Hey everyone!

It's boiling hot around here, we are at the very beginning of a week long heatwave! It's hard to stay outside because of the heat, so right now I am sitting in the AC watching TV and replying to some posts. I know it's pretty much hot all over right now, so I hope all of you are keeping cool.

Well, the reason for the the title of this post is because I am really proud of what I did this weekend. My grandparents knocked down their summer house at the Jersey Shore a few months ago and are re-building and expanding so that they can spend their retirement down there. This month has been very productive and they now have a real house!! Of course there are somethings they are paying other people to do (painiting, plumbing, electric, ect.) but there is a lot that we are doing as a family. Being as I am crutches-bound right now I couldn't real do much until this point, but yesterday was the first time I was able to help. And drumroll please.... I helped to put down a pergot floor for what is going to be my grandparent's bedroom!! I did it with just my mom, my 2 sisters and my grandfather (he just made the cuts for us)! We have done most of our house with these floors so we are like experts (they really aren't that hard) and yesterday we did our best job ever!!! I couldn't believe it when we were done... haha ::sticking my tongue out:: at all the people who said I was lazy!!

Okay, so I'm not modest! LOL

Happy Healing!
Britt

PS I still want to know what you ladies were up to this weekend??

Hey Britt!

Congrats on being able to do some "physical labor" this weekend. I know how great you must feel for working so hard--especially with a cast and crutches! Sounds like you all accomplished alot. I bet the house looks great.

We are having an awful heatwave here in TN also. It's been in the upper 90's with 100% humidity and no rain in sight for a week. So, that being said, I haven't ventured outside much because it is so uncomfortable with this cast. My toes swell and end up looking like little sausages...lol I am counting down the days again until the cast comes off since last week ended up being a false alarm. This cast is so heavy it feels like I am walking around with a cinder block strapped to my foot. Tonight, my mom suggested to me that I purposely soak my cast in the shower so I could call my doc tomorrow and they would have to work me in to take it off...she was just kidding, but it was a tempting idea. I can survive for a few more days.

I did accomplish a little bit of something today. I slaved over the stove all day and cooked a huge supper for my family. I absolutely love to cook and haven't done so in a while because it is hard to be up on the foot for any length of time. I have also been in a great mood this weekend because I found out yesterday that my best friend is moving back home from Florida in a couple of weeks, so I am planning on flying down to West Palm Beach on August 11th to help her move...that is if the ankle can handle it. I guess I'll find out my fate after I go to the doc Thursday.

Hope everyone else had a productive weekend! :)

Megan

My toes swell and end up looking like little sausages...lol


Megan,

I had to LOL at this. My boyfriend insists that I have sausages for toes all the time. Not just on my bad foot either!! LOL I seriously have to send this to him, he will get a good laugh out of it. WTG on cooking dinner! I am horrible at cooking, so I will never put myself through standing just to cook. Another joke my boyfriend always makes. The only reason he'll marry me is because I have all of the take-out numbers memorized!! :) He's such a clown!!

Well, hope you're still doing good. Glad that you had such a good weekend.

-Britt

You guys crack me up! By the way, I could use some new floors here so come on down!

This weekend I babysat a 5 year old and of course my dog (golden retriever/Irish setter cross) was in heaven. It was so friggin hot I made everyone stay inside. It has been so humid around here I am about to sprout mold and moss. Already have to clean the boot again cause I sweat so much lately.

Didn't do anything exciting - laundry, supper, dishes, read paper, watched Elf and some other kiddie videos in between between dog/child/sister arguments. And of course, consumed several Ibuprofen 800's.

Spent the rest of my time getting "ready" for surgery or napping. *Now that I read what I wrote, my life sure is boring!
jane

Jane,

Give me a warm bed, some good food and a place to prop my foot up and I'll be there!! hehe I could also use a few of those kiddie movies! LOL Every night last week my younger sister and I watched kiddie movies, and there weren't even any little kids around!! Talk about a boring life, huh?!?! Of course, my sister(s) have the option to just get up and go whenever...today they were kind enough to leave me behind while they went to the beach and out to lunch...aren't they just darlings! LOL

I hate the days leading up to surgery, you are lucky that you are able to nap! I couldn't sleep for a few days leading up to this surgery and even the last one.. I was only 7 yrs old then! LOL These days I am having trouble sleeping for a completely different reasons.. the excitement from getting my cast off in 9 days has me up until all hours of the night!!

