Sprains and Holidays

So I really did something stupid yesterday (Monday). I sprained my right ankle while feeding yesterday morning.

It hurt so bad. I hadn't sprained an ankle since high school; I forgot how bad it hurts when you actually sprain something. I cussed. A lot.

We had just finished feeding a bull and cow in a pen. I slid off the truck on the opposite, away from the bull. The ground in the pen is fairly uneven, so I sat down on the bed of the truck first, and then just slid my butt off.  My left foot found solid ground, but my right foot didn't. It found some kind of rut or hole. I stumbled, flailed my arms a bit, but remained upright. Unfortunately, my actions still startled the 2,500 pound bull.

I looked at him, thought up a lot more curse words, and hopped behind my side of the truck and stood there quietly, eyes down, so as to not "challenge him". He stared a moment longer and then went back to his food. Only then did I finally start breathing again. Now, he's a decent tempered bull, but in the end, he is still a bull. And you don't mess with the bull. Any of them.

Papa D got out of the truck to see what was taking me so long, and I told him I'd just sprained my ankle. He told me get in the truck, and he'd open the gate. Unfortunately, when it gets as cold as it has in the mornings, it's hard to open the truck door from the outside. It's hard enough when it's warm out. He opened the door from the inside, and I literally crawled into the truck on my knees because my ankle hurt so bad to put any weight on it. The pain seemed almost unbearable. My worst fear was that I'd actually broken it.

We found K by the grainery, and told her what happened. Then he drove me home in the feed truck. When I got out, I was able to hobble. He waited until I got up the steps to my back door, and then went back to finish feeding.

I took my muck boots off in the guest bathroom, which is right by the back door, so I didn't get mud and snow and cow poop on my carpet.  I hobbled to the other end of the house to my bathroom for a shower and had never been more grateful for the handicapped rails in my bathroom and shower! I spent the rest of the day on the couch with ice on my elevated ankle. I've been able to kind of hobble around, which is good. Not sure I could keep up with a feed truck, or be able to climb up on it just yet, but at least I can limp around.

The best part of yesterday was the two hour phone conversation I had with my BFF. The last couple times we've talked, we were kind of limited on time as one of us had to be somewhere. We had both been hoping that we be able to get together for Thanksgiving, but I won't be able to drive to Redding for the holiday this year. It's supposed to storm this week, and I'd have to drive 4 icy mountain passes to get there and back, in the dark both ways. If the weather was good, it would be easier to do, but with storms, I just don't want to risk it. She already has plans for the weekend I will be in Redding, her friends are doing her birthday part that weekend in the bay area. It will probably be Christmas before we see each other. Which means it will probably be 6 or 7 months have gone by before we have seen each other again.

And now . . . . since it's Thanksgiving on Thursday, I probably won't be posting until next week. But I did kind of want to list a few things I'm thankful for:

~ I'm so thankful that I took the leap of faith of quitting my job in Sacramento to come up here to Sticksville. It was a scary decision, but I don't miss the stress of my old job. I don't miss the city, apartment living, or the cost of living.

~ I'm thankful that in this economy I have three jobs. I admit, two of those jobs are for my grandparents, but still, in total it's three different jobs. I enjoy the diversity the jobs offer me.

~ I'm thankful for my friends and family and all their support. They know how much thought went into my move up here, and I couldn't have done it with support from each and every one of them.

~ I'm thankful that the vet's up here can and will do the surgery my mom's dog needs for half the cost of what the Redding vet said. The surgery is schedule for next Tuesday.

~ But mostly, I'm thankful for my family and my friends. They mean the world to me, every single one of them. I love them so much.

And now I'd like to wish all of my American followers/readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for your comments in my year and a half of blogging. Thanks to those that have participated in the Postcard Campaign, it's so much fun!

Happy Thanksgiving and my love to y'all.