Sunday, January 31, 2010

Car!!!


As if my 2010 hasn't been filled with enough excitement, our older car started giving us fits on Thursday. Over the last two years we have plugged a ton of money into the car and we were starting to see diminishing returns. The car is just not getting any younger. So when it acted up on Thursday we decided that we weren't going to bother to fix it. It was time to look into a new car.

On Thursday night we settled down with Car.com and found a couple dealerships that had vehicles we liked. We've been wanting a hatchback and there were a couple newer ones that were available. So Friday afternoon, Jeff went out test-driving. He found a couple he liked but nothing amazing. After breakfast on Saturday he dropped me at home and again went out looking. This time I had given him my permission that if he found something to put in an offer.

About three or so, he texted me to say that he had found a Nissan Versa that was perfect. He loved the feel, he loved the driving, and he flat out loved the car. Low miles, newish vehicle, and a price within our budget. I told him to go ahead. So last night, in a flurry of activity, we cleaned out the old car, drove it down to the dealership, and picked up our new car. All within two hours. I didn't ride in the car (or even see it) until after I had signed the papers and collected the keys, it happened so fast. And I'll have to admit, Jeff did well. It's sitting in the driveway right now and I keep looking at it, wondering whose car it is. It's the exact right car for us. As much as this was not the time for us to be buying a new car, it worked out well enough. Now I'm starting to look forward to getting a chance to drive it myself. We'll see if I get the go ahead at my Dr. appointment on Monday.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Poetry Friday

It's been way too long since I did a Poetry Friday. I haven't been reading much. And for some reason when I'm not reading, I'm not thinking about books. And this Robert Service poem (Did I mention I'm completely in love with Services work?) seems to fit my recent mood only too perfectly. I have two huge bookcases filled with books I've bought but haven't read yet. I keep collecting them and then they sit gathering dust. I wish I was better, like my sister, who's going through her shelf reading through all those yet unread books. I just keep buying more and not ever getting to them.

Book Lover
by Robert Service

I keep collecting books I know
I'll never, never read;
My wife and daughter tell me so,
And yet I never heed.
"Please make me," says some wistful tome,
"A wee bit of yourself."
So I bring my treasure home,
And tuck it in a shelf.

And now my very shelves complain;
They jam and over-spill.
They say: "Why don't you ease our strain?"
"Some day," I say, "I will."
So book by book they plead and sigh;
I pick and dip and scan;
Then put them back, distrest that I
Am such a busy man.

Now, there's my Boswell and my Sterne,
my Gibbon and Defoe;
To savour Swift I'll never learn,
Montaigne I may never know.
On Bacon I will never sup,
For Shakespeare I've no time;
Because I'm busy making up
These jingly bits of rhyme.

Chekov is caviare to me,
While Stendhal makes me snore;
Poor Proust is not my cup of tea,
And Balzac is a bore.
I have their books, I love their names,
And yet alas! they head,
With Lawrence, Joyce and Henry James,
My Roster of Unread.

I think it would be very well
If I commit a crime,
And get put in a prison cell
And not allowed to rhyme;
Yet given all these worthy books
According to my need,
I now caress with loving looks,
But never, never read.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

New Cartoon

I'm a small child at heart. I love animated films, picture books, comics, and cartoons. Anything childlike or whimsical catches my attention. In my free time I read about children's book authors and gifted animators. So it would seem likely that I'd enjoy the Disney Channel. But up until recently I haven't. Too many live action dramas and musical series. Too many people, too adult. Not enough children's stuff. So when I happened to flip by a couple weeks ago, I was shocked to find a cartoon. I was even more shocked to find out that it is a Disney Original and that it happens to be great.

