September 19, 2012 Well. Shit.

This morning at 8:00 I started PT again.  Steve could not have been happier.  He. Could. Not. Have. Been.  If you doubt me, call him and ask him if he could have been happier.  He'll say, "Why no.  No, I couldn't have been happier."

In honor of my return to PT, I dressed a bit casually.  Usually not a big deal.

I tootled down to Subway for a sandwich and on my way back to the office, I noticed several lawyers going into Forum Hall.

Suits, high heels, ties, briefcases.  All very lawyer looking.  

I asked someone what was going on only to find out that the Kansas Court of Appeals was sitting at Kansas State this afternoon.

No shit.

The first case being argued was out of Pott  County.  Back in the olden days when I was the assistant county attorney, I did all the appellate work.  Never lost a case that went up on appeal.  Thankyouverymuch.  Your tax dollars hard at work.

After all the festivities, I ducked into Forum Hall and got a picture of what had been the Court of Appeals court room.

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Just another near brush with greatness.  Do you have any idea how great the daily blog entry will be when I actually brush greatness?

It will be spectacular.  I promise.

September 18, 2012 MRI...Again

Yesterday, I had yet another MRI on my left ankle and got the results today.

Back story:  On July 11, I started wearing this damn boot to help with tendinitis in my left ankle.  Let's do the math, shall we?  That was over 2 months ago.  TWO MONTHS AGO.  And who even remembers how long ago my total knee surgery was?  (ME!  I remember!  It has been  months.  Five very long months.)

It's official that I am tired of being crippled.  Even though I am only temporarily crippled and know I shouldn't whine, I'm weary.

So, I got the news that I have the boot for at least 2 more weeks.

But,

There is a silver lining.  For me.  Not so much for Heartland Physical Therapy.

I get to start PT again and hopefully this time I'll graduate from PT without injuring some other part of my body.

 

September 17, 2012 Like a Bad Penny

One of the benefits of my job is that I have spent the last 10 years collecting children.  Every year, several wayward lambs find their way to my office.  Not all who walk through my door are clients, though.

Sometimes it's the student body president!  Matt Wagner is one of my kids.  As is his little brother, Andrew. (Andrew now works for Satan, i.e. Koch Industries.  I tried EVERYTHING to discourage him, but he wanted his chance at the real world!)

Back to Matt, he works for Phillips 66 in Oklahoma.  I thought when he took that job, I'd be able to get tickets to the Big 12 Basketball Tournament.  So far, no luck and my patience is about gone.  He's been there long enough that he could start flexing his muscles a little bit.

It was great to see him again.  I love when kids just show up in my door - especially around lunch time!  Matt is one of the few students who slings shit at me at about the same rate as I sling it at him.  I admire that in a person, don't you?

Matt was a great student body president. Now he's a great dad.

No, that does NOT make me a grandmother.

September 15, 2012 Hooverville: Wamego Style

During the Great Depression, some homeless people lived in shanty villages called "Hoovervilles"; named of course after President Hoover who was president when the economy tanked, leaving FDR to clean up the mess.

Fast forward to Wamego, tonight there are 13 tents in the field across the street from our house.  While something tells me this is Boy Scout related, there is not a kid in sight.  Every tent has a vehicle parked by it, but no people.  Anywhere.  It's a bit strange.

Here's what I'm thinking, Bush is Hoover, leaving the economy in the shitter and Obama comes along and has to clean it up.  FDR had 3 terms to get the job done, Obama is going to have to do it in two.

Damn, I hate George Bush.

Wonder if the Boy Scouts knew the message they were sending to the old lady across the street.

September 13, 2012 Headed Home

I love a Kansas sunset.  Whether I am driving into it or away from it, the medley of yellow, orange, pink and purple is spectacular to behold.

Today an employee of the College of Vet Med at Kansas State filed an objection to Obama being on the Kansas ballot in November because there is no proof that Obama is a citizen.

I have no words.

None.

So, instead of dwelling on the small minded bastards who hate for a living, I choose to dwell on the sunsets.  

And if Obama is removed from the ballot, I'll be seeing a whole lot of Kansas sunsets in my rear view mirror.

September 11, 2012 Special Day

You know that big green space in front of Anderson Hall?  It's like an emerald island between the Administration Building and the President's house.  Every time  I drive by it, it calls to me to come run through it barefoot.  Today, in honor of Patriot's Day, the entire perimeter was lined with small American flags.  There was a bit of a breeze so the miniature stars and stripes waved happily.  I have no idea how many flags it took to go all the way around the green space or how long it took, but it was worth it.  It made an impact bigger than all the flags in town at half staff.

In addition to Patriot's Day, today was special for another reason.  Today I celebrated 10 years at Kansas State University.    While on one hand it seems like I've been at Student Legal Services for my entire career, on the other hand, it seems like yesterday I was trying to figure to figure out how to see 23,000 all by myself.  Well, I guess that much hasn't changed!

Let's see, I think that I've see about 5,000 students and made about 4,900 of them cry.  I've driven something like 15,600 miles to and from work over the years and I don't even want to think about how much I've spent in gas.  

The bottom line?  I love my job as much today as I did on this day in 2002.  I have to admit that the problems aren't changing....students still drink, still make bad choices, still forget their manners when they leave home.  

Ahhh, job security.

September 9, 2012 Heartland Physical Therapy is Responsible

There was a golf tournament this morning so CB was home.  (Heartland PT is not responsible for this.)

Because he was home, CB cooked breakfast.  

We ate out on the deck and enjoyed the cool morning and the hope of a new day.

Then we went to the Oregon Trail Park where we went for a walk.  (This is where Heartland PT begins to become part of the day.)  I had my walker just in case I got in a spot where I needed some extra confidence.    I started up a gentle, black topped path, enjoying the blue sky and pretending I was in Colorado.

