Black Tie

May 10 is a black tie ball I am attending with husband. I haven't been to a black tie event in AGES so I'm pretty excited.

Husband and I went shopping to pick out my dress and shoes and his tux (I know it's different, but my husband actually enjoys shopping with me). I tried on about 10 gowns, and both of us had one favorite - the same one, actually - a long black Calvin Klein halter. I LOVE it. It suits me perfectly - no "fru fru," no frills - just an elegant black dress. Calvin Klein is one of my favorite designers because of this. And husband actually saw the perfect shoes before I did (black snakeskin heels). I could try on only one shoe, of course. That was pretty amusing.

I'm scheduled for follow up xrays and check up on the ankle on May 8 - that's 2 days before the big event. I hate to tell my dr. this, but there is NO WAY IN HELL that I'm wearing this boot to that black tie event!!

What in the effffffff?

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Yesterday the boss informed me that he supposed he was from the branch of his family that was decended from "a horny old man" who had possibly fathered children well into his 70s. I hate to repeat myself, but WHAT IN THE EFFFFFFFFFFFF???

Another thing I hate is playing dumb. I am sick to death of pretending I don't get his innuendos or COMPLETELY inappropriate topics of discussion or comments.

To explain how the subject even came about would take a great deal of explaining, but it started with a comment from me about DNA testing to determine paternity for girls/women, after which he argued against my statement, citing some half information regarding the X chromosome and Y chromosomes and stating definitively (because he knows everything) that paternity can only be traced on the male side. I calmly refuted his statement and forwarded him numerous cases in which paternity had indeed been determined regarding father/daughter relationship. The main case I cited was that of Anna Nicole Smith's motherless baby. From there the conversation took a convoluted turn. He was driving the conversation at that point and I was merely an innocent passenger praying for the ride to end quickly and safely.

[incidently, he was forced to admit defeat in that argument. no small feat for a woman up against mr. all-powerful and all-knowing attorney]

Had to share these adorable shoes. Found them the other day at DSW - as close to flip flops as I can get for work and to deal with gimp leg. I must add quickly that DSW is WOW! I walked in and saw tons and tons of really awesome shoes. I started to sweat and breathe hard. I went for one pair of shoes for daughter's ball and left with 3 pairs of shoes for ME and two pairs for her, including the dress shoes as planned. Tsk Tsk Tsk.


Daughter's black tie ball was yesterday. As part of the preparation she and I spent about 3 hours at the hair salon beginning at 10:00 a.m. By 1:00 I was so sick of that place I could puke.

But her hair and brows were perfect.

I saved money and did her nails myself.

Her date (driven by his parents, of course) arrived to pick her up, holding her corsage. It was awfully cute and sweet, but the reality of seeing my little girl so grown up was overwhelming. How does it happen so quickly?

In other news I had my second physical therapy appointment this morning. I've been very cooperative and compliant and have faithfully performed all exercises. Unfortunately I had to admit to her that I had simply forgotten that I'm supposed to ice both knees every day for 6 minutes. I guess if they aren't swollen and painful I don't think about ice ?? Anyway she added two more exercises and taped my knees like she did last week. It's quite an interesting feeling having your kneecaps physically moved from their usual resting place and held in a new place with tape.

Veddy inteddesting indeed.

I'm really really starting to get sick of this stupid air cast now. I'm sick of being slow and cumbersome. I'm sick of being crooked - whether or not I wear shoes; the height of the boot is impossible to match perfectly, leaving me no choice but to walk as though I have a serious physical disability whereby one leg is shorter than the other. What if this affects my natural gait or my hips or my back or or or... And I can't exercise! I'm scared shitless of gaining weight because my physical activity has had to screech to a halt. I'm actually dieting, which I've really never done (other than some diet modifications this year when I began to watch my sodium intake). I'm hating this. I'm really hating this.

DIET = "DIE" + "T"

Forgot to mention....

....that I did in fact wear the boot last night.

I'm such a good girl!

A trip down memory lane

I had a wonderful time with my old friend. We chatted and laughed and drank and reminisced until 10:30 (6 hours)!

He really stroked my ego as well. First he told me that I "look exactly the same," and that 12 years of aging did not show (he really hadn't changed a bit either). Later he admitted that he knew about his layover in Atlanta months ago and had in fact ARRANGED it because he had wanted to see me. He said he didn't tell me about it long ago because he didn't want me to feel any "pressure" and felt that waiting until the last minute to let me know he would be here would be easier for me.

I felt very flattered. I had been so nervous about seeing him again, so worried that the effects of 12 years of aging would change his view of me.

It was so strange sitting with him and talking with him after so many years had passed. We both distinctly remembered when we first met. It was our senior year in high school. I was 16. He was 17 and was one of our foreign exchange students for that year. 22 years vanished as we talked and I felt 16 again.