I'll admit it, I'm suddenly addicted to Disney's Phineas and Ferb. The story follows two half-brothers who fill each day of summer vacation with marvelous inventions and exciting adventures. They can build pretty much anything . They are dogged by their older sister who is constantly trying to get them in trouble. But somehow the evidence always manages to disappear (normally without the boys' help) before she can show their mother. In fact the boys want their parents to see what they are up to. Along with the boys' adventures there is the story of Perry, the family's pet platypus. Perry may seem like just an odd pet but he's actually a crime fighting platypus who's mission is to thwart the bumbling, mostly evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

Each 30 minute episode has two cartoons. And each cartoon has both the Phineas and Ferb storyline and the Perry the Platypus storyline. These typically intersect at the end of the cartoon in hilarious ways. I'll admit that while I enjoy the Phineas and Ferb segments, I adore the Perry the Platypus one. His interactions with Dr. Doofenshmirtz are witty and clever. I enjoyed one recently where Perry arrives at the Dr.'s office to be told that Doofenshmirtz was still in the planning phase. He can't thwart his evil plan yet because he hasn't even been able to write his evil monologue. So Doofenshmirtz offers Perry the chance to help him so that he can then be thwarted faster. We see them grocery shopping together to pick up all the necessary ingredients for the evil scheme. When they run into Perry's boss, there is a brief silence and then Doofenshmirtz simply says, "well that was awkward." Witty, hilarious, and a little offbeat.

The Phineas and Ferb sections have just as much wit and can be just as funny. The difference is that the storyline there takes itself more seriously. The actions aren't quite so tongue in cheek and there is a sweetness to many of the resolutions that doesn't occur on the Perry side. But it is always a wonder to see the fantastical inventions and where they take the boys. Each cartoon also has a musical bit. And the songs might have to be the best part of the shows. One of my favorites has to be a song (played in hip-hop style) about Candace (the boys' sister) getting squirrels in her pants (it's much more chaste than it sounds). Or the song that Dr. Doofenshmirtz sings about covering his perfect brother in pigeon poo. Hilarious and surprisingly catchy. If you get a moment check out Phineas and Ferb either at IMDB or at the Disney Channel site. Well worth some time. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a new cartoon this much.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Children's Book Canon

I posted this over on Yet Another Children's Book Blog but the book is too good not to share over here as well.



I'm normally not a huge fan of best of lists. Anytime you create a list of ten best, hundred best, or even 1001 best, you're going to have to leave some great books out. No list is perfect. But if I was looking for a pretty good canon of classic children's books, this would at least be a place to start. It has its missing titles, at least according to me, but it still has most of the books that I would consider must reads. I was fascinated by the width and breadth of the selection. And now have tons of new books to read.

The book, 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up, covers children's books for every age group and from around the world. The book is broken up into something of age groups: 0-3, 3+, 5+, 8+, and 12+. Some of these are a little arbitrary with books like The Jungle Book appearing in the under 5+ section, the same section that housed Are You My Mother? and Blueberries for Sal. But then again I'm not a huge fan of age categorization of books anyway. I know that when I was young I was interested in books that were well above my age level. I'm sure there are kids in the same situation. Each title is reviewed with a plot summary and some information about either the history of the book or what made it great. There are a number of guest reviewers including authors like Margaret Atwood, Nick Butterworth, Judy Blume, and Lois Lowry. Contributors range from educational authors, librarians, journalists, and critics. The book itself is edited overall by Julia Eccleshare

In each age section, titles are presented chronologically. I was shocked at how old some of the classic titles are. We all know that Aesop's Fables are very old but I had no idea that The Swiss Family Robinson was actually written in 1812. The books continue up until mostly modern day with the newest title being the 2008 release of The Graveyard Book. Unlike other canons of children's literature, this list contains books from around the world and many that are not written in English. I went through the book several times and was amazed by the number of German and French titles that appeared. These are books that I'd never heard of. Yet in their own countries they are classics.

I consider myself somewhat well read when it comes to children's books but I have to admit that I probably have read less than half of the titles. I have read many of the 3+ and 5+ but many of the 12+ have escaped my notice. I'm not sure if I simply bypassed that age group or that that there were far more foreign titles in that section and I rarely expanded my reading beyond primarily English titles. I will be curious to see how many of the foreign titles I will be able to get my hands on. My plan is to attempt to read all 1001.

