Back to the Mall

 Yesterday was frustrating. The pain through my ill-fitting socket forced me to sit and readjust my leg throughout the day. Despite my efforts I failed to find complete comfort. Instead, I struggled with trying to maintain a basic level of comfort. I felt like I was constantly fiddling with socks and pads in my elusive quest for a prosthetic fit.

Although I would not declare comfort, I am functional. The discomfort in my leg is nagging but not painful. I'm still hoping to stumble upon the perfect padding configuration, but in the meantime I can accept and function with my current prosthetic situation. I know that it won't really resolve until I get a new leg. Sigh. I guess I can't put it off much longer.

This weekend will be busy at the mall selling FlexyFriends. We haven't been there since December and it is going to be interesting to compare the pre and post holiday crowds. (Hopefully we won't notice much of a difference!) 

Wish us luck!

Socks and Liners

Although Hamlet is frustrated and sad about our lackluster winter, I have to admit that Friend and I are content with the happier temperatures. It feels like early April outside. Even the flowers are starting to peek out of the ground. Of course, next week we are anticipating another snow storm, so they will probably be shocked back into the soil.

Snow or no snow, today is going to be gorgeous. My leg is not feeling fantastic. I'm continuing to lose weight which is causing my socket to become floppier fitting by the day. I had a nice little system of pads which was functional and keeping me comfortable. Something has changed over the past few days and now my adaptations are no longer working. 

I'm sitting on the couch this morning with my box of blister band-aids and a variety of socks, pads and liner segments. I'm hoping to find a new combination that allows me to continue to walk comfortably. I know the only true solution is getting a new leg, but that process is so frustrating. Of course, not being able to walk comfortably is more aggravating.

Raccoon Encounter

Yesterday morning Friend and I had quite a fright when we went out on our morning walk. He started to whine to go outside early but I figured it was a nice day and that he just wanted to play. As soon as I opened the door he took off galloping towards the side yard. He pulled so quickly that my arm was thrown up into the door frame, bruising my wrist. 

Friend continued to pull sled dog style towards the side yard as I quickly retracted his leash to pull him closer to me. As soon as I got him to my side an extremely fat and aggressive raccoon sauntered out from under the wheelbarrow.  While Friend was eager to make an acquaintance, the raccoon reared up and started to scream. We were close enough to see his menacing claws.

I scooped up Friend who was barking and squirming to go play with his new furry buddy. The raccoon and I screamed at simultaneously as I stood still holding my frantic pup. Slowly the raccoon stood down, turned and sauntered back into the side yard. 

I understand that the raccoon has every right to live in the woods, but I am a little concerned with the aggression in the middle of the morning. Today I'm going to research ways to make the woods more inhospitable for raccoon habitation. If you have any tips, please send them my way!

Extreme

 This weekend was busier than the norm. On Friday Scott and I enjoyed a rare night out without the kiddos. (It is nice having a resident teen available to babysit.) Scott is an avid fan of the band Extreme. He saw them in concert in the early 90s and has been dreaming of attending another show. After more than 30 years, the stars aligned and the band performed near us in West Virginia. To say that he was excited would be an understatement!

We left for the show early with the hopes of enjoying dinner and some people watching at the casino before the band took the stage. As soon as we walked into the casino we were overwhelmed with loud rock music. Scott's face lit up in recognition. Apparently we had managed to park and walk into a side door adjacent to the stage. Through an unattended open door, Scott was able to watch the sound check of his favorite band. We were able to listen for about 20 minutes before we were noticed and the door was dutifully shut in our faces. 

Although I am not a hugely familiar with all of the songs, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The band put on an excellent performance. Scott was on his feet, dancing and singing for the entire two hours. He had an absolute blast! 

After a late night drive home we woke early on Saturday and headed to a local community craft fair. We were busy throughout the four hour show.  It was nice to be able to check out how some of the newer designs would be received. The next few weekends are busy with FlexyFriends sales events so it is night to have some insights into preferences so we can print accordingly.

Yesterday I spent the day cleaning and organizing the house. I managed to purge four contractor trash bags of garbage and 5 boxes for donation. Perhaps even more beneficial, my house no longer feels as cluttered and I feel like I have some breathing room. Today we are ordering the dumpster which will help us get rid of the big items that have been accumulating in corners. When that clutter is cleared, I think the house will feel so much lighter!

Today we are back to the grind. Have a great day!