Where I Get It From - Feet

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

Size: Mom - Small, 7 - 7.5. My mom's are even smaller.
Shape: Mom - High arches.
Toes: Dad - Aunty Nicky says they are 'prehensile toes'
Calluses: Dad - Very prone to calluses
Corns: Mom - Also prone to corns
Bunions: Dad - Luckily avoided them so far
Shoes: Neither - I have adopted my own shoe style, flats
Ticklish: Mom - We are not ticklish
Ankles: Dad - Weak and easily twisted/sprained

I love feet, I mainly love women's feet, I really love my feet!

My Father's Bladder

Sunday Mornin' Coming Down - A post about my Dad each Sunday, named after a song that he loved.

I inherited a lot of great things from my father - he gave me some good genes. I have long, dark, eyelashes and my hair is soft. I love talking to people and have a great memory. However, he also passed down some negative qualities - including weak ankles and a difficult bladder.

My dad was a night hawk and often went to bed very late. He also enjoyed sleeping in (this is a trait with both my parents and my brother too.) However, he would always be up around 6am to 7am every morning to use the bathroom. For the past six months this has also been an issue for me. The frequency has increased to the point that I would say I am up early 95% of the mornings this past month or so. Strangely it also makes me think of him each time, as I go stumbling around in the dark to go pee and then return to doze some more in bed.

On a related note for the past two years or so I have been dealing with more than a bit of an incontinence problem, which I really need to talk to my doctor about next time I am in. I don't think it is genetic, but it is a pain to deal with. There aren't any enjoyable bladder issues to deal with, but at least the strange clock-work morning-pee thing that I got from my dad isn't too much of a hassle.

Down 10 Pounds

It is nice to announce various weight loss milestones. So, I have now lost 10 pounds in 2014! (A little bit more actually since it was last week when I hit that mark but didn't post about it.) It took 8 weeks, and I would really like it to be going faster than that, but until I start really working at exercising than I doubt it will come off any faster than one or two pounds a week. Before I talked about the goal of being nice and trim for Teri's wedding, since I was so happy about what I looked like at Taylor's. At the time I was looking to add a specific picture to that post but couldn't find it on Always Standing or my computer. I noticed it today on Facebook:

Shoes!

Kristen, Taylor, and I

At Taylor's Wedding

Photo by Stephanie Beach Photography

I love this picture, it is one of my favorites of all time. The only thing I would change is that I wish I had remembered that it is my left ankle that is the ugly one, affectionately referred to as My Hoof. (I sprained it way back in 2004 or something and the huge ball of scar tissue that never properly healed makes it look weird.) I should have switched sides with Kristen, but I was pretty drunk by this point in the night, in fact I barely remember the photo being taken.

R.I.C.E.

I hurt my foot earlier this week and right away I remembered the R.I.C.E. rule. ERin taught it to me back in Ottawa, after what was probably a foot or ankle injury. (I think I get more than the average amount of foot and ankle injuries.) Anyway, according to Wikipedia, RICE is a mnemonic for a treatment method for soft tissue injuries which is an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. When used appropriately, recovery duration is usually shortened and discomfort minimized. I am not very good about the compression part, and I think in Ottawa ERin really emphasized that part and taught me how to wrap my foot. Basically the resting part is easy, the icing helps if you are able to do it quickly, and even a few days later I am still sleeping with my foot elevated throughout the day and in bed at night since it swells-up really easily and becomes painful when it does.

Healing Is Hot

I fell yesterday - randomly. I was walking outside, in new shoes that I can't even call heels, and I think my ankle just collapsed. Which isn't really that strange, it was the weak one that I sprained years ago and I affectionately call 'my hoof'. Because I was holding things, I landed on my elbow, forearm, and right knee. It didn't hut and thankfully didn't wreak my jeans. However, when I got home I found out I scrapped it up pretty good and it was bleeding (but it didn't go through my pants so I don't really get how that happens.) Anyway, y knee got a little swollen over night and is sore now when I bend it. Hopefully it will turn into a really impressive bruise! The strangest thing though is that the whole knee area, around the scabby part, is very very warm. I know that is how you tell a injury, but it is really strange to feel the difference in temperature between my two knee caps. I can't remember really experiencing that before.

The Fashion Pendulum

I remember in early high school everyone had flared pants. At times during high school these flares became huge bell bottoms. However, I also remember the dreaded term 'pencil pants'. These were the awful tapered leg jeans that were fairly loose fitting at the top and tighter around the ankles, seen on moms and computer geeks everywhere. Today, I bought a pair of skinny jeans. The 15 year old in my was shouting in protest. "They are all going to make fun of you! These aren't cool, where is the flare? Or at least a boot cut?" The 26 year old had to reply, "No, no, these are trendy now, and that isn't the issue. The issue is that they make my hips look too big, something you didn't really have to deal with 15 year old self!" They are very dark and I do like them. They are from Gap, which I gather means a certain level of quality, I don't ever shop at Gap so I don't really know. They also were on sale, which is always good. So, I'm wearing tight legged jeans, looks like style has swung back to the 'pencil pants.' Skinny and straight cut jeans have been around for a while now, I am always a good quarter swing behind on the fashion pendulum.

Weak Ankles

I twisted my ankle yesterday. I stumbled off a curb, randomly, for no reason. (And, before you ask, I was sober.) It is the opposite ankle as the one that I sprained a number of years ago. The sprained one is super ugly now, I call it 'The Hoof' since it is noticeably different and larger than the other. Now the other is a bit messed up too. It hurts when I twist it certain ways. I guess I should have slept with it elevated, or something. I'm going running tonight and am going to have to take it easy when I do.

Splitting Shins

I hung out the past two nights with Kristen. She is back in Ottawa for her usual one week a month to work on the university paper. She is killing me. She never has any bus tickets and wants to walk everywhere. It takes my all to drag her onto a bus. She thinks it is nothing to walk downtown, which is a good 4km away. My ankles are sore, I have a shooting pain up the foot and shin of one leg, and I'm exhausted. Biking everywhere makes me impatient at the amount of time it takes to walk somewhere. I also don't like the negative effect it has on my body, since I'm rarely wearing the right shoes. I know it is exercise and it is good to spend time outdoors but walking sucks!!

Big Fall

I'm at Subway, and I totally just fell on my ass in front of a customer. I grabbed their bread and then turned to serve them and just crashed. I guess my weak ankle turned or something but I was sprawled out on the floor. It was super hilarious and embarrassing. It didn't hurt thank goodness because crying after that would have added even more to the humiliation. I'm going to have to have my Cool Boss look at the footage from the camera.