As I mentioned before I'm not a huge fan of lists. As I went through the book I could think of a few titles that had been excluded that I would consider classics. The list is a little light on the modern side. But one of the strengths of the book is that the editor is aware that she cannot include all the books that would be considered classics. This is solved by including additional titles at the base of some of the reviews. At the bottom of the review of Seuss's The Cat in the Hat is a listing of other books by Seuss. Similarly at the bottom of the review of The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde is a list of other stories about princes. This book may well be one of the most well defined canons for the children's literature genre. I guarantee that readers will find old familiar favorites and exciting new books to check out.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Pigeon Impossible


Apparently I have birds on the brain. Two posts in one day, both about birds. Weird. But I saw this animated film today and couldn't pass up sharing it. As you all know I love animation. I happened to be catching up with Animation Blog this afternoon and stumbled upon Pigeon Impossible, a short film by Lucas Martell. Funny, cute, and very well executed. It's become an internet sensation with over 2 million views in the first month it was released. And I can see why. Pigeon meets spy in this hilarious video. You can view it on youtube or a the Pigeon Impossible website. Just make sure you check it out.


Late Night Visitors


This post is my 400th. I'm both happy or sad about this. On one hand, 400 is a ton of writing. This blog has been a therapist, a forum, and a great excuse to write. I love writing it and I love sharing the interesting things I find. I've enjoyed every step of the way. But on the other hand, it's taken me almost a year and a half to get to 400. That's a lot of days missed. So I'll try to be faster with the next 400. I don't intend to slow down with this anytime soon.

That said, on with the show. I have to share about my new found friend. My new noisy neighbor who keeps me company late at night. Since I broke my leg, I haven't been sleeping well. I can doze off for about 45 minutes at a time. Then I wake up and need to find a new comfortable position so I can get another 45 minutes of sleep. What that means is that I'm up for a good chunk of the night tossing and turning. I've started to dread bedtime because I know that sleep won't come easily. But there is one bright side to the early morning hours.

I think it was the second or third night after my fall that I heard it. He or she (I'm actually not sure) is a Great Horned Owl, a name that cannot help be remind me of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Every night, starting shortly after midnight, it begins its calling from the woods right near my house. It will keep up its quiet hooting up until 3. When I first heard the hooting I was intrigued and couldn't sleep. Now I find it soothing. The owl's quiet noises lull me to sleep. I've started looking forward to hearing him. I probably won't ever get a chance to see this magnificent bird but hearing him has certainly eased my insomnia a little. It may still take me an hour or so to fall back to sleep but at least the time is peaceful and relaxed.

If you get a moment, check out the Great Horned Owl entry on the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. You can even play a recording of the typical hoots of this beautiful bird. Or any other bird. This has to be my favorite site for learning bird calls. Great resource.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Getting Back on the Horse

I'm not always good about facing my fears. I still have problems with wax museums, no matter how many I've been to. Yes I'm afraid of wax figures. Completely irrational, I know. Based entirely on one horrible childhood experience. I'll tell you about it one day. I did manage to get over my fear of driving in winter so that now I can actually get to work and back without white-knuckling it. But currently I've developed a new fear. And this one is a bit more incapacitating.

I'm terrified right now of walking on ice. I have these great ice clamps for my crutches. I have YakTraks for my shoes. I can even walk with both feet on the ground. Yet through all this, I'm still terrified of walking on ice. So when the state was hit with almost a half an inch of freezing rain yesterday, I decided to stay home from work. Jeff didn't have class and I didn't want to walk outside. I've already had my crutches come flying out from under me on wet tile, and a small patch of ice on the driveway. I wasn't ready for hockey rink type ice.

I know this fear isn't irrational. My little sister texted me yesterday morning to say that I shouldn't go out. I took her advice (Thanks Em!) and emailed my boss. Everyone is very understanding, particularly with my situation but when I woke up this morning I knew I had to go. Even though the sidewalks are still very slick and there have been hundreds of falls throughout the city, I knew that if I didn't go out I never would. I'd be constantly afraid of the ice and never willing to set foot on anything slippery. So I went to work, and shocker of all shockers, I didn't fall. I didn't even slip once. The drive had been salted. The roads were in good shape. And I made it to work without so much as a misplaced crutch. It may not seem all that brave to you, but I consider it a first step in facing a mostly rational fear.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Crime Drama That's Criminal to Miss


I've had a lot of time to watch TV these last couple weeks. In fact it's one of the few things I can do once I get home from work. I find that most of the time I'm too worn out for any real writing and reading hasn't sounded all that good. So the TV goes on and I become a blob on the couch.

