I don't mind the rat race but I could do with a little more cheese.

I FINALLY heard back from the nurse practitioner -- after multiple messages over three days -- and the x-rays showed no fractures. Dull surprise. She wants me to wear "post-op" shoes for two weeks, but seeing as how I've been hobbling around in flip flops for the past week I'm not going to worry about that. Speaking of shoes... I'm wearing actual, honest-to-goodness shoes today. Granted I had to take out the space-filling insert to fit my still swollen instep, but I'm not in flip flops. Whoo hoo! I'll be tottering around in my platforms before you know it.

This progress means I may actually ride to work tomorrow, weather permitting. I am unbelievably excited by this prospect. I had no idea how much I'd miss saddle time.

Next week I'll be in the outskirts of Columbus, OH -- Hilliard and Dublin, to be exact -- for vendor training with my work team. Since I'm all by my lonesome in the cube farm (the boss and two team members are in Ohio, one guy is in Texas, and I'm in Virginia), I'm super excited about being with the team for more than an afternoon (I visit the Hilliard office during my yearly week & a half camping trip in NW Pennsylvania) and meeting the Texas guy. My boss offered to lend me his daughter's bike while I'm in town, but might be rescinding that offer based on my crash record.

In other news, I need to stop staying up until the wee hours reading. I've been slogging through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix which has been my least favorite in the series. The misery upon misery piled onto the kids by Umbridge left me feeling unhappy and not enthusiastic to continue the book. But things are turning around as the school year draws to a close and my enjoyment is rising. I'm torn between racing through the books so I can watch "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" and savoring every non-Umbridge morsel. I haven't seen that film yet and I have only a vague idea of what happens at the end of the book. (NO SPOILERS, PLEASE) I've also got a stack of other virtual books I want to get to, but... Oh, such problems to have.

I rode 55+ miles on Sunday, attached to my fast bike, and came out of that experience unscathed. To alleviate the stiffness in my legs on Monday, I headed out for a short, slow ride to the grocery store, unclipped I might add, on the hybrid yesterday. I got a mile away from home and Lily's front tire skidded on the edge of the sidewalk and I crashed HARD.

I was too hurt and stunned to even be embarrassed about wiping out next to traffic -- I landed on the grass side of the sidewalk, thank goodness -- and sat there for a moment assessing what just happened. Bloody knees, mangled front basket, and a left foot that couldn't bear my weight. Good times. I cried for a little bit, rinsed and mopped up the blood, and slowly coasted back home, sniffling with tears dribbling down my cheeks.

My knees were mostly okay, but my left foot was (and is still) swollen pretty badly and I've got a bruise from the ball of my foot up along the side of my big toe. I can't put my full weight on my foot, but I can wiggle my toes without too much discomfort. I've been working from home -- thank goodness I had to the foresight to bring home my laptop -- and keeping the foot elevated and iced off and on. Several friends and my boss have offered me the use of training wheels and my mom says I should trade in the bikes for a tricycle. Scott thinks I'd just find new and more interesting ways to hurt myself with the extra wheels.

Scott took me to the doctor who said that my foot, specifically my big toe, looked bad. She sent me over to RIA for x-rays. I haven't heard back yet but I'm hopeful for good news.

During last weekend's ride, I overheard a cyclist tell his friend that when learning to ride clipless, you will fall three times. I had my third, and worst, fall last night.

I was exiting a shopping center (what my friends and I call the "Bavarian Monstrosity" at the corner of Centreville Road and Sunrise Valley in Herndon) and the driveway was a fairly steep hill. The driver in front of me gunned his car to make a right turn but then hit his brakes. I hit my brakes and unclipped on the right towards the curb. Unfortunately, Circe decided to go left. She never goes left. All my falls have been to the right. But left we went and I couldn't unclip fast enough and went down in front of a car. I hopped up as fast as I could, yanking my foot out of the left shoe and bounded with bike to the grassy spot next to the driveway. I lost a little skin on my left knee because I was wearing bike shorts instead of my usual capris, but I wasn't bleeding much. It took some work to wrench the shoe off the pedal, but eventually I got everything in order and walked the bike up the hill so I could clear my head of the shock and adrenaline.

Eventually I felt comfortable enough to get back into traffic and, because darkness was quickly falling, headed for home. I was a couple of miles from home when I realized that my left brake handle felt weird and I had to put my hand in an odd position to use it. It was only then that I noticed the left horn was no longer 90 degrees from the handlebar; it was more like 75 degrees from the handlebar. That didn't seem good. But it was working well enough and I got home just as full darkness came on.

Today I'm a little sore on my left side -- dull surprise -- and have discovered that I scraped up my elbow as well. The road rash on my knee isn't too bad, but I've got some pretty spectacular bruises. This isn't putting me off riding with a girlfriend tonight; though I will be on my hybrid. Scott works half days on Fridays and will take my bike over to the shop and get them to fix my handlebar. He said he could bend it back into place, but I want the professionals to handle this first repair.

Had a super stressful afternoon at work which culminated in a harrowing drive through the picket line at the back of the campus. I figured making the right turn onto Waxpool would be easier than the left onto the parkway but I didn't count on picketers jumping into the road ahead of my truck trying to get hit. Jackholes.

To burn off the extra adrenaline and stress, I hopped on my bike and toodled up and down residential streets aiming for the most mileage in the smallest area. I wound up on streets I've never explored and saw lots of pretty little homes and neat lawns. Lots of joggers and gardeners were out and about, taking advantage of the gorgeous evening weather. Everything was going great until I was nearly home.

