The Week That Was

I normally don't like using this space to write about me, but this week I'll make an exception. The ice storm descended on our city on Tuesday and Wednesday last week and brought with it a couple of trials to be faced. I thought I was doing really well. I had no problems getting to work after each night the ice fell, was well prepared, and it didn't interfere with any of my normal routine.
On Thursday evening, however, as Judy and I were going to bed, Judy noticed a circular yellow stain on the bedroom ceiling. Water was leaking in through the roof. This, of course, didn't go over well with me. I hate it when I can't do something about a problem. At 10:30 pm, I was powerless to stop the leak or protect my ceiling. It was difficult getting to sleep. The next morning, before heading into work, I climbed up into the attic, found where water was seeping in, cleared the wet insulation back and placed a pan to catch water dripping in. When I got to work I called the roofing company and made an appointment for them to come out and clear the ice dam which was causing the backed up melting water to find escape through my roof.

I went home early not expecting the roofing company to arrive until the next day. I went back up into the attic to survey things a little more closely. Where I had placed the pan, was not the main culprit, and no water had collected. On closer investigation I found where most of the water was leaking through. I cleared the wet insulation back so air could dry out the the wet wood and tried to set things so the leak could be caught. Bone Dry roofing made it to the house earlier than expected and broke up the ice dam and explained how the attic didn't have enough insulation and it contributed to the problem as warm air was escaping through the roof and melting the underneath side of the ice on the roof but along the eaves the air wasn't warm and the ice dams were solid preventing the melted water from running off. The long term solution is to double the insulation in the attic. Anyway, the immediate problem was solved. the ceiling has dried out and more insulation is on the way.

Saturday evening Judy and I went out to eat with our good friends John and Vicki Hale and I related our roof story to them as they had related they had to stay home from work a couple of days and both of them had suffered falls resulting in aches and pains. With bravado, I spoke of how I made it to work where so many others couldn't.

We joined our good friends Jim and Cindy Barnard for a SuperBowl party the next evening and again, I proudly spoke of my ability to get to work on time during the terrible conditions.

Then on Monday night, about 10:30 pm I stepped outside to bring one of our dogs in. I shouldn't have went outside with just a pair of slippers on my feet. I stepped on the second step and my feet went flying out from under me. I reached back to break my fall but my hand slid behind my back as the rest of my weight crashed down upon my left arm and shoulder. My first thought was I had broken something. The pain was intense and I couldn't move my arm. I slowly got to my feet and made it back inside the house. I shouted out for Judy to come and assist me. There wasn't any deformity, so I didn't believe I had broke anything. Judy suggested I go to the hospital, but like a good nurse I refused. I told her, I'd ice it down and take Advil.
Thankfully, I was able to get some sleep, but the next morning the pain remained intense and my range of motion was severely limited. I drove into work to at least get the things up and running for the neuropsychology department. Of course everyone was telling me I needed to go have the arm checked out. My reply was that most likely I would be told the injury was too acute to make a good assessment and I would be told to do what I was doing anyway. Why spend the money on a co-payment for that and waste the time. If things didn't improve over the next couple of days, I would then go see the Doctor.
One of the Doctor's at the hospital I work for insisted she take a look at it and after doing a brief exam basically agreed with me. There was no evidence of a break and it would take an MRI to reveal other structural damage. She thought it was probably a bad bruising of the deltoid and bicep.
Today, it is still painful but less intense. My range of motion is improving daily. I think, by Monday, the arm will probably be back to full function without pain. If not, I'll probably give in and have it more thoroughly checked out.

It just goes to show I shouldn't have been bragging how well I managed the ice storm. It is true, Pride Goeth Before the Fall (literally in this case). I hesitate to point out I haven't missed a day of work since any of these incidents.
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"Thou shalt not attend a SuperBowl party" has been one of my personal commandments for some time. SuperBowl parties usually mean missing the SuperBowl. I broke this rule on Sunday evening. Judy and I accepted an invitation to meet at Jim and Cindy Barnard's for a little gathering of friends.
When I watch football, I watch the game with intensity. I'm analyzing the game, listening to the commentary, watching elements others don't (like where defensive backs line up on certain plays). This can't be done successfully in a party like atmosphere where people are chatting and paying more attention to commercials than the game. AAAARRRGH!
When I reluctantly accepted Jim and Cindy's offer (There are very few individuals on this earth I would have accepted the invitation from) I expressed "Since I don't have a horse in the race, or should I say a Colt in the game, we would plan to be there. I will say Judy and I had a good time, but I didn't really get to watch the Superbowl the way I normally do and so I will refrain from much comment about the outome.
I was leaning toward the Packers for a few reasons. First, I felt they were the better team. I really like Aaron Rogers their quarterback and before the season started, though I don't predict, if someone held a gun to my head and made me pick teams to reach the SuperBowl, I would have chosen Green Bay and the Baltimore Ravens to be there in the end. I also didn't want the Steelers to win again. I have a friend who lives down the street who used to live in Pittsburg and I grow weary of his constant bragging how great the Steelers are.
Hopefully, there will be a season next year and Indianapolis will be host to next year's festivities.
Incidentally, Las Vegas has given the Colts 9-1 odds to reach the Superbowl next year. Only Green Bay, New England and the Jets have been given better odds. What does that mean-- NOTHING!