Most of the time I don't watch much though. If the TV's on I'll check out a old Mythbusters episode, or a rerun of NCIS. But that's really it. And I never plan my evenings around a show. That is, until recently. Jeff and I have become completely enraptured with USA's new series White Collar. The show follows the exploits of Neal Caffrey (a master forger and white collar criminal) and his brand new boss Peter Burke (FBI agent). Peter is the only person that's been able to capture Neal before and when he escapes from prison, Peter is brought in to recapture him. But this time, Neal isn't sent back to jail. He's given an tracking anklet, a two mile radius, and begins to work with the FBI solving forgery and other white collar crimes.


Like that other Odd Couple series from days ago, this show is all about the differences between the two characters. Peter is incredibly smart but by the book and a little on the dull side. Neal, on the other hand, is charming, manipulative, cocky, and impulsive although he's just as smart. The two play off each other beautifully. Peter is constantly frustrated by how easily things come to Neal and Neal is always trying to get Peter to see things in less than black and white. Each episode is a different case although there is one thread that runs through the whole series. Neal escaped from prison to save his girlfriend Kate. He has had contact with her but she is being held by someone. The series interlaces the crimes with the hunt for Kate.


It's hard to imagine that the premise of this show would make it all that good. When we first saw previews for the show not only was I not really interested, I was a bit annoyed with how frequently they were played. But after the first twenty minutes of the first show (Neal's amazingly daring escape from prison) I was interested. In the first episode, when Peter leads Neal to his new home (a seedy motel) and then returns the next morning to find him living rent free in a Penthouse apartment (must be nice to have charm), Jeff and I were intrigued. And the end of the first episode sealed it for me. After that, Jeff and I made no plans for Friday night. We had a date with White Collar. The new season starts tonight and from now on I won't have any plans for Tuesdays. I never expected to like a series this much. But it's just too clever, too witty, and too engaging to pass up. A guilty pleasure but a somewhat intelligent one.





Main Cast from left to right: Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), Elizabeth Burke, Peter's wife (Tiffani Thiessen), Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer), and Mozzie, Neal's friend and fellow con (Willie Garson)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Good Health News

This break has been one of the most difficult and frustrating things in my life. I don't even want to admit the number of times that I've thought about just staying in and not leave the house for the next couple months. I've thought about never leaving the couch unless I had to. I've been in pain, afraid, and frustrated by hauling myself around on my hands. I've nearly fallen from the crutches hundreds of times. Anyone who tells you that crutches are no big deal is lying...or selling you something.

But with all this frustrating something else has happened. I'm amazed at how easily I can be made happy. The first time I dressed myself with the boot on was a moment of joy. The first time I opened a door on my own I was texting Jeff to share my excitement. When I first learned the step to get into the house, I was practically in tears with joy. I've become easy to please.

And today was a great day. I went to the doctor and finally got my staples out. The wounds are healing well and soon I won't be needing gauze or the ace bandage. But even better news was that I can start bending my ankle. In fact I should be working nightly to bend and flex the foot to improve mobility. The first time the doctor helped me bend my foot back felt bizarre. Apparently my ankle has forgotten how to move.

And that wasn't even the best news. The big thing is that I can finally start putting weight on the foot. I'm shocked!!! Two weeks after surgery and I can start putting 10-20 pounds on the foot. That's enough to use my leg to steady myself. I'm four legged now. And I'm so thankful. It took Jeff months before he could step on his foot again (he didn't have surgery) and I'm starting to walk after just two weeks. I could have kissed my doctor when he said it. And I'm on a perpetual high today. Yesterday I hardly left the couch if I didn't have to (I've been having a lot of pain in my hands) and today I'm up and moving as often as possible. I would say that I'm easy to please but this was just way too good of information. I feel like I'm really on the road to recovery now.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Up, Up, and....

Well still here. I'm having an odd week. As you all know I haven't done any posting this week. I've been in full recovery mode. The only thoughts that have been running through my head this week have been how to get from Point A to Point B. That means that all the things I want to talk about, all the cool things I've learned this week, all the interesting films I've seen, have been relegated to the back of my mind while I concentrate on learning crutches and finding out how to do things I've taken for granted before. Like eating breakfast, and showering.

