And a reminder, Memorial Day is for the dead who served, Veteran’s Day is for the ones no longer serving but still among us, and Armed Forces Day is for those currently serving. And when I was a kid with a military parent I loved Armed Forces Day, because I got to apply all the good stuff I learned from the next door neighbor who was an Armorer (or Armorer’s Mate, it was like the mid-60s and I’ve been hit in the head several times since then) who would give me the comic books they used to teach stuff back then. I literally learned how to field-strip a machine gun from reading DoD published comic books, then applied said knowledge to the displays at Schofield Barracks. There is a picture of me somewhere in the archives of the Army Times of me aiming the machine gun I had just assembled from the display they had set out disassembled. As I was just 7 YO I didn’t have the hand strength to take it apart, but the requirements to put this one together are much less strenuous than taking one apart and I suspect this one was on display because it was worn out too far to use for anything other than “take apart and put together” displays. So my 7 YO hands were up to the task of putting it back together.
I watched the Coca-Cola “World 600” (I’m sorry but it will always be the “World 600” to me no matter who sponsors it) as it happened, but I recorded the Indy 500 and will watch that tomorrow. I already know Helio Castroneves won (thanks Fox Sports) but there is a huge gulf between knowing the winner and knowing what happened in the race. Kinda like the difference between knowing Kyle Larson won and knowing how many cautions there were and how many red flags and how many cars were on the lead lap at the end, etc. I’m sure there will be a synopsis posted on YouTube if there isn’t already, so I’ll steer you toward those and not spoil anything for you in this post. No promises about tomorrow’s post if there is one, I may have to go do stuff Tuesday.
One of the things that troubles me about surviving my wreck is the accelerated rate things go bad with my body. My doctor who put me back together warned me that I would age faster as a result of the damages that killed me in the wreck, which as I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog were extensive. Let’s just say that for the purposes of this post the fact that I died was not in doubt, the fact that I came back was somehow still in doubt if I wasn’t still breathing in front of you. As I posted, there is a full recounting of my injuries in a separate page listed at the top of the blog, you’ll figure out which one from the titles. Anywho what is bothering me this week is an injury I got after the wreck because of an injury I got during the wreck. I was doing a Chinese exercise and stretching class and over-stretched my right hip when I lost my balance doing a pose. Didn’t even hurt for several days after I fell, but a few weeks later I could barely move the leg and had to have help putting my socks on. This was when I was supposed to be taking care of my dad after his wreck that broke his shoulder (and his spirit) and not being able to move my foot where I could put my sock on made that difficult when we had to transport Dad to the hospital for treatment after I botched caring for him and his kidneys started to fail because I forgot to force him to drink water when he didn’t want to drink any water. Let’s just say I’m a terrible son and leave it go at that.
Anywho, that old injury is acting up again in a different way and I’m having issues with walking around. Basically one of the muscles that moves the hip and stabilizes me when I walk has decided that it no longer wants to work the hours I work and tries to take the rest of the day off before I’m done with it. This results in one of two things, I find a place to sit until this muscle recovers, or I fall on my face, or through a plate glass window, or the front storm door (that was a funny one, ha ha, still sweeping up the mess from that one) or basically whatever is least convenient personally or closest to me. Usually it is on my face. Makes taking walks for my health somewhat iffy as usually there is not enough warning that my leg is about to dump me on my face to do anything about it unless there are a number of things nearby to lean against and rest my leg. I mention this because I want to take walks for my health again and guess what, there are not many things to lean against or sit on in my neighborhood, because homeless people might use them? We have bus stops that should have benches because you might have to wait 60 minutes if you get there just as the bus goes by and there’s no driver for the other bus on the route. Anywho, I can walk about a quarter-mile at a go before my leg says time for a break, but the nearest leaning tree or post is 0.4 miles from the house, next to the bus stop going to the mall.
And, that is enough literally breathless prose for the day. Remember those who served the US until they couldn’t serve any more, and celebrate their service and sacrifice. And have a hamburger or hot dog in their honor, or sip a cold beer. Just don’t forget like the Republicans in Congress did about the Capitol Police who were killed or injured during the 1/6 insurrection everybody saw on TV.
Witch on a Bicycle 