Over the years we have managed to reconnect many times. Every year or two one or the other of us emails the other to say hello and try to catch up, though we haven't actually seen each other in 12 years. "We have a connection," he said, which of course I understand and feel as well. I'm not sure what the connection is or what it means, but it is there nonetheless. It's always been there and always will be.

He never married and has no children. He has just turned 40 and is a founding partner in a successful law firm in Belgium.

I am 38, with two children and I'm 4 years into a happy marriage after a miserable few years of marriage in my past. He knows this and understands that I am committed to my husband for as long as we both shall live. But far in the future when we are both old and gray, if we are both alone in life, he believes that we will be together.

Only time will tell.

Until that time, I am happy to be married to my husband. I adore him and would never leave him or hurt him.

The great Oz has spoken

Okay, the great physical therapist has spoken...

"Chondromalacia patella a/k/a Patellofemoral Syndrome."

Got the exercises prescription (there are lots!) and some stretches to do as well - all to be done several times a day at 10 reps each. Also got my knees taped such that both kneecaps are physically moved toward my inner thighs with a very strong tape. It feels odd to be sure, but I feel no pain with knee movements that used to really hurt. Also, and maybe I'm just imagining this part, I feel a cooling sensation beneath the kneecaps when my knees are bent, as though there is maybe an increase in circulation there??

The P.T. was quite nice and helpful and it took her all of 3 minutes to figure out the problem. She believes that my flat feet and horrible pronation have intensified the knee problems and also gave me a list of the type/brand of shoes to get (when I am able to run again).

I'm to see her once per week; next appointment is Monday morning. The orthopaedist actually prescribed twice weekly, but I promised to work hard and diligently on my exercises and she agreed to try me at once weekly.

So yeehaw. I can get the knees squared away.

Now if only the ankle would heal quickly.....

And now to the matter at hand - meeting up with the European ex-boyfriend-turned-attorney. 4:30. I'm nervous AS HELL. I've had butterflies all day long. I started working on my hair last night, though, and it's perfect. I took special pains on the makeup this morning (and brought extra with me), and I'm wearing a nice black pantsuit with "the boot" over the pant leg. Whether or not I'm going to leave the boot on is yet to be determined. I did bring the matching shoe, just in case. My main concern is that I'll be drinking. Likely a good bit. I'm picturing me rushing to the restroom at the place, wearing the heels without the boot, tipsy, and twisting the ankle and possibly making it worse. Sigh.

I need a chill pill.

Can I give the boot the boot for a few hours?

The camping trip was pretty fun. There were approximately 50 people there. It only rained for about an hour on Friday night and I had to resort to covering "the boot" with a huge black garbage bag that was oh, so cute and made such a neat sound with each step.

Saturday morning was spent hiking around the Foxfire Museum, which features a ton of southern appalachian log buildings, most of which had been moved to that area for preservation purposes. It was pretty neat. Hiking was a challenge, but I made it work and took tons of photos.

By Saturday night the woman-child had finally resolved to having a good time and decided to round up all 30-40 boys for games of capture the flag and other such intrigue. She was pissed when I made her go to bed at 10-ish.

I didn't get much sleep either night. The man in the tent to our left snored so loud it sounded like he was sawing a giant sequoia; the man in MY tent snored as loud as he usually does, and the effing whippoorwill in the trees above us tormented me until the sunrise, "whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will" all freaking night. And Saturday night proved to be downright freezing. I'm not sure what the temperature dropped to, but it felt like 30s weather. It's really not fun to camp in weather that cold.

In other news, I received an email this morning from a very old flame (c. 1986-1987 senior year high school), with whom I have kept in touch over the years. He was our foreign exchange student, hailing from Belgium. We reconnected when I was in graduate school and my baby girl was a mere toddler and have kept tabs on each other via his "american host family," who just happen to be my parents' best friends (and with whom he has remained extremely close to for the last 21 years since he lived with them). Now that he's all grown up he is an attorney (still in Belgium), and actually founded his own firm several years ago. His email said he is enroute to visit [the host family], and will be stopping over in Atlanta for a day and wanted to meet up. I agreed to meet him for drinks after work tomorrow and via email worked out where that would be (next door to my work and 1 mile from his hotel).

I haven't seen him in about 12 years, so I'm a tad nervous, though looking forward to it. Of course I'll be working on what to wear tomorrow and I'll work hard on my hair tonight and my makeup in the early morning. The last item to work on will be shoe(s). I'm thinking of removing "the boot" just before meeting him so that I won't look so ridiculous, although I have already warned him of the monstrocity.

Is it crazy/stupid to attempt the meeting (and drinking) without the boot? I know I can move very carefully without the boot, and most importantly I need to make a good impression after all these years.....