Bragging about my hubby

I know I haven’t blogged in a long time. Life goes on status quo and then life explodes and I don’t have the time or desire to write about it. What’s new? Nothing and everything.

But today, I’m going to share a slice of my life that happened last night.  

Last night Bill placated me by changing seats at the baseball game. The game was a blowout and it was in the late innings, so a lot of people had left. We sit right behind the dugout (the dugout is where the players sit, for those of you who aren’t familiar with baseball) and we are partial season ticket holders. Two gals came and sat behind us (in seats they did not pay for), and the first thing I hear one of them say is, “I wonder if they’ll notice us here?” and she starts whistling. I have a very low bimbo tolerance. So I ask Bill if we can move. He wanted to know why (be barely noticed the girls there. REALLY???). The other option (if I were a beer drinker) is I could have yelled to one or more of the players and made sure the guys noticed the bimbos. I thought of it briefly. But I don’t drink beer.

So we moved over to the next section (also pretty much empty, and better seats all told) and I was able to enjoy the rest of the game. Then when we left  we saw said bimbos waiting where the players come out after they shower. Okay, girls, let me tell you a secret. These guys are in the minor leagues of the minor leagues. They get paid so much that they have host families that they stay with. Some of the players are married. Some don’t speak English. Pretty much 99% of them will never see a major league game from anywhere but the stands. So what is it you’re after? Give me a break.

And this is what my husband has to put up with. Almost every day.

Back in the saddle…

… and out of the wheelchair! It’s been a while since I sent an update.  I relinquished the wheelchair and crutches in September, and walked a 5k in Walla Walla in October! YAY! We also walked a 5k this past weekend and we had our best elapsed time ever -- 59 minutes and 14 seconds.  Under an hour! That bested our previous best time by about 5 minutes.  We’re going to do one more 5k in December, and then we’ll see what’s in store for next year. I don’t know that I’ll be able to match 59:14, but walking without pain is its own reward. ;-)

Every once in a while my knee gets unhappy, but for the most part it’s doing really well. I still get a twinge going up stairs now and then, but not at the spot where I had the stress fracture. My physical therapist said that the muscles around my knee were a little tight and atrophied, and that might be causing the problem. He taught me how to not walk like a duck (I’m still working on that one) and I’m walking about 3 times a week for about 40 minutes to keep walking so I don’t re-injure myself when I go to walk 3 miles.  

I hope this finds you all well - have a wonderful holiday season!!

Blessings,

Kristin

Sidelined!

After walking two 5k walks, I found out via an MRI that I have a stress fracture in my right knee. This means no weight on my right leg for 6 weeks. Minimal weight is more like reality. What am I supposed to do, leap into the shower on one foot????

So I have a wheelchair to get around work (and other places) and crutches to get around home (stairs). It’s been hard, I’ve been cranky, but I’m working on being thankful for the health I do have and that I haven’t been told I need surgery. People at work have been really great at helping out and through that I’m accruing a debt I can’t repay. I’m humbled by the kindness I am shown by friends and strangers and the words “thank you” just don’t seem to be enough.

In the midst of my temporary inconvenience, we took a trip to Minnesota for Bill’s parents’ 65^th wedding anniversary party. It was a wonderful time with family and friends, and they enjoyed it so much (as did all of us). We stayed a few extra days and took in a baseball game (my first time at Target Field - check another stadium off the list) and visited with the family. I am so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family.

You’d think with all the “down time” I have I would have been knitting up a storm, but that hasn’t been the case. I’ve been playing on my iPad more than anything. I’ve always been the sedentary sort, but knowing how much work it is to go out to the kitchen and get something on not being able to carry it back to the living room anyway is pretty demoralizing.  Crutches are an amazing amount of work even when I don’t keep my bad leg completely off the ground, and sorry, all, but my “big girl panties” are in the wash. So I sit. A lot. But the good news is that I can’t snack because I have a hard time carrying anything anywhere. I’d need a tote bag to carry the cheese puffs to the table.  More work than it’s worth.

I go to the specialist on September 6^th and to the doctor who is treating me on the 23^rd. In that space of time we’re going to the Washington State Fair (complete with a concert that night). That will be interesting.  Use the wheelchair during the day and get the crutches out to hit the nosebleed seats in the evening. Sure, the one time I go cheap and don’t get ground level seating….  ;-)

Through all this I’ve found most people very supportive and helpful. I have a lot to be thankful for. Including the fact that I’m lazy by nature. I have friends that would be nuts after three days. At least I still have what there ever was of my sanity. ;-)  

More news in September or so!

