Crafty-Ass Witch

I’ve owed you all pictures and canning posts about stuff I’ve done for months. Months. (I canned strawberry-balsamic jam in May) I’ve got a bunch of posts from my pick your own excursion (plum sorbet, nearly sugar free plum ginger jam, sweet pickled beets, spiced pickled beets, pictures from my cucumbers, etc…) I… what can I say? I’ve been the combination of lazy and busy where all I really want to do is sit around and eat Hot Pockets while watching The Soup. Plus, the new apartment is faboo and we’re mostly settled in but it’s the kind of settled in where you put everything away so now you can’t find any of it. And the commute is killing me. It’s an easy metro commute, but a $8 a day ride. I can take two buses, costing me $3 a day, but it’s been taking me an hour and a half each way and still making late for work. Oh, metro, you fill me with impotent rage.

The result has been two weeks of feeling like I’ve been in a constant rush, especially when compounded with a busier time at work. So the idea of taking a picture of the excellent cous cous salad I made the other day and posting it with a recipe is less than appealing (oh, I took a picture, I’m just too lazy to upload shit from my camera). And I rebel from all of this rushing by reading sexy books and planting my ass firmly on my couch. It’s been bad for my wallet, my stomach and my ass.

Weirdly, it’s been especially bad for my wallet because during a month where we really were trying to scrimp and save, I’ve online shopped myself out this week. I had a Groupon for Shabby Apple that I used to get the most fierce dress (Emma Pillsbury is totally jealous), then I bought everything from Old Navy I didn’t need (I’m returning half of it, because, as always, Old Navy’s good stuff is only online in my size and they can’t maintain size consistency to save their lives, so I usually buy 1 item in 2 sizes and keep the one that fits) and then I bought everything from Amazon I didn’t need. A lot of it has been good deals and gift cards… maybe it’s my nesting instinct kicking in, but I feel the need to acquire stuff.

At least I haven’t made the fiancee go to the pick your own again. Because raspberries haven’t ripened and apples and tomatoes aren’t ready yet. I mean, because I love her. Yes, that’s totally it.

What is it about stuffing all of your possessions into boxes, paying exorbitant sums of money for someone to cart them across town, and then opening those boxes to rediscover what useless shit you have, despite sending 5 bags to goodwill and 5 to the recycling? Not to mention the frantic post-move clean that takes place at your old digs. Whatever it is, it really cuts in on my blogging time. We’re moved but are still in the process of getting our lives together and have very sporadic internet. Updates when I do something crafty that’s not finding new ways to carry 12 boxes to the dumpster in one hand.

Also, it’s freaking. hot. here in DC. So, you know, it’s hard to be in the mood to can. Or cook. Or do anything but go ‘oooomigaaaaawd it’s so hoooooooooooot.’

(Oh, metro, you fill me with rage)

Giant Suitcases
In the middle of the car
What, you want to leave?

I stand here confused
What is this farecard I hold?
Open, magic gate?

You guys, I got the boot. And not even the fun sassy kind.

See, I hurt my ankle in November. And I thought it had healed up nicely. I took a month off from running, then eased myself back in. Life sometimes prevented me from doing as much running as I wanted, but I was still running fairly frequently. I got up to doing 28 minute jogs. And my ankle kept hurting. My whole foot, really. I’d get back from a run and sit at my desk and my foot would just throb for the rest of the day. I started noticing some swelling in my lower calf. My foot and calf starting hurting independent of any running. I tried going out for 28 minute runs and ran out of gas after about 10 minutes. I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I emailed my doctor and she told me to hie myself to an orthopedist.

Well, it was a 3 week wait for an orthopedist and a 2 day wait for a podiatrist. I went to the podiatrist at the office recommended by my doctor. I got there, I got my foot x-rayed 8 ways from Sunday, the podiatrist came in and poked and prodded every part of my foot in excruciating ways. The good news was that I hadn’t broken my foot like I thought I had. (Foot problems are notoriously common for runners and I constantly assume the worst) The bad news was… I got the boot. For 3 weeks. Unless I’m asleep or showering, I’m in the boot. And then possibly an ankle brace, and then physical therapy and then I can think about running again.

So, farewell, GW Parkway Classic. The fine folks at Pacers (who sold me new shoes I’ve been dying to try and now won’t for several months) have let me drop out and defer to 2011 (though I’ll still have to register when the time comes). I don’t mind as much as last time. I kind of knew it was coming when I couldn’t do more than 10 minute stretches.

Now, the boot. It’s hot. It’s wicked hot. And you have to wear a sock in it, which makes it hotter. (You can do mid-calf or knee socks, but if you do shorter socks, your calf will itch terribly all day, as I found out on Friday) It’s also tall, so you have to find your tall flat shoes to go with it. You might think heels or wedges would work, but all that will do is throw you terribly, terribly off balance. The only shoe I have that works is a platform flip flop my almost mother in law gave me 2 years ago. And we’re not supposed to wear flip flops in the office (I got the OK. I feel special).

