Author: Salamander

Goddamn but I miss the comments section. Major congratulations. It’s been a tough haul for you I know, and I hope there’s a big pot of happiness at the end of this rainbow for you.

There is a moment when the caffeine hits. One perfect, glorious moment. I haven’t had coffee in several days, less by choice than circumstance. This morning I sit in a local DD, sipping a large mocha macchiato and just being. The magical moment is no substitute for true mindful meditation, something I have taken up…

I’m on my way. I’m praying that I can sleep on the 15 and a half hour flight. My first antipodean day is likely to be somewhat difficult otherwise. They start boarding in a little over an hour. It will be nice to get away from my unpaid slave labor for a couple of weeks…

I so, I’ve got the NZ itinerary, and Christchurch is Tuesday, January 8th with free time in the afternoon. Get in touch using my email (if you have it) or private message if you don’t have it, and we’ll see if we can work something out.

Had my first appointment with the orthopedist Tuesday. He ordered new radiographs and then told me that it wasn’t the medial malleolus that was broken – it was the distal tibia re-broken. Although he can’t say for sure that I didn’t knock a wee chip off the medial as well. Keeping it short and sweet,…

Dr. Google is nobody’s friend. Just saying. Too much time on your hands, with limited mobility and little more than a remote control and a laptop within easy reach is a recipe for disaster. I’ve been reading up on medial malleolus fractures, and while it may not amount to much, they tend to be more…

Second time this year, though a different bone. No idea how long I’ll be laid up this time; earliest I can see specialist is Monday, but I have to work my way through worker’s comp first. Which I’ve already run through because I broke my ankle earlier this year and chewed through this year’s time….

This could have been a summer from my youth. The heat was sticky, heavy – a wet winter coat that could not be doffed and hung up on the rack to dry. The storms were violent, pounding and alive with the smell of ozone and wet garden. The mornings were covered in dew and mist…

I love ‘em, but cats can be kinda jerks. For over five years I have attempted to grow catnip in a pot on the deck. I started it from seed, tended the sprouts, thinned them, and then watched as they continued to thin themselves into near oblivion. Since catnip is a perennial, I have allowed…

I’m beginning the second week of two weeks of training. It’s eight-hour days with a one-hour lunch, no stress, and lots of me-time. This is likely to be the last training I’m sent to; government policy changes are limiting any off-station training. The Powers That Be sent us to Arlington, VA for this one. I…