I am definitely laid low. I awoke after hours of sleep, walked downstairs and was suddenly struck by stabs of pain on the left side. Good news? Not chest pain. Bad news? I could not even walk with the pain of muscle cramps. I lay on the floor and cousin Gail brought Advil, coffee, and a heating pad. I had the presence of mind, a phone, and a physical therapist for a friend. PHEW. Of course, I did not have a man. Never in the history of my life have I ever had a man around when I needed one. But, yet again, who needed one?
Grace figured out the cause of the problem. She told me what to do, and now hours later I can walk and talk (but there is no one to talk to). But, have I ever been humbled. I am moving very, very slowly and fear for tomorrow, which is bringing air travel. Grace said, “Take it easy, but move about.” I am. I’m receiving sympathy from afar, which is useful. I will survive – not thrive at the moment, but survive. Gail just got home from her walk, so now I have someone to talk to. I was supposed to go on the walk, but fate intervened.
Yesterday, I edited two of my stories for the Betrayal section of this blog. Both are quite funny. I wrote them years ago but they had me laughing out loud. The first, “Finding My Voice”, was based on an actual conversation I had with my friend Colette. The second one stars Alec Baldwin, then and now. It is with fear I post it. You know, about Alec and the paparazzi. But, he probably won’t read it, and even if he does, it is rather doubtful that he would hit an old lady.
Yesterday evening I had a strange moment with my iPhone. A “what the ****,” experience. I was in iPhoto and suddenly it announced ‘The Best of 2016’, and pictured this darling man. Well, I did take the picture and I did know him- less well than I may have wished at one point. But, why was he the ‘Best of 2016’? I sent a picture of this to many friends – they were struck speechless as well. He got a copy, to which he sent back an unintelligible something. There were lots of other possibilities on the phone, even with slide shows. One, showing the entire day of picture-taking at the British Museum. There is a whole section of photos taken within the last three months. I could not believe what happened to me. I got homesick for London. I hate to admit it, but I did. I was never homesick for Marin, the place I go for a visit tomorrow. But, there I sat, in Coquitlam, homesick for London. And then, the next morning, the pain.
The ‘Best of 2016’ picture, taken with my other cell phone, below:
