Confederacy of a Dunce - Rolling feet

Monday, October 17, 2005

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It looks like I will have to delay telling my third (and favorite) "Folks Tale" until another day, thanks to what certainly qualifies as a case of unforseen circumstances. Yes, the Dunce has suffered another injury due to clumsiness/awkwardness/etc. It used to be (in university days) that the Dunce Parents would learn of such happenings through the family's health insurance policy (at least when the happenings were mild enough not to require their immediate attention), but now that the Dunce is under the care of the NHS this option is no longer available. However even if you are not a Dunce Parent you are welcome to read on and share in my misery (fortunately fairly minor, so even you sensitive sorts will not require more tissues than a usual entry of mine warrants).

On our way home from a birthday gathering (another individual putting an end to the evils of 35 for the delights of 36) I was distracted by a 24-hour bakery which had opened its doors now that the Sabbath had come to an end (it being somewhere in the vicinity of midnight on Saturday night/Sunday morning), and did not pay complete attention to safely exiting the bus. So it was not really a surprise that I failed to step on a flat piece of the curb (kerb) but instead took my first step onto a rounded part of the road surface which had somehow been formed into a bulge/slope/(whatever you'd like to call it, it was not a typical road surface formation). And my foot happily turned underneath me (inward) taking my not-insignificant weight upon it as I toppled to the pavement (fortunately [one of my favorite words, it seems] not under the wheels of the bus). Fortunately (again!) Mrs Dunce was there to assist me to a seat at the bus stop where (being a delicate flower) I may have had a little swoon before the arduous three-legged race toward home. Ice and ibuprofen were the main treatments, and fortunately there was little (if any) swelling. Sunday should have been a stay-in-bed day but instead we ventured out to the last day of the Folks at the Fiddler's Elbow (with a minimum of steps, I should note, and also that I had no ankle discomfort whatsoever so was able to do an awkward walk using the heel of the injured [right] foot).

Today the soreness hadn't really reduced so it was a trip to the hospital for me. No complaints about the NHS, perhaps it was my arrival in A&E ("Accident and Emergency") at 10am on a Monday. Not too many patients waiting before me (almost all of them sharing some foot-related injury, which I guess as in my case can wait until Monday), and I had prepared by bringing some reading matter (David Foster Wallace's Oblivion, IMO a far better collection of Wallace's short stories than his previous Girl with Curious Hair [possibly sic]). Three hours later I had been triaged, then "seen", then X-rayed, then "seen again" with a diagnosis of "not broken, but nicely sprained" ("nice" not my terminology, thank you). So it's a bandage and a limp for a while.

Monday, October 17, 2005 4:53:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Disclaimer | Comments [4] |

Tuesday, October 18, 2005 3:05:58 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Poor Old Pitiful You!!!! We just got back from vacation and I came to catch up on what you are up to and find this travesty. Hope you are much better. Will call or write you later.

love. Ma

Big Mama

Tuesday, October 18, 2005 7:08:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Around these parts, we'd have assessed your injury in the following manner: ya done sprung yer ankle. But at least fortuna smiled upon you; otherwise we'd have had new lyrics for the RIGHTFUL HEIR's favorite song:
The wheels of the bus run over the Dunce
Over the Dunce
Over the Dunce
The wheels of the bus run over the Dunce
All through the town

The blood of the Dunce pours thick and red
Thick and red
Thick and red
The blood of the Dunce pours thick and red
All over the road

...

The Thief

Friday, October 21, 2005 3:16:33 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Good King Bus Driver backed out
On a piece of David
And the blood flowed round about
Thick and rich and ... (what rhymes with David???)

The Sister

Saturday, October 22, 2005 7:32:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

gravid? weighted?

Noblesvillian