Well, I hope everything goes well with your surgery. Oh yeah- and let me know when I can do those floors for ya!;)

Well, it sounds like everyone is in the midst of a big countdown...lol. I have just about 36 hours until this cast comes off (I hope--if not, I am going to have to get out the chainsaw and do it myself!). I am going to feel sorry for my doc having to touch my foot and leg....it is raunchy smelling...not to mention hairy. There's no telling what is growing inside this cast...and Britt--I still have little sausage toes! When this cast comes off, I think I am gonna have to have a ceremonial foot washing! LOL

I have a closet full of casts that I have previously worn (i always keep em'). I think I am going to plant flowers in them...lol. Gotta find some use for them.

I have accomplished alot today. I assembled a new desk that my mom bought, then I stripped and painted a bookshelf for my little sister. Then I sat down, propped my foot up and took a nice nap! :) I had a call from my boss at work earlier and she is being super understanding with my situation, we're hoping I can go back and at least be able to do something light-duty next week...that is if my doc gives the a-ok.

Well, I think I have rambled enough. Hope everyone is doing alright!

Megan

Well Megan.. I think between mine and your crafting skills Jane can have a pretty nice house. This weekend I also started working on a clock that is going to hang over the front door of the shore house. I hand painted a beach scene with a little sail boat. It's pretty simple but my grandparents love it. I told them I think it may be a little too small to hang in the spot where they want it to so I may have to go out a frame a huge picture of myself! LOL They got a kick out of that! So Jane what do you say!?! LOL :)

Anyway, yeah the countdown has begun over here and I think it is just in time! With all the bbq's and pool parties around here lately I have had a lot of family members asking me when the hell I am getting this thing off LOL! If it seems like an eternity for them, can you imagine how long it feels for me?!?! Actually, I think that time is pretty much flying right now.. I get my cast off in 9 days... I remember when that was closer to 20 days! And it's been almost 6 weeks since I had the surgery! Right now I am gearing up for the PT which, I will hopefully find out at this dr. appointment, will be taking place in the pool and on the excercise bike. I am also trying to figure out how I am going to get the money together to get my boyfriend his birthday present. His b-day is 8/9 and I am broke, I know I want to get him a $100.00 gift card for a local tatoo place, because I know how much he wants to get a tatoo. So far I have 40 bucks LOL! I set my goal at 100 even though I know it will cost him some money out of his pocket! He totally understands that I am out of work and everything and told me he doesn't want anything at all, but I feel so bad..his parents don't do anything for his birthday and since we've been together it's always been my thing. Two years in a row (this will be the third) I have baked him a cake and my whole family sings Happy Birthday and they all give him presents. The first year (we were only together about 5 months) he cried because he had never actually enjoyed his birthday before, so you see where I can't let his birthday just pass???? Any good ideas?

Well now that I yammered on...lol I have to go because he just came in! Everyone stay healthy!!


-Britt

Britt,

Wow, has it really been almost 6 weeks? Time sure does fly when you are having fun...LOL I have been in this cast since the time you had your surgery, so all in all, I will have almost spent the amount of time in a cast as someone who has had surgery would have....and all I did was blow out the repair. And I am anticipating the doc telling me he wants to operate again, so theres another 2 months in one! Oh well, at least it's a way to thin down a fat calf!

Sounds like both you and Jane live close to the ocean, and with out craft and home improvement skills, I think we ought to build us a nice beach house somewhere...an ankle friendly beach house. One story with no stairs, handicap accessible...LOL.

Sounds like you are coming right along with the clock. I can't hand paint a thing. I am artistically challenged. I have been using stencils to paint flowers and butterflies on the bookcase I am working on for my little sis (she is 8).

I definitely understand the money issue...it sucks when you are out of work...no cashflow! I haven't worked since May, and I totally miss my $$$. At least I have enough saved up to pay my car payment.

Well, I better get back to work!

Megan
(18 hours and counting till the cast comes off!):bouncing:

[QUOTE=MFord1206]Britt,
I haven't worked since May, and I totally miss my $$$. At least I have enough saved up to pay my car payment.
QUOTE]

Megan,

Haha May..you are lucky! I have been out of work since April! I worked the Midnight Shift on the day before Easter (April 15th) and that was officially the last day I worked because I wasn't able to wear the CAM-Walker to work. Haha come to think of it, I had forgotten that I wore the CAM-Walker to church on Easter.. it was soo funny. I wore gaucho (sp?) pants because they were wide enough to go over the CAM-Walker and a higher sandal on the other foot so I was evened out when walking! I got a lot of looks that day.. LOL Unfortunately, for me when I went out of work I was only working 16 hours a week (on the weekends) because I was going to school at that time so I wasn't getting paid to much so I really wasn't saving. During the summers I normally work 40 hours a week and save 3/4's of my pay check. I use the money I save during the summer, for what I need for school. Unfortunately, this is going to make things tighter this year for school. I have burnt through my savings so far for the summer.

