear of saying/doing/being the wrong thing just slips away ...  I just hadn't thought about the two being connected, but maybe they are. I'm still sitting with all that, I'm sure I will have more to say later.


No walk Saturday, so no pictures to post. I'm trying to talk myself into a walk today (it's already 11:00) and I'm just not finding the motivation. But I know if I get out there and do it I will be so much happier and feel better and all that .... yeah. It's not working.

Just a few miles

Have I mentioned run keeper? I'm so in love with it!! It makes me want to go further.

Signs of spring are all around. Trees budding, blue skies, sunshine and bee hives. Yes, there was a wee bit of snow this morning, but the sun is melting it all away, just as it should in March!

A little wet and a little cold

Another walk! I really wish we could go each day.

I was recommended an app to keep track of mileage and such, Runkeeper. It does it all. Mileage, miles per hour, mapping and you can run a playlist through it. Plus you can add a "street team" if you're cool enough to have peeps you run with, or want to compare yourself with others. I'm not cool enough and I know I suck so I don't have any street team-ers.

One of these pictures shows some cool looking clouds rolling over the hill, the flowers are from my yard. We cleaned it up last weekend so I took some of the forsythia and forced it in the house. The kids have been enjoying checking it's progress every day. The last one  barely shows a rainbow. I was using my iPhone zoom so they're a little grainy.

Out and about

Finally the dog and I went for a walk. She was spayed last week so this is the first walk in a week. We both needed it!!

Well ... part 2

The Doctor and I chatted a bit, he twisted my knee this way and that, asked me some questions about how I fell, what position was my knee in (I had no idea), and where is the pain (here), do I feel it clicking, did I hear it pop, has it given out on me (no, no, no). He had pictures taken, it looks just fine. No swelling, so go home. You might consider a brace, if it feels good, you can play hockey on Friday morning. The end. Oh, if it still hurts in a week or so come back. The end.

I also had a visit with the Chiropractor. He was a tad bit more informative. He thinks it might be a slight tear in the meniscus, the shock absorber between the cartilage. Its the kind of injury that can get better or get worse ... Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, but can I play on Friday? Same advice, try it and see how it goes. Its usually a certain position that makes it hurt the worst, and you will know when you're in that position. Not much you can do for it, it will heal itself, you can wear a brace to remind yourself not to hyper extend or bend it too much. And then he fixed up my back and neck. God bless him.

So, long story short, its alright (kind of), I can play on Friday if it feels okay. I really don't need to have it checked unless I am experiencing the clicking or locking up or giving out on me . I could look into physical therapy, which would probably be a good idea, but I don't know if I need a referral from a doctor (remember, I don't have one right now) or not. So, I'm gonna play my last two practices and go searching for a new Doc. It shouldn't really be that hard, the old one plays hockey with me, I just need to remember to ask her who she would recommend when I see her Friday. Question is, can I interview a new Doc? When I was having kids it was all the rage to interview Pediatricians. It makes a lot of sense, you want to have someone you can talk to, you're going to be seeing them frequently for a LONG time. But a regular/girl-parts doctor? Is that acceptable? Seems like it would be. But I just don't know. Anyone?

Well ...

Great practice yesterday! We started with a little "bumper butts" which is a game played in ready position (squatted) with hands on knees and skating backwards into each other trying to knock 'em down or knock them off balance so their hands come off the knees. We were laughing so hard at the end there weren't any winners!

We split into two groups and worked some great drills. One of them was skating figure eights around three cones arranged in a triangle. Forward between two cones, around the top cone, backwards and then around a corner cone, forward to the top cone, backwards to the other corner, around it and then forward to the top cone. Over and over. The idea is to get good at changing direction quickly. It works and is actually one of my favorite drills. When my skates are sharp. When they're on the dull side, like yesterday, I fall. So I fell. Hard. Luckily we wear these awesome elbow pads, so I caught myself on my elbows before my butt hit the ground. My elbows are fine, but I jarred my neck, it's pretty sore today and I wrecked my knee. It must have been a tad bent or something because I'm in a fair amount of pain today.

I didn't even realize I'd hurt myself except it was still sore at bedtime and then still sore this morning. Describe sore? How about shooting pain on the inside of my knee from bone to bone. From what I can tell by looking at pictures of a knee, it feels like it could be my MCL (medial cruciate ligament) which connects the femur and tibia. The pain is the right type in the right place. Bummer. What does a girl do? Nothing. Wear a brace for 2-6 weeks maybe. Does this mean no hockey? I don't know (insert wailing and gnashing of teeth). We only have two practices left, please let me finish it out! What about running? What about.... Yeah. I am being a little dramatic.

So here I sit at the walk-in-clinic waiting to be seen. Oh, have I mentioned my regular doctor quit recently? Total bummer!!

Here's to us, girls. I hope I'm not done with this season yet!

Not a nut

I'm not a big coconut fan. Macaroons? Not for me. Almond Joy? I'll pass. But this beer! Oh my heck yes! And another and another!

A 10 minute walk

Just a ten minute walk away is all this. Well, except the beer, that was a ten minute drive. Best beer I've had in awhile. Kona something or other. Mmmmm! Tastes tropical, makes me want even more to go to Hawaii!

Afternoon delight

I attempted to take the dog out this afternoon. Didn't go well. Between her and Hannah I was done in about 10 seconds!

I wanted to show off my creation. I made the hat! It took me the better part of 7 weeks to figure that stupid pattern out. But I did it. And because that wasn't enough, I took on a new pattern. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. After at least four weeks of working on this new pattern, I think I have it! I was so excited I had to text my work girls that have been watching me struggle my way through to let them know. They did the right thing and told me how wonderful it looked! Such dear girls :)