Now THAT'S sexy!

Remember about 4 months ago, when I *thought* my foot problems were really just tendinitis-related? Well I've got news: It was just plain fractured the whole time! That's right...I've been walking, pushing heavy objects, kneeling and bending down every day on that fractured foot. Yeah, that's why the pain has been getting even worse, to the point that all of my joints & leg muscles hurt on the good side of my body...because I've been reduced to putting 3/4 of my weight on it recently.

Let's just say that getting new insurance isn't a picnic. That estimate of taking up to 14 days to get it really turns out to be 1 month. Or more. Long story short (cutting out all of the insurance bull-crap) I finally was able to go back to the foot doctor and the X-Ray showed that the fracture was significantly greater than in November. It was time to take serious, yet "conservative," measures.

So it looks like it's the "AirCast" for me, as well as this high-tech piece of equipment on my foot for over 3 hours sesssions a day. Learning how much this "Bone-Growth Stimulator" actually costs for insurance companies makes me wanna cry. If you add up almost everything I own in my room (including yarn, clothing, TV, computer, etc), it probably would be roughly in the same ball-park. Yeah.

10 things I have learned this week while on the boot & crutches:
1. Your workplace will put you on "medical leave" because you are now a "liability" to them. That means that you are out of $$ for 4-6 weeks, and you can be all the more grateful for your second job as a piano teacher.
2. People stare.
3. After the starers are done starring, they will automatically ask you what you did to yourself.
4. Some people will make stupid jokes, like "so, who did you kick?"
5. Don't expect humanity in people (like them helping you open the door, or carry your items...or moving out of the way), even if you're having trouble working your crutches, and when you obviously don't have that "I can do it myself" attitude because it clearly looks like you only use them for your broken bone. A Long run-on sentence, I know.
6. Don't expect store-employees to help you either. They'll only stare until they notice you looking at them. They usually look away like nothing happened.
7. The only good thing that comes from crutches is sympathy and getting buff upper arms. Say goodbye to "bat-wings."
8. Working crutches is hard! And you look STUPID doing it.
9. If your foot isn't completely broken, the temptation to "cheat" (walking without crutches) is great.
10. Because I cheat so much, and the rubber on the crutches reek so much...I'll eventually have to knit me up some boot-socks & crutch-handle cozies!

My time off from work is odd, but slightly liberating. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Maybe I'm not meant to be stuck shelving AV this long...and this is a nudge to do other things. Or, maybe this time is meant to be used planning the wedding (since I'm clearly a procrastinator).
While sipping my coffee this morning, and flipping through a Wedding Flowers magazine, I was inspired to change my theme colors up a bit to be more Fallish. Really original, I know. However, I think that an acidy pumpkin color would look great as bridesmaids dresses. I'm thinking that the colors are now brown, acid orange, green (and maybe hot pink?). Definitely colors that are easy to find now in the stores!

Yarn Update:
Joe and I went to the Art Museum of Chicago last Friday while he was in for Spring Break. We took the train down there and visited Loopy Yarns first before we spent the greater part of the day cooped upside in the museum. I was really impressed by the size of the shop, and how much they had in stock! Here are some of the better yarns I have recently added to my stash:

From Loopy Yarns:

4 Lamb's Pride skeins for hats & mitts

1 skein of Lamb's Pride yarn in varigated green colorway. This will become another ribbed hat for Joe.

1 skein of novelty yarn. Brand under price sticker (unknown). Will be made into a lacy neckwarmer.

From the Home Ec (in Iowa City):

2 skeins of Cascade's Lana D'oro in a worsted weight. The skeins are darker blue in real life.

2 skeins of Malabrigo yarn that Joe bought me a few weeks ago in a light mint.

Upcoming posts: washcloths (sorry about that again!!), spinning & a wedding shawl!