But there is only so long I can go without writing, much like reading. And this was the breaking point. So I'm going to start with something that happened what feels like months ago. Last week I watched Pixar's Up and I've been wanting to talk about it. As most of you know I'm a HUGE Pixar fan. Other than Cars, which I thought was lackluster, I have loved everything that Pixar has ever created. Their movies are wonderful, their shorts are funny and poignant, and everything they create has tons of heart.

This movie is no exception. When I say that I cried within the first 20 minutes of this film you will understand exactly how much heart this movie has. I fell instantly in love with the love story between Carl and Ellie. We watch them meet, fall in love, get married, and follow them throughout their lives. This is done with little dialogue but by the end we are already in love with this couple. Those first twenty minutes of the film, may very well be my favorite montage in a film ever. I laughed, I cried, and I sighed with them. And that was just the set up.

The film follows Carl who, after Ellie's death, decides to carry out her last wishes and move to Paradise Falls in South America. He rigs the house with balloons and manages to fly there, with one stowaway, a young boy scout named Russell. Although Carl is not happy to have Russell with him, he realizes that getting him home would be problematic and the two become unlikely partners. When the house lands close to the falls, Carl and Russell decide to walk there to set up. Along the way they meet Doug, a talking dog and Kevin, a gigantic bird that becomes the basis for all the movie's conflicts. They also meet a famous explorer who Carl once idealized. He has been hunting for Kevin for decades and has been driven mad by the search. He and his army of talking dogs then start hunting for Russell and Carl since they know the whereabouts of the bird.

It is an odd plot and in places is far more intense than I would have expected. The flight from the crazy explorer (Charles Munts) and the later fight against him was action packed with tons of impressive animation work. The visuals are beautiful throughout the film. But what really stuck with me was the heart of the story. The love story between Carl and Ellie and later the friendship between Carl and Russell really made this movie for me. We see how Carl changes over the course of the film. This is his story, and never has a children's film about an old man, created such a stirring realistic character. Kids will love the talking dogs and the moments of slapstick once the pair reach the Falls. Adults will love the character of Carl and the film's ideas of relationships, idolization, and life. Me, I just fell in love with the whole thing.

Monday, January 11, 2010

I Have Clearance

It's not everyday that I say words like this but...Yay, I get to go back to work!!! After a long week of being cramped up at home, I'm finally heading back to work tomorrow. I saw the doctor this morning and he cleared me. Actually what he wrote was "return to work as tolerated". Which may well be the greatest words ever written. What this means is that, not only do I get to go out into the world again, but I get to set the schedule for it as well.

I can tell you right now that there is no way that I would be able to work 9 hour days in the condition that I am in. I simply could not sit with my leg down for that long a period of time. Plus I've gotten used to mid-afternoon naps (if that sounds like bragging, it is :-) ) and the occasional pain pill. I've also gotten used to having my own schedule. This work release, along with the wonderfulness of my boss, is allowing me to go back to work for 5 hour days to see how it goes. The rest of my hours will be made up with sick leave. I'm incredibly excited about this.

You would think that getting to stay home for almost a week and a half without any pressures would be wonderful. You would think that getting to read, sleep, eat, and watch TV whenever you want would be nice. But it gets old. Quick. And more than anything it is a tad isolating. I've had a number of people stop by to check on me. I've run my phone battery out a couple of times with long conversations with friends. I've had my brief forays to the doctor's office. But other than that, my only contacts have been Jeff and friends through Facebook. I love Jeff and this week he has proved to me that I truly married the right man. But there is only so much together time we can take. As for Facebook, I've had a ton of wonderful well-wishes from friends. I was touched by how many people were worried about me. But typing on a website is just the not the same as face to face conversation. And even that, after a while has left me feeling restless. An entire week straight with little interruption and no where to go has made me a bit antsy.

So as odd as it sounds, I'm ready to go back to work tomorrow. I'm excited about having some work challenges rather than just getting around challenges. The crutches are providing their own issues but I'm ready to be with people again. I'm ready to be social. But more than anything else, I'm ready for a little normalcy.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Should Have

I should be posting more. I have a ton of time. I have really nothing to do but lie here on the couch with my feet up, spend time on Facebook, and watch TV. And that's exactly what I've been doing. I haven't been terribly ambitious for anything that requires too much thought. I've watched a ton of movies, some that I want to talk about, others that I've seen over and over. Jeff and I are doing a very slow Lord of the Rings marathon this weekend. We watched Fellowship Friday night, Two Towers last night, and will finish with Return of the King tonight. As a friend of mine on Facebook said, "if those movies can't heal broken bones, nothing will".

