My Fall From Grace (not)

It's been a long time since I haven't blogged in over a week, but here's my justification:

Last Sunday night I went to let the two big dogs in the back kitchen door. When it's raining or muddy out I leave a beach towel on the kitchen floor going from the back door to the rug by the table to try and get the dog's paws a bit cleaner, since they have yet to learn how to use the door mat. Guess who the door mat was last Sunday night?  They came bounding in swiping the towel to the side and got the entire floor sopping wet. One nudge on my back side from one of them and fell head first into the kitchen table. I woke up on the floor, saw the blood and knew it wasn't good. Tim came into the kitchen to find me on my hands and knees trying to wipe up the mess with a dish towel. Zach came in next and freaked out. "Mom! You're bleeding like crazy!"

I poo-pooed them both, trudged up the steps to the couch and collapsed. If I had to hear Zach say how deep the cut was one more time I was going to throw up. I held a dish rag on it while he went to the store for a first aid kit. (at least now we have one)

He cleaned it up pretty good and applied antibiotic ointment before closing the cut with two butterfly bandages. Within one hour my face was already swelling and my eye turning black. He got me an ice pack (at least we had one) and stayed with me until about five in the morning so I wouldn't go to sleep. We watched Breaking Bad, episode after episode after episode. Around dawn I told him to go upstairs and get some sleep.

He came downstairs to check on me around ten. I lifted my head to look at him and experienced the most bizarre dizzy spill I've ever had. Needless to say I've never had a concussion but sure know what one feels like now! It was like I was in an old reel to reel movie and the film got stuck. The room spun around me again and again and again, and all I had done was lift my head off the pillow. I almost told him to call 911 but when I lay back down the spinning subsided. Around noon I called work and said I didn't think I'd make it in three.

Needless to say I remained on the couch for almost two days. I was okay unless I turned to my other side. Whenever I did, the spinning started again. I think (no, KNOW) Tim and the boys were a LOT more worried than I wanted them to be but took excellent care of their chief cook and bottle washer.

Day three:

I had to call out of work again on Tuesday, I couldn't even function the remote control for the TV. TJ came home from work around nine and asked what I was watching? I said "Whatever has been on this channel the past eight hours."

They made me food, they brought me water with bendable straws and they checked on me constantly. Guess ole Momma done raised 'em right after all. That, or either they were terrified of having to fend for themselves after my funeral.

On Wednesday I managed to go back to work. It was a day shift during the week so at least was a moderately slow shift. I walked in the door at ten thirty to open. The owner took one look at me and said "Good for Tim!" Of course he was kidding and if it hadn't hurt so freaking much I would have laughed.

I got off around four, went home and immediately got in my bed. I was already scheduled to have the next day off and took it! For two more days I lay in bed trying to get my bearings and move as little as possible. Ham, my biggest pup stayed right by me on the bed, never moving more than five inches from me.

By Friday morning I felt well enough to actually put on clothes and sit upright. I still had dizzy spells  but were less frequent. Of course I should have gone to the emergency room on Sunday night when it happened but OF COURSE I didn't. That's all we needed, a freaking hospital bill. Zach got the bleeding to stop and anyway there's nothing to be done about a concussion except exactly what I did...Rest.

One good thing I discovered was it took me half the time to get ready for work, I only had to put makeup on one side of my face. The other side was plenty colorful.

Friday night was a bit hairy. It's a lot busier than a week day morning shift and was a lot harder to concentrate. I must applaud my co workers, they were tremendously helpful. I was walking out of the kitchen with only one small salad bowl in my hand and for some reason simply dropped it right on top of a rack of glasses. My friend, Catie said "Go on, I got this mess." My reflexes were slow and sometimes forgot what I was doing but they all helped me muddle through.

One thing is for sure, I've never had my clock cleaned like this before and hopefully not ever again. You know it's bad when I'm more worried about surviving than missing work shifts.

So look at me today, well over a week later! "Smashing" may be the more appropriate word.

Yesterday my niece got married and I was forced to go out in public without being paid to do so. I refused to be in the wedding pictures. That's just what I need, to look like this forever in someone's wedding photo album.

I let a few people take pics with their phones, with me coyly turning my head to the said like "Aw, shucks don't take my picture!"

 Look how good I did!

Lauren was a beautiful bride and I didn't know many of the people besides my own in laws so the stares didn't bother me.

I know Tim feels like everyone thinks "He" hit me. No wonder his smile looks so fake. I didn't post anything on social networking until I finally went out to the grocery store and saw several peeps who knew me. My daughter was in Destin for Spring Break and didn't want to scare her. When I posted a pic of my injury a lot of people made cute little comments about Tim hitting me. One of his golf buddies came to my defense with the comment "Nope, Tim's a Lefty."

Here's me with another Bro N Law. By the time we left the wedding I had a crick in my neck from tilting as far to the left as In could.

At least I got a good pic of TJ and Massey...notice no tilting!

Now here's a keeper! Left to right. Tim's brother, Andy, his brother, Joel (who obviously missed the memo about wedding attire) then my handsome husband (AKA wife beater) then his dad, looking pretty good for almost eighty. Then there's another of Tim's brothers, James (father of the bride) and lastly, my boy, TJ.

I was subjected to one more photo but at least it was far enough away. Maybe it just looks like shadows. This is Tim, Massey, TJ and me with my in laws. TJ looks like he wants to be a River Dancer, don't he?

I feel blessed to have survived at all this past week. I poo-pooed it when it happened but knew it wasn't "Poo-pooable." (That's just what momma's do)

I still come home from work and climb into bed. I still take it easy. I may be slow but I'm not THAT stupid.




Here's the real tragedy.

This is a photo of a girl I've known since early elementary through high school and kept in contact with Via reunions, get togethers and sometimes funerals.

She married her high school sweetheart. They had a family and great life together. A few years ago he was diagnosed with ALS. The past couple of years he lost his ability to walk, speak or take care of his own needs. My friend, his wife did it all for him. He died the other day. Not from a knock in the head but from a simple twist of fate.

My friend, Becky never wavered, never complained simply loved her man til death they did part. The nearest she ever came to complaining was in a private message to me late one night. It simply read "I'm no good at this end of life shit."

I beg to differ. She stuck by her man, she loved her man and had to say goodbye to her soul mate.

All I had was a knock on the head.

Once again  am reminded how blessed we are. So I took a licking and kept on ticking. My friend's husband didn't have that option.

Trust me, until it spills and evaporates completely, your glass is always half full.

Til next time, COTTON