The boot is also designed to rock you forward as you walk, simulating what you’d actually do with your ankle. This makes going downstairs normally well nigh impossible. I mean, you probably could do it, but with my penchant for falling on my face, I should not. Instead I am putting both feet on each riser. This is slow. I hate it. I live in a 3 story townhouse right now and I can’t carry laundry upstairs or go downstairs (easily) to have a snack while watching TV. Going up stairs is difficult, but doable. The boot takes a day or two to get used to. I spent Friday feeling off-balance. I didn’t want to carry anything, not because I am a pretty pretty princess, but because I felt like my hands would be too full (apparently, I’m carrying the boot instead of wearing it in my brainparts). And I have to wonder if these things are similar to shape ups, because my hamstrings are killing me today after spending yesterday cleaning out our bedroom (6 bags for goodwill, 2 bags of garbage and I’ve still got 3 tubs of clothes in the attic. And laundry to be done. Pray for me).

Plus, wearing the boot means that everyone you know automatically must ask you if you are OK and how/why you hurt yourself. This is sweet, but gets old after the 5th coworker that rarely even makes eye contact with you in the hall feels the need to ask about your foot as you’re washing your hands in the bathroom. I know I should be grateful that everyone is concerned, but I don’t like being the center of attention unless it’s on my terms. This is out of my control.

I’m also peeved because I can’t run anymore, and that was really rocking my fitness plan. The doc OK’ed recumbent bikes and ellipticals for cardio (boot firmly on), so I’ll be switching to that, but I’ve gotta go after work now. The exercising during lunch was really working for me. And the doc said I should be fine in my twice weekly pilates, but I still have to keep the boot on, so I think that’ll actually be an awesome challenge.

So, I’m day 4 of 21. Not that I’m counting. It’s going to be a fun three weeks.

Spring showed up on Saturday, right on time! And along with the flowers, warmer temperatures and flip flops, it brought my least favorite friend, allergies. I mean, what better way to welcome the return of life to the world than with blinding sinus headaches and the inability to take a deep breath? I’m not dying, but I’m not happy. I’ve got chest congestion and a cough, sinus headache and congestion and a sore throat.

In this weather, I want to be outdoors as much as possible (and not just because I just reread the sublime Sunshine by Robin McKinley). I want to go for a jog at lunch in a tank top and capri pants, I want to sit outside and eat dinner, I want to clear the plants that died after being buried in 30″ of snow out of the garden, I want to go for a walk around the neighborhood. Heck, if sleeping with the windows open didn’t wake me up constantly from street noise and leave me feeling like death in the mornings, I’d sleep with the windows open! But the results are just painful and I don’t like them.

The answer is, of course, take a pill. So I have. I bought a new allergy medicine and have, for two days running, missed the warning not to take with caffeine. I take it in the mornings, when I have my coffee. The result leaves me spacy, slightly dizzy and slightly disoriented. I can still work, but it’s not pleasant. So, if anyone needs me, I’ll be in my windowless office, blowing my noise and trying not to move too much, wishing I was outside.

I’ve kind of quit this week. I got new running shoes on Saturday (more on that later), and when I went to run out on them, my ankle, which has been bad for a week, starting really screaming at me. I got 10 minutes of jogging before I ran out of gas and walked back. Considering I was hoping to do 28, I was disappointed. Not to mention that I hoped that the new shoes would be some kind of magical shoe that would make my feet miraculously not hurt anymore. Kind of hard for them to do that when you’re coping with an existing issue.

So, when I got back to the office and changed, I decided that I was going to take the week off from running. I was going to wear my ankle brace as much as possible, elevate my foot as much as possible and reassess where I was after the weekend. And I have. After three days, it’s already feeling a lot better and isn’t swollen at all. I didn’t give myself an excuse from exercising at all and did 30 minutes on the stationary bike when I got home on Monday, pilates on Tuesday and yoga today (ankle hurt a little after each, but not horribly). I was planning on going to the gym yesterday to do another hour on the bike, but I got home from work sad and tired and moody. I curled up in bed with my fiancee to rest for a minute and got up an hour later. (Apparently, I snored)

I am so frustrated with my left ankle. It’s been hurting a lot and I am starting to get worried I may have done some permanent damage. But if I have, there’s not a whole lot to do about it, aside from not aggravating it (ie not running). I’m really hesitant to do that because running’s been the real catalyst of my fitness and muscle building lately and I find that I’m starting to enjoy it as much as one can enjoy exercise. I just don’t know what else would replace it, especially since I’ve been coming to terms with the fact that I really don’t like bike riding. I always think I do and then I go for a ride and I get worried going too fast down hills and I feel out of control and I’m worried a car’s going to hit me… it’s too many variables. I might feel differently doing trail riding rather than street riding, who knows. I also have a really old school dahon folding bike, and every time I pull it out, I have to remember how to put it back together first, and that never goes well. Plus my ass always hurts. I guess I’d be more enthusiastic if I was taking a spin class.

I’ve had a hard time shaking this sadness that’s been hitting me lately, and I’m not sure where it’s coming from, especially since it’s gotten nice out! I think it’s pure and simple lack of sleep and stress. I do a poor job taking care of my physical needs sometimes, so this is something I should figure out how to work on. I’m worth feeling better, yanno? It’s hard to make myself a priority.

On the lighter side, I finished the baby blanket for the shower on Sunday (YAY TIMING) and have started on the scarf I’m going to donate to the pagans. Pictures when I get around to it.