But I should be taking this time to blog, to write, to paint, and even to read. Instead I watch hours of old NCIS episodes, Family Guy, football, and an endless number of commercials. I read countless comics, find new photo sites, and spend literally hours checking in with friends. I traditionally only spend an hour or two a week on Facebook. This week I've probably spent 12 hours on it. I have spent a good chunk of time on the phone and I've had a number of friends and family who have stopped in to see me. The time is actually passing quickly but none of it is really productive. I haven't even had my journal out once. I should have posted every day. But being laid up has left me without an sort of ambition. Even climbing the stairs, something that I've gotten better at, made me feel tired.

My hope is to be better this week. I'm hopefully going back to work on Tuesday but even then I'll probably only be able to do half days to begin with. I get tired easily and still have some trouble concentrating. I'm not taking the pain pills as frequently which is helpful. I guess all of this is to make excuses for the fact that this has been one of the more exciting weeks of my life and I've hardly written anything about it. And it's my hope that getting this little bit of fluff post out there will spur me on to do some more writing. I have to remember that this boot will probably be my constant companion for many many weeks. It's time to settle into a normal life, just with a couple new accessories.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Drugged Up

This may or may not make sense. I've been trying to do some writing since I'm pretty much stranded on the couch. I can do some simple writing and reading but anything beyond a paragraph and the words start to jump all over the page. With a full page of text and I started to get that glazed look and my eyes just close. I'm half asleep most of the day.

It's the pain pills they have me on. They work okay but the real side effect is that I fall asleep at the most inopportune moments and that I can't seem to do any real reading. Jeff went out and bought me a lap desk which is just wonderful but even as I type this it is difficult to see the words. I'll try to keep something posted but I can't pretend that it will be anything good. Right now I'm sitting on the couch, watching Scrubs, dozing off, and pretending to write. I also thought about taking pictures of my foot. They changed my bandages today and it was so incredibly gross that even Jeff got a little nauseous. And that's saying a lot. I don't think my feet should have that many colors. I found it mostly fascinating but I think most people would have been sick. I won't subject you guys to pictures although I'm tempted. Or maybe just high on pain pills.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Starting my New Year with a snap, crackle, and pop

I wish I could say that I made Rice Crispy treats and that is the reference. Instead I stepped on some ice badly and my feet went out from under me. I caught myself with my ankle and landed in the middle of the street. Jeff was with me and immediately came to my aid. The pain was intense but I was aware enough that I knew I needed to take my shoe off. The sound I had made just told me that I'd broken something.

Jeff and my dad (I was in front of my parents' house) loaded me into the car and we had a bit of bumpy ride to the Emergency Room. After x-rays and a couple hours of waiting the doctor informed me that I'd broken both my fibula and my tibia (the leg bones connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bones connected to the.... :-) ). In fact, I was broken in three different places. He sedated me and reset the bone right there in the ER. They casted the foot and sent me home with the promise to see the orthopedic doctor on Monday morning. I didn't sleep that night because of the pain and all through Sunday I lay on the couch. I've gotten pretty good with the crutches and the pain has gone down quite a bit. I'm almost comfortable.

I went in for my appointment with the ortho doctor early this morning. He walked in, showed me the x-rays and instantly started talking surgery. I guess the break was so bad that there would have been little stability with a conventional treatment. Instead a surgery would make it stable and possibly speed recovery. Considering I've never broken anything or really even been in the hospital for myself, this was nerve wracking. I went from fine three days ago, to broken, to my first surgery in less than 72 hours. I remember being taken into the Operating Room. The anesthesialogist said that he would be giving me some oxygen and starting the anesthetic. I remember saying that I was a bit dizzy and then I was out. I woke up an hour and a half later in recovery. The doctor came in to say that the break had actually been a lot worse than he had thought. I spent an hour or so in recovery and then went home to pizza, a comfy couch, and the occasional nap. Although it's not something I recommend I realize that this could have been a much worse accident. And I've been lucky with the number of friends and family offering assistance. I may be broken, but I'm still pretty blessed.