another great day off

Even though I really just wanted to curl up in bed all day and avoid the world, I pushed myself to go out for a bike ride.

I made it maybe a mile before I hit a patch of uneven pavement that threw me off my bike, causing me to slide across the pavement before coming to a stop in the grass.

I basically slid in baby cobra so as painful as those look, I think I took most of the impact in my shoulder.  It really hurts and when I move it it pops in and out of place.

I decided it would be wise to tend to my wounds with proper first aid as, knowing me, if I didn't I would surely get some sort of infection or something.  At target I found bandaids that I would have gotten had they been a little sturdier and better equipped for gaping wounds:

At least Nori would have approved when I hobble in to work tomorrow.

at least he gets plenty of visitors

I can't believe the last real post I did was just about the accident, it seems like so long ago now.  So much has happened.

As of this afternoon my grandfather was transferred to a rehab center where he will spend the next few days getting back on his feet and ready to be sent home.  All things considered he is healing and recuperating very well.

I took that picture this morning while we were waiting for the transportation from the hospital to the rehab facility.  The woman asked at the door if he wanted a visit from a service animal and my grandfather (not hearing her) assumed she was there to take him to rehab so he motioned for her to come in.  My brother and I could both tell that he had no idea what was coming and the woman didn't know what was going on so she just did her normal routine with him.  All of a sudden she lifts that handsome guy up and puts him down next to my grandfather, much to his surprise (and delight, as you can see).

But really, who wouldn't feel better after a visit from that guy.  He looks just like the dog from the dog food!!

So anyways, my grandfather continues to do well and in the meantime my brother and sister and I have been splitting up the paperwork.  And there has been a lot of it.  Those of you who have talked to me on the phone know what I'm referring to.  It continues.

At least I am feeling better now that I went down to Ft. Lauderdale to get my stuff:

He was SO upset when I put him back in the car in Ft. Lauderdale.  I mean, he was upset that I had left him for two and a half days to begin with and then when he saw me packing up more of my stuff he was thoroughly pissed off.  You can imagine the production when I grabbed him and put him in my grandfathers car.  He howled until at least alligator alley.

You can imagine my surprise when we got here and he immediately took to my grandfathers house like he'd lived here his entire life.  Every single new place I've ever taken him to the first thing he did was hide behind the toilet for 12-24 hours, but not here.  He just stomped around from room to room for a while before flopping down.

He really likes the lanai (as do I, it makes me feel like Blanche Devereux), I think because there are a lot of textures for him to lay on.  You know how he loves to lay on the least comfortable looking thing possible:

And you can tell that he is fascinated by what goes on beyond the screen.  In all the times he was outside at Scott's he never ever cared about birds or bugs or squirrels or anything, but watching him here reminded me that he used to stare at the pigeons outside my window in nyc too.  Apparently he is only interested in birds when he knows there is no threat of him having to actually hunt them and most likely fail to catch them.

But boy is he interested.  I think that corner is his favorite spot on the lanai.  It reminds me of a shark cage or something, like he is immersed in nature but not really.

Besides being glad he is here with me because I don't have to worry about him starving to death I am really glad he is here with me for company.  Especially because I am staying at my grandparents house all by myself.  It's really surreal.  I can think of only one other time in my life that I have been in this house completely alone and it was earlier this year when I came to get something while my grandfather was out for the afternoon.  I have certainly never spent this much time here alone and it is freaking me out.

While having kitty is nice it's also one of those mindfucks where I look at him and think, 'when you walked in to my store on the lower east side if somebody had told me I would have you at my grandfathers house with me I would have told them they were nuts.'

Oh man, I just thought of a really good quote from the book I'm reading that I wanted to add but I left it in Ft. Lauderdale.  Curses, just know, it was good and totally fit in here really well.

Anyways, I'm typing this to you now from the table on the lanai.  I'm sitting in my grandmother's seat.  It feels comfortable but not quite right.  Kind of like when I go in to the garage and instead of seeing this i see this:

My car certainly fits better there than the van did but its just not quite right.

Thankfully I have been incredibly busy all day and then so exhausted at night that I just fall right asleep.  Otherwise I think I would be getting wrapped up in the existential.  Better to just focus on each day and the things we can do to help him get better.

I've been telling him that you guys have been wishing him a speedy recovery and he appreciates it very much.  And I appreciate your texts and calls too.  <3

so much for my vintage roadster

Well Andrew, you're off the hook, now there are two people that have done worse damage to my car than you.

So there I was, cruising down the scenic winding road, just about to turn off to be home safe and sound. The breeze was blowing, "I Want You" was playing on my ipod, life was good.

Suddenly I noticed that the traffic coming in the opposite direction was stopped and I seemed to be seeing brake lights up ahead of me.  I can't really see a lot as the car in front of me is some large obnoxious SUV, but they are certainly not slowing down or stopping, though they did seem to weave just a bit for a moment.  I didn't have long to wonder why as out from underneath their car emerged the largest snapping turtle I have ever seen in my life.  I swear it looked me right in the eye as it reared it's ugly head, daring me to hit him.

I was too afraid.  I slammed on my breaks coming to a stop just inches away from him, not unlike in some BMW commercial or something.  Of course in the BMW commercial the shiny black convertible doesn't get rear ended...twice...

The car immediately behind me slammed on their breaks and swerved to the right, hitting the back right corner of my car before jumping the curb.  The car behind them swerved to the left, missing the Jetta, but clipping the back left corner of my car.

You also might not have noticed that he managed to snag the back tire, pulling it out of alignment.  Here's a better picture:

Of course, initially we are all walking around our cars making sure everyone is ok and trying to avoid the snapping turtle who is STILL THERE SNARLING AND SNAPPING AT US.  I mean come on, I just saved your life at the cost of my car having all original parts, the least you can do is chill out.  He did eventually crawl to safety and we were all left to deal with the repercussions.  Both of the other drivers were able to drive away while I had to watch my car get loaded on to the back of a flatbed.  I did feel bad though when the girl who owned the Jetta said, "it's my birthday".

I would say the worst part was actually when the flatbed truck passed me later in traffic and I saw my car yet again, completely perfect and beautiful in the front, and totally mangled in the back.

I'm crying.