The Laughing Fox

Live in a world of suspended amazement...

A note on the subject of pain

As all of you should know, pain and I are oddly attracted to each other. Apparently I'm a sucker for it. Here are the latest escapades to prove this theory.


Example #1

It's Thanksgiving. You are mashing potatoes that have been cooking for the last 45 minutes in boiling water on a hot stove. All water has been drained from potatoes and you have added the correct ingredients to make a very good mashed potato mix. You have your aunt hold the pot for you after your grandmother gave you a teaspoon to get the entire thing of potatoes out (which, when emptied, fills two large bowls). Using said teaspoon, you work around your right-handedness and your aunt's left-handedness. You spill some on hot stove. What do you do?

Correct answer: Put spoon in other hand while you use your fingers to try to pick up still incredibly hot potatoes that have been boiling for 45 minutes and are resting on a hot stove. You then try to eat said very hot potatoes while your aunt and mother die laughing at you. After you have burned both your entire mouth, tounge, and right hand, you realize, hasn't this happened before? and figure out that wasn't such a great idea. Note to self: Don't do that again. At least until next Thanksgiving.



Example #2

It's the Sunday that ends the break. You have class the next day. You're trying to write an essay. You hurt really bad from having fallen on stupid acorn a couple weeks ago, and are still in much pain. You understand that your knees are likely to give out at any time on you, due to figure skating for ten years, tennis for two, and lacrosse for much longer than is healthy. Someone comes to your door saying "Have you ever played broomball? No? You have one minute, we're going." What do you do?

Correct answer: You agree eagerly, as you have never gotten the chance to play broomball. You can't graduate this school without having played one game of it, right? You then put on a pair of sweat pants and a tank top, and a tshirt, and a sweatshirt, and run to the ice rink which is across the entire campus, because you are running late. This hurts, but you don't care. You're giddy with amusement. You get there and you still don't know the rules, and as people are handing you the stick to play with and putting your helmet on for you, they push you onto the rink. You ask what to do, they just say keep the ball from going in the net. Alright. What does that involve? You guessed it. Slipping on the ice for a half hour, with no knee pads (because my captors didn't find a need to tell me about that little thing). A half hour later, your knees are twice the size they should be and you can barely move, let alone walk. You idly threaten said captors (which you know pretty well and they know you're joking) and go get some pink lemonade from the market on the way home. Still idly threatening because you're in much pain. You wake up in the morning, your knees are still double their normal size, you have a goose-egg on one, and you have bruises from the top of your knee to four inches below. And you don't bruise. Note to self: Next time, take knee pads. And a doctor.



Your honor, does that satisfy your requirements for evidence?




;) Cheers.

Ah... how time slips through our fingers like water...

I'm sorry for the long delay. I've wanted to post, but time has not allowed it of me.

Lots and lots of things have been goign on. This coming week I have three papers and an exam. Oh, and a fellowship proposal for next summer - which I really really want to do. Basic line we're going off right now - How come Americans are fascinated with pirate movies in certain years but not others? Is it the silent rebellion against the government and politics that makes these rebellious heart-snatchers take our breaths away and fascinate us? That's the basic idea. Perhaps if people want, once I get it finished, I can put it up here for you to view. But you've got to comment to let me know. If not I'm not going to bore the hell out of you by putting it up here.

So right now I'm trying to get that paper done, for my research proposal. I have two papers due Thursday, and an exam Wednesday.

Steph is moving to Norway or somewhere like that. One of those countries up there where I can't visit. It makes me sad and angry. Not trying to be angry, but I kinda am. She's leaving on the 7th. Of December. Guess I won't get a suprise visit from her over break, like my parents wanted to do for me for my birthday.

Going to a wedding in early January. I'm really excited about it. I've known Sean for years - he gives me a reffing job every summer. And helped me with goal tending and is just in general a good friend, even when he coached opposing teams. And Anne is a sweetheart. So I'm excited about that.

Been to a LOT of doctors lately. I've been feeling worse and worse, and it's really messing with my studies. Went to an opthomologist (sp?) and then he sent me to my general doctor, because he thinks I have diabetes. So how did I spend my first day of break? You got it - in the doctor's office. An hour of being examined, then she sent me to the hospital to get a glucose tolerance test, blood sugar tests, some arthritis tests, and only god knows what else. Seven tubes of blood later, after fasting for 14 hours and drinking a sweet drink for the sugar test... I was done around 1. After starting at 8. And I still don't know the results. I know they're really worried about me having either diabetes and/or some other test that I don't want to talk about. Either one means a serious change to my college diet. One means taking away most of my pastas/bread/carbs of any sort. The other means they all go. Completely. Neither of which makes this less depressing.

So if all bloodwork comes back okay (which would be very good), then I get to go BACK to the opthomologist for more eye tests and stuff. Because I can't read my computer or the teacher's slides anymore. That's a really bad thing.

Oh, I did get an early christmas present yesterday. Hallmark's ornament of Pirates of the Caribbean. So sweet. Plays Yo-Ho. :D

Alright, well, I can't stand looking at this anymore. I feel like I'm about to pass out. So cheers and let me know if you want to read my proposal later, or if you want me to talk about anything... or yeah. I'm done. Ta.

Aww crap...

"Ben, I'm going to sue the squirrels of Miami."
".... ... ... WHAT did you do now!?"


Geez, even my RAs know me too well. But that's my goal still - I just don't think the courts are going to accept my claim of life endangerment and death by squirrels. Though every college student knows they're tricky little devils. Gotta love them though.

So you're probably wondering why I'm on a rant about evil, conniving little squirrels. Well, this happened Wednesday... basically I was running out the door to class, and managed to find the one acorn on the step, and in doing so, fell after twisting my ankle in two. Man it hurt. I think they set a trap for me. Honest. It was a yucky, rainy day, and everything was wet, and blaaah. In this wonderful twisting of my ankle, I also managed to bust my right knee and sprain my wrist. Go me.

Once down, I had someone help me up cus it hurt sooo much trying to twist my ankle and leg to get in a position to stand up. She was sweet and offered to get an RA, which I said wasn't necessary. No matter how good I am, I know I won't seriously hurt myself, soo no matter how much I hurt, it wasn't serious. Then I was standing against a pillar and Kuhl comes up to me and does his little Marine yell in my face, and I just ignore him. So assuming I didn't hear him, (I had in an ipod and had my eyes closed) he shakes my shoulder and asks if I'm okay. He's a sweet boy - funny and nice. Assuring him I was, I went along my gimpy way to Psych class. (Ironic...)

Called mom and laughed the whole way there - easier on the body than crying. Then the nice janitor guy that I talk to every day I go in told me to sit down and stop arguing while he went and got me an ice pack. :) Make a long story shorter, by the next day I could feel the fall throughout my entire body, since I try not to fall and throw EVERYTHING out of alignment. So now my hips down are in a LOT of pain. Therefore, we have four new ace bandages which are on each ankle and each knee. Go me! -_-

Last night I managed to hurt myself all over again, so I'm glad I got those bandages Friday... cuz I'm not sure I could convince myself to do all that walking at this point. (I currently look like a zombie. I have so many bandages on...)


Different note: Didn't get to ref yesterday. Probably a very good thing, but still very depressing. Also managed to hurt myself yesterday WITHOUT the help of running for five hours on uneven muddy fields.

And I really miss my Steph.