On the plus side, my boyfriend is really good about giving me some money when I need it. And also my cell phone account is just over a year old, and because I have always been on time with my payments I got my security deposit back. They are going to subtract my bill from the amount until it is gone. That should last about 4 or 5 months. That lifts a big weight, now I don't have to beg my mom or boyfriend to pay it for me, and even when I start working again for the first few months I can save the money that I was using on my bill.

Anyways, I really can't believe it's been 6 weeks.. I can't even believe that you are getting your cast off tomorrow!!! You must be sooo excited! At least the days are going by fast! Only 8 more days til I get mine off! YAY!!!! I am sooooo excited. LOL...

Well, best of luck tomorrow if I don't talk to you before then!

-Britt

It's funny that when you're out of work for so long and doing nothing, you start to get used to sitting around doing nothing and really don't want to go back. Now that I think about it, I really haven't "worked" since March. I was out all of April due to gallbladder surgery that led to almost 2 weeks in the hospital. Went back for a week in May, then quit my job b/c I got a new one...then hurt the ankle. I am just glad my new boss has been so understanding.

I have previously worked (at my old job in a nursing home) with all sorts of boots and casts. They didn't seem to mind. One time though, about 2 years ago, I was working in a cast and accidently emptied a woman's catheter bag all over my casted foot...you can only guess the contents of the catheter. Anyways, I had to immediately leave work and go to the doctor to get the cast changed. Talk about nasty!

At this point, I am happy I still live at home with the 'rents so I don't have to worry about paying rent or anything, especially when I am unable to work. Like you, I save most of my paycheck. The only thing I really spend it on is the car payment. I am crazy and worked full time (40+ hours) a week last school year, and took 15 hours at school. I worked that much because I really enjoyed my job. What are you going to school for?

I have made many a fashion statement with boots and casts! I have gone to prom with a purple cast on my leg, and graduated high school with a lime green one! Let me tell ya, I looked sexy at graduation..LOL I was class president, so I had to get up and make a speech, so I am sure the entire audience stared more at my flourescent leg than me! I can't wait to buy some new shoes...well, I would really just like to wear 2 shoes for once. I was thinking back, and since I first hurt my ankle in Feb. 2004, I have spent 13 months in either a boot or a cast!

Well, I guess I have yapped enough for now!

Megan
(14 hours and counting!)

Megan,

It is funny how you get so use to sitting at home all day watching television. Although, I really have to admit that I miss work. My brother, sister, and father are all toll collectors where I work, and we seriously work with the best people, I miss them all so much. I've only been back to work 1 time since the surgery, I actually went there to watch the fireworks on the 4th. I get frequent calls and notes from my supervisors. A week after my surgery one of my favorite supervisors sent me a fruit basket! They really are wonderful people. I am just sooo scared that when I get back to work, with all the walking, I will re-injure myself. But I can't live in fear I guess.
I am going to school for teaching, even though I am not sure that's what I want to do with my life. It was a dream of mine since I was a kid, but I teach a CCD class and it's a rude awakening the first time you do it alone! LOL We'll see though.. I still have my whole life right?? LOL
I share your sentiments about still living at home. Although, when I am working I do give some money to my parents. The only other things I pay for are school and my cellphone bill. I don't have a car, my parents have 3 so we all share them. Before the surgery though I was basically living with my boyfriend. His parents loved it, and they didn't ever ask us for a dime. He basically has his own apartment in the basement, his own bathroom, two huge closets and an extra room that we used as a living room for awhile. It was great to feel independent from my parents, I was staying there for nearly two years. Adjusting back to home life was hard, but it had to be done because during the day there was no one but the two dogs and his grandmother home. Me and his grandmother are like the blind leading the blind lol, she has trouble walking too! She also speaks very minimal english LOL so I mostly communicate with my hands to her....=impossible on crutches.
My boyfriend and I went shopping for my 'return home' the other night at walmart! We bought all of my favorite sodas and snacks.. it was a lot of fun, and to think he actually wants me to be back there LOL I never thought I would see the day he admits that!!! He said the thing he misses the most is me setting his alarm clock for him...he woke up late the first few days I stayed at the 'rents LOL Well now that I rambled...lol...I am gonna go...

Please let me know ASAP what the doc says tomorrow! I feel like I am going through this with you.. I am all anxious LOL... Good Luck tomorrow.

-Britt

Great job with the floor!!! It is very hot in the midwest also. I got up early took a long bike ride, washed the car, made a dug out line or trentch around my landscape and tree, mowed the lawn and finished dry locking the foundation. I just bought my first house. I had a condo. Then I went inside, made coffee and took pain medication. LOL. What a morning.

Then the goof that was finishing off my new deck broke the front door. ARGHHH. Just another thing to do.