It's a Conspiracy!

The days are dwindling. One week—seven too-short days—from today I will be 60. And my body is just imploding!

Sunday a week ago the Jazzman and I went for a walk around the neighborhood. (He's being very supportive of my doctor's order to get back in shape.) We were not three houses away when I tripped over the uneven sidewalk and fall with a resounding thwack! on my left knee. I caught myself with my left elbow and the palms of both hands, but my knee bore the brunt of the fall. I have since seen the doctor, gotten x-rays, and learned that the knee is not fractured. It's just a contusion, a very painful, sprained knee that will take about six weeks to heal. Okay, I guess I can live with that.

The Jazzman and a posse of friends and relations go up to a community of cottages along the shore of Lake Erie every 4th of July week. I've been invited along. They play a lot of golf. I took golf in my first year of college, 42 years ago. I thought I'd pick up a club again and see if it's something I want to pursue, an interest that we can share.

Last Saturday morning, we headed off to Mill Creek Park to play nine holes on the par 3 course. He is a wonderful, patient, kind teacher. I couldn't ask for a better teacher. I had a wonderful time playing golf with him, and I didn't do too badly. It made me think John was wrong when he said I didn't have the temperament for golf. I think I could really find a lot of enjoyment in golf.

But choosing to start my learning again on the heels—or knees—of a painful injury? Not too smart!

By Sunday morning, when we were discussing going out for another nine, I realized I was in tremendous pain and all my twisting and turning and stress to the knee on Saturday was about the worst thing I could have done to facilitate the healing of this knee!!!

Yesterday I was having great difficulty descending stairs from my office to the kitchen. Friday we're going to Chicago for the weekend and planning on doing a lot of walking. Why do I not have a good feeling about my ability to get around Chicago easily?

And continuing with the conspiracy theory, yesterday I had three migraine attacks, the third one ending in excruciating pain to the right side of my head. And yes, the pain came on while I was driving to Cleveland for rehearsal, where I was going to have to learn the Russian necessary to master the 1812 Overture.

It's just one damned body part after another. Clink, clank, clunk. Can you hear them hitting the ground?!