Monday night we dropped Dieter off at the VW dealership to be repaired Tuesday. We looked around a little at all the cars we can't afford, then headed home to wait.
Tuesday we got a call from the dealership. Dieter needed new rear brakes and rotors, a new rear caliper, new inner and outer front tire rods (and therefore an alignment as well), an oil change, and a coolant flush. All told, approximately $1500 of work (this included a coupon for $350 off the total). They needed to order some parts, so he would not be ready until Wednesday evening. To occupy my worried brain until I received that call, I worked on cleaning the apartment: loading the dishwasher, starting the laundry, gardening, cleaning the bathroom. You may not know this, but it is scientifically proven that a bathtub used by a man is 500 times scummier than a tub used solely by a woman. As I was scrubbing this scum, I threw out my back. I have had back pain before, but never this severe. I couldn't stand up straight. It hurt to bend over, to stand, to walk, to sit. All I could do was lay in bed and putz on my laptop, playing Fortune Bingo on Pogo. All chores lay in whatever state I had left them. And then came something more painful than a messed-up back: dependency. I had to depend on Randall to help me stand, to fix my food, to get my medicine, to finish the chores I had started. There is nothing more torturous to me than to not be able to take care of myself.
Wednesday I dropped Randall at the train station and borrowed his car to go to work. I awoke feeling stiff and sore, but certain that I could handle my highly physical job. Not so. Working at a bookstore requires you to sit and do a cash count, stand, walk, lift heavy things...all the things that 12 hours before, I was incapable of doing (and apparently still was). I made it till noon, then moped home and crawled into bed for six hours. That evening, we met my dad at the dealership and picked up Dieter. My parents are amazing for helping me out with this (and for everything they do). You are never too old to think of your parents as superheroes. And Dieter was beautiful. They washed him, so he looked at slick as he ran.
Thursday I closed, so from the time I left work Wednesday till the time I had to be in Thursday gave me about 24 hours of good, solid rest. I had felt supremely guilty about leaving early Wednesday, but Tom was very understanding, and even made fun of my old-lady movements throughout the day. I have to say, I love to be made fun of. To me, when someone makes fun of you, it means they like you. At least, I only make fun of people I like. It's a sign of fondness. Also, you know you can do that with friends because when you cross the line, you know a friend will forgive you.
Friday was a day off (yay, more rest!). I had a hair appointment in the early afternoon, then I met Sarah and Drew for dinner and drinks in the evening. It was a great evening of reconnecting with old friends! For a few weeks I have had this bizarre nasal drainage thing going on. A slight sore throat, but no sinus pressure, no nose-blowing, just stuff running down the back of my throat. Finally on Friday, it turned into something. Constant sneezing and blowing my nose, and a whammy of a sore throat.
Saturday morning, I went to the Dream in Color seconds sale with Jessie. So fun! I scored some incredible deals on a ton of yarn...jackpot!! Saturday evening was work.
And that brings us to today. I felt like poop when I woke up this morning. Randall went out and got me some Mucinex, my personal wonder-drug. After I took it, I fell asleep for an unknown amount of time, and when I woke up, Randall made me tea and toast. Food always tastes better when someone else makes it, yes? We hit Trader Joe's for groceries, then home for pizza and disaster movies. We also stopped at String Theory Yarn Co in Glen Ellyn. It was my first time visiting the store, and I loved it!! Everyone was so nice, and though the selection is small, it's good stuff! I picked up a skein of Miss Babs Yummy Monochrome Sport and Sock 3-ply in Aubergine, and I couldn't stop petting it in the car.
And so in a nutshell, survival.
As far as my knitting projects are concerned, I haven't got much further thanks to my general inability to sit, but now that I'm on the mend, I'm back on track. I still believe I can finish both this month. I have also recommitted to opening my Etsy store before the end of the year. I'm thinking hats, fingerless mitts, coffee cozies, maybe scarves. I'm hoping I can rangle the Bloomies into doing some modeling for the photos. I'm also thinking about picking up my camera again. It's been a few years...
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