My walker was helping a bit and I was feeling pretty cocky.  (Heartland PT remembers this about me.)

But then the path turned to dirt and this sign appeared:

That's right.  It says "Steep Grade".  STEEP GRADE?  Are you kidding me?  I'm using a walker here.  I've not really tested my new knee in battle conditions nor have I been 4 wheeling with this lousy boot.  I have to admit that the smile was a bit forced.   How in the hell was I going to get down this slope.  It was like Pikes Peak.  I shit you not.  Look how desperately I am grabbing that sign pole.  For dear life.  No. Shit.

Here's the view from the bottom - - looking back up the incline. 

Okay, I admit, it doesn't look like much, but in person it's a bitch.  CB had Buddy on his leash and was trying to convince me that I was most certainly going to break my neck if I continued down this path.

But, I've been trained by the best (THIS is where Heartland PT comes in) and I knew that my new knee was strong and flexible and would do whatever I told it to do.  I knew that my boot foot was now my "bad" leg and had to think along those lines.  

Steve and Angie are the best PTs in the entire universe.  They had no idea when they were trying to get me to bend my knee, damn it, that they were also reassuring me that my knee would some day function normally.  (Okay.  Okay.  The whole "normal" thing should not be taken literally.)

Oh yeah.  I made it to the bottom of the hill and was so very proud.  For several weeks I've been feeling more than a little discouraged about my mobility; however, this afternoon I felt more capable and mobile than I have for a long time.  

I think it's time for Hearland PT to change their marketing strategy and use ME as their success story.  Oh. Wait. Maybe we shoul wait until I actually am a success story.  Sometimes I get ahead of myself.  Like when I bought jeans in size 8.  Yeah, those bastards have never been worn.

Since our walk at the OTP was such a success, we drove south of town to Mt. Mitchell where we did the whole "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" all over again.

I made it half way up (once again, thanks to Heartland PT.  No one ever got anywhere by saying "I can't", right Steve?)  - which CB said was the hardest half.  CB and Buddy made the ascent and said it was amazing.  You can see Colorado from up there.   I can't wait to make that climb myself.

This is the view from the half way picnic table. 

The countryside is covered with these beautiful sunflowers.  

Buddy had a great time, too!

Closing note:  this is how I looked every day after PT.  Buddy learned the side tongue hang from me!

September 7, 2012 True Fan

It's not unusual to see high levels of support for Kansas State around here.  What with being on campus and all.  I don't know why I thought this license plate was particularly photo worthy.

Last year there was a big kerfuffle about "EMAW" (Every Man a Wildcat) because someone in the upper levels of the chain of command thought the "Man" part was inappropriate.  You know, it should be every "person" a Wildcat.  In view of that feeling, the powers that be ordered the KSU band to quit marching out the EMAW letters at football games.  I thought the whole thing was ridiculous.  In case you were wondering.

September 5, 2012 Dinner with the Men of AGR

One of the great benefits of my job is the opportunity to speak to student groups at Kansas State.  Tonight I had the honor of having dinner with the men of Alpha Gamma Rho and being their after dinner entertainment.  (Not that kind of entertainment, for god's sake, get your mind out of the gutter)

Hopefully they learned some tips for dealing with the police, the consequences of possessing alcohol if you are under 21 and that remaining silent is the "in" thing to do!

September 2, 2012 Last Blast

When I went to Mom's this morning to deliver warm blueberry muffins, I put this sign in her front yard.  People in Wamego are so good about following directions - they honked all day long!

I also put this sign on Mom's clothes line.  When she looked out her kitchen window she got birthday greetings all day.

I've about decided that I should be an event planner.  I love making things happen.

September 1, 2012 Party Like a Rock Star

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday which she shares with her cousin.   When Luke was a little boy, he called the cousin "Noah", so that's what we still call her.  She is not a product of crazy Bible parents.

Baby and I planned a full day of fun for the birthday girls, even though it's not quite their special day, it's close enough.  And at their age, we better party while we can!

We went to Abilene for the day.  First thing, we toured the Seeleye Mansion.  It was fabulous.  If you have ever driven down the main street of Abilene and thought you should stop at this amazing house, you certainly must!  It was worth the price of admission.

Here is Mom and Noah with the owner of the house.  He was a hoot.  And a Republican.  Of course.

Nautrally, you can't go to Abilene without having a meal at The Brookville Hotel.  It was sooooo good!  Baby and I even planned ahead and took a cooler so we could bring the extra chicken home without also bringing home salmonella.

The best time to visit the Russell Stover factory outlet is when you are so full from lunch that you don't want to buy everything!

After mandatory naps, the party continued in the evening with dominos, gifts, birthday tiaras and cake.

Oh, and it goes without saying that the framed pictures of Baby and me were the hit of the party.  We put them in frames that said "Family is forever".  

We are so funny!  Just ask anyone.

August 31, 2012 Baby and Sister

Baby and I had our picture made for Momma's birthday tomorrow.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll stop.

August 25, 2012 Frickin' Farkle

CB and I learned to play Farkle.  It is pretty fun and involves much swearing.  According to CB, the best part of the game is that I get to talking to someone (I know, hard to believe) and keep rolling the dice which, in this game, is NOT a good thing to do.  Therefore, I'm not the winner.  And if I'm not the winner, then that means there's a good chance CB is.

August 24, 2012 It's Raining! It's Pouring!

It's wonderful how a little bit of water pouring from the sky can make an ordinary day extraordinary!  All of a sudden, the world was cleaner and fresher.  Is it possible that the slurping sound I heard was the earth sucking up the rain?  It was either that or my thighs sticking to the leather seats.  

It didn't rain hard enough or long enough to please all the flora and fauna, but this was a good beginning.