Blessings,

Kristin

Walking and other things

Hi, All!!

A lot has happened since my last update, but it can all be summed up pretty succinctly. But that’s just not my style.  ;-)

I have started walking and training to walk 5ks. Why? I have no idea. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I completed my first official 5k walk on July 20, bettering my time of the practice 5k in my neighborhood by 2 minutes. I have another walk this Saturday, and then a few more I’ve signed up for and a couple others that I plan to sign up for.  This hasn’t been a walk in the park, however. I thought my asthma would be the worst thing I had to deal with, but I’ve been getting inflammation in my left foot. Long story short, I was prescribed antibiotics and a special shoe. Now I still have swelling (but not as much pain, thankfully) and now my right knee hurts, probably because I don’t have any shoes the same height as the medical shoe, so I’ve been compensating. I hope this stuff goes away soon. It’s getting old and interfering with my training plan. Enough whining. ;-) Bill has been a great help and encouragement to me, walking with me and telling me I can get up those stupid hills in our neighborhood even though I don’t think I can. I need about 300 yards for my asthma to recover from a hill, and I don’t always get that in my neighborhood. The second time I went up one of the hills and had to stop, I decided that hill had won and I started going around the other direction. Unfortunately, there’s a hill that’s almost as steep going the other direction. I haven’t had to stop on that one, though, so I guess I made the right decision.

More on my first 5k completion - It was the Refuse to Abuse 5k to benefit the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and it took place at Safeco Field (where the Seattle Mariners play). The route took us around the inside and outside of the stadium, plus a couple laps in the parking garage.  There were ramps in lieu of stairs, and I only had trouble with the first ramp and then the adrenaline kicked in.  There was also a marching band playing at the top of the parking garage, so that had me pumped, too. We didn’t finish last (that was my fear) and as I said, I bested my time from my practice 5k in the neighborhood. There’s a lot to be said for walking on even pavement.  Everyone got a finishers medal, so I have a great souvenir. Plus a few pictures on my phone and a neon green shirt that almost fits. ;-) This weekend Bill and I are walking a 5k for the Boeing Employees’ Community Fund.  It’s our first morning walk, and we have to leave home at 6:30am. Ugh. My legs don’t wake up until 10am. Should be interesting.

In other news, my stepfather David has gone through his six post-surgery bladder cancer treatments. Now we wait and he gets scoped on a regular basis to keep an eye out for cancer coming back. He’s in good health and spirits. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Milla continues to do well. We did a radioactive iodine treatment about a month ago for her hyperthyroidism and her blood work came back last week within the normal range. She’s as fluffy and feisty as ever - you’d never know all she’s been through this year.  

I guess that’s about all the news for now. Thanks for reading, and “talk” to you soon!

Blessings,

Kristin

Bringing you up to date....

Hi, all!!!

Just a note to bring things up to date. Since my last post, my stepfather (David) had an operation to remove a tumor from his bladder, and has another surgery and treatment scheduled on May 9th. More news as it becomes available.

We also found out this week that Bill’s mother (Arlene) has a lump on her neck that is suspect, and though she doesn’t give us great detail, the words “oncologist” and “chemo” have been used in her emails.

Prayers are appreciated for both David and Arlene and the families.

 In more upbeat news, it’s May, and spring has come to Seattle (at least for a week). It’s too bright out for me, but the other people seem to be enjoying it. ;-)  

I have a scrapbook crop on Saturday where I’ll be working on scrapbooking our wedding photos (5 and a half years later).  In my spare time, I’m knitting a sweater, testing a pattern for a gal on Ravelry. I’m about 20-25% of the way through it and have until the third week of May to get it done. Wish me luck! That also means all of my other projects are on hold… one of these days I’ll have another pair of matching socks. Right now I have three single socks waiting for mates. I actually have four, but I don’t like that sock so I don’t think I’ll be making another one. I also want to make a pair of Mariners’ colors socks for the July 25th Stitch and Pitch game.  Baseball and yarn! YAY!

I guess that’s about the news for now. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and prayers.

Blessings,

Kristin