F*ck ICE

 I am devastated that we now live in a country where our streets are being roamed by the federal police. ICE  has moved the needle on hate in this country. Individuals are now not only saying but are acting upon their most vile racist thoughts. As a student of history by default, I am both scared and disgusted by what we have become.

This is the 250th birthday of our country. If you know me at all, you know I love a themed year. Oh my goodness I could get behind this party if times were better. But right now, the celebrations for our country are so tightly linked to MAGA and their 2025 agenda that I cannot fathom participating. 

This morning I am late posting because I had to rework my schedule. ICE is in the area and I cannot fathom risking exposing my blind non-white students to their taunts and grudges. The fact that this is our reality disgusts me.

We need to collectively rise up.  

 

Back to School

 After sleeping nearly all day on Friday, I began to feel better by Saturday. Although I was still fatigued and experiencing mild vertigo, I was functional. By Sunday I was feeling like myself again, which was good timing because I needed all my energy to help get Robby packed and moved back into the dorm.

It is hard to believe that another break has come to a close, and that my Koopa is beginning his fourth semester in college. How did that happen?! This semester he is beginning to tiptoe into his major with some niche coursework. I'm excited for him to finally be taking classes around Historical Preservation. I hope that he loves it as much as he anticipates.

Although we were sad to see Robby go back to school he was excited to return. After the obligatory move-in dinner, he spent the evening hanging out with his friends and getting settled. I'm going to miss him but I know he is happy to be back with his friends and his independent college life. (It's hard moving back home after you've had a taste of dorm life!)

The house is quiet this morning but I know we will adjust. Here's hoping he has a good first day of classes!

 

Sick Day

 Unfortunately my Mom's fracture has not healed as much as we would like, she she is in a brace for at least another four weeks. On a positive side, the brace is jointed so she can now bend her knee as she ambulates around the house. I know that she is miserable, but hopefully the new brace will make her confinement more tolerable. 

Yesterday I woke up early, helped put on my Mom's new brace and headed back to WV for work. It was a long day made longer by an emerging cold. By the time I finished with my final student I was dragging and my fever was spiking.  

It looks like today is my first sick day. 

Wonky Schedule

 So far my leg has been adjusting well to my return to work schedule, although the assessment may not be accurate. My schedule has been stacked with meetings, which means I have been sitting a lot when usually I would be walking with my students. Spoiler alert- I really miss walking with my students. 

Today is going to be wonky because I'm driving to my Mom's after work to take her for her leg check-up. Because I don't like to drive at night, I'll be staying at her house tonight and leaving early to get back for my first student on Friday. Thankfully Robby will be home tomorrow morning to make sure that Timmy is awake and ready for school. 

It's been nearly 9 weeks since my Mom broke her leg. While she has been a trooper, I know that the brace is becoming a frustration. We are really hoping that she is cleared to begin PT. Once she leaves the "wait to heal" phase and enters the "work for it" stage, I know that she will be in a much better headspace. It's always easier when you are actively working towards a goal. 

 

Fingers crossed for a good doctor report! 

Monument

Over the holiday my Mom, sister and I started to investigate retirement property for my brother in her local cemetery.  Since Jae's was shot and killed by Officer John Ellen of Travis County Texas, his ashes have resided in my Mom's closet. With the two year anniversary of him being gunned down while blind and in a wheelchair quickly approaching, we are feeling ready to lay him to rest. I think we all need a proper place to go and mourn Jae.

Shopping for cemetery plots is an odd experience and one which I am not eager to repeat. After looking at the cemetery, both my sister and my mom have decided that they would also like to rest there when the time comes. I suppose it will make it easier having everybody together, but the thought unnerves me.

Of course, the process of shopping for plots brought my own mortality to mind. Where do I want to be buried? I don't know. I really don't care. I figure that Scott and/or the boys can make that decision when the time comes. 

 I've long admired the monuments erected throughout Europe. Privately and in the inner recesses of my dreams, I suppose that I still haven't abandoned my aspirations of achieving something so monumental for society that a monument is erected in my honor in a public square when I die. On a whim I asked AI to generate a rendering.  It made me chuckle, so I hope it makes you smile too. I think I look pretty good in marble!

 And completely unrelated, but since this is my blog and I know you're reading...  

 

 

Ouch

 After a week of hobbling around on a sore stump, my leg is finally healed and comfortable. (Or, as comfortable as I am going to be with a broken foot.) Ambulating last week was laborious and painful. Each step was exhausting as it stressed other muscle groups in order to off load the weight from my sores. It took several days of not walking and lots of blister care wraps to get my leg healed and ready to return to work this week.

Is my leg ready? It is more comfortable than it was when I entered our winter break, but I am definitely not cozy. I am hoping that it is healed enough that my walking won't cause more damage and that I will continue to improve. I'm out of time, so fingers crossed the skin holds!

Today everybody returns to school except for Robby, who has a few more weeks at home before beginning his next semester. Timmy voiced his obligatory complaints about returning to class but I also know that he has really missed his friends. The morning wake up will probably be a little shocking for his system, but I expect him to resume his school schedule without much issue. 

It's hard to believe that winter break has come and gone, but I'm ready to get back at it. I've missed my students and my sense of purpose. Have a great day, and I'll see you tomorrow!

 

Leg pain

 The past few days have felt like a whirlwind. Although we didn't do anything spectacular, the hours have been filled with download and assembly assistance. The boys are delighted with their new treasures but higher tech toys always require more work to be functional. Thankfully this Scott's wheelhouse, so my assistance has been primarily that of cheerleader. 

Even if we were motivated, which we were not, I would not have been able to embark on a big adventure. My leg has been struggling since Christmas, and my body is miserable. I've been careful to limit my steps since Christmas and the sore has made significant progress towards healing. I'm hoping that the resolution of the skin sore will have a positive impact on the rest of my muscle and joint paint. 

Sometimes being an amputee just stinks, that this past weekend has been one of those times.