I was in the neighborhood across the boulevard and coasting (much too) fast down the street. As I approached an intersection and prepared to turn right, a car pulled out from in front of another car against the curb ahead of me on the right. I startled and hit the brakes too hard. The bike mostly stopped but I didn't. I flipped over the handlebars and watched the road fly towards me and thought, "Oh wow. This is going to hurt." I skidded across the pavement on my knee, thigh, and elbows and then rolled onto my side to catch my breath. The car driver jumped out of his car and raced over to see if I was okay. I gasped that the wind was knocked out of me, but I thought I was otherwise okay. He apologized and I did my best to assure him that he hadn't done anything wrong and I startled and over-reacted. I checked my arms and legs to make sure nothing was broken or sprained and got up to pick up Rose. The driver retrieved my cell phone (which was protected by the handle-bar mount case) from the other side of the street. Phone was fine, case was fine. Bike was mostly okay but the rear brake and right shifter aren't happy. The frame and tires seemed okay. The front reflector broke off, but my front LED was fine. I was able to climb back on and carefully ride the two blocks home.

My elbows, left knee, and right thigh are scraped up pretty badly and there's a huge bruise and knot the size of a golf ball above my right knee. My shoulders and chest hurt from the impact, but aside from all that, I'm good. Rose is in the back of the truck and will be going to Spokes, Etc this evening for repairs.

Got home from work last night and talked Hubbyfink into cycling with me over to Eastern Mountain Sports where I could pick up a carabiner for attaching my lunch bag to my new trunk bag. We suited up, headed out and enjoyed the gorgeous weather on the trail. I coasted down the steep hill from the Rte 28 overpass and prepared to turn left to exit the trail on the Pacific Blvd on ramp when I heard two female cyclists yell "on your left!" I waited for them to pass, looked over my shoulder, turned 90 degrees and =WHAM!= was on my back on the ground from being T-boned by a male cyclist who came out of nowhere behind me.

Hubbyfink and another male cyclist ran over to me and I tried to get the world to stop swimming and spiraling around me. I also tried sitting up but was too dizzy. Plus they fussed at me to lie down and stay still. The guy who hit me walked over to see if I was okay. I could answer questions and Hubbyfink said my pupils weren't dilated but mostly I just lay on the ground and whimpered and cried from adrenaline and shock. The female cyclists came back and called 911. I didn't want an ambulance; I wanted to get back on my bike and continue my planned errands. But Hubbyfink fussed at me any time I tried to move so I stayed on the ground, looking at the tall grass waving on either side of my face and feeling the breeze on my bare foot (the collision had literally knocked me out of one of my shoes and sock) as we waited for the EMTs to arrive.

The EMTs asked me what I assume are the usual questions: what's your name, where are you, what day is it, who is the president and I was able to answer correctly. After removing my helmet, they put me in a neck brace and strapped me to a back board. Ugh. Not pleasant. I was lifted to a gurney and rolled up to the ambulance. A lot of firsts for that day. The EMTs marveled at the remains of my helmet and thanked me over and over for wearing it. They said that I would have left the scene via medivac instead of ambulance had I not been wearing it.

In the emergency room I was given morphine for pain -- my head was killing me and my backside wasn't feeling much better -- and was eventually wheeled back for x-rays. According to the doctor, I had no neck, back, or spinal injuries but I was slightly concussed. He removed the brace and back board and helped me sit up. The world immediately swam and I felt like I was falling off the bed. I also thought I was going to be violently sick. The doctor and nurse took turns slightly elevating the bed until I could sit up without feeling like I was falling. Eventually, I was able to leave the bed and was grateful for the wheelchair ride to my car. At two and a half hours this was my second shortest ER stay.

I drank lots of water when we got home because the morphine left me with dry mouth. I was very tired from the adventure and Hubbyfink followed me to bed a little before 10pm. I slept fairly well, although the world swam every time I changed position in bed.

Today, my neck and collar bones are a little sore, probably from the neck brace, and my backside is tender. I'm dizzy if I move too quickly. But I'm not in pain, per se, and Hubbyfink is doing an excellent job of taking care of me. I need a new front rim for my bike and a new helmet. Hubbyfink wants to get us both properly fitted for helmets. I keep telling him that my helmet was obviously properly fitted since I'm not in traction of worse. :)

I've had a knot on my left shoulder blade for a few days which has been causing me greater and greater pain. On Sunday, the knot was mildly uncomfortable. Today, it's gone into full-blown hurt and I can't turn my head or lift my left arm without shooting pain. I called a local massage place on Monday and made an appointment for this evening. Can't wait to get whatever that is rubbed out of my shoulder.

I stayed home from work yesterday thanks to a fairly sleepless night Monday (leg cramps and spasms) and a migraine. Good times. I started feeling better by mid-afternoon and was, thankfully, able to go to choir practice.

Aside from the aches and pains, everything else is going fairly well. Oreo and Margie did not destroy my roses or Hubbyfink's tulips last night. I'm looking forward to discovering whether or not the vases are upright and full of their respective flowers when I get home tonight.

I finally made an appointment for my doctor to look at my left foot. It's been hurting me, off and on, for over a year now and the pain has become more "on" than "off" lately. All signs point to plantar fasciitis, but we shall see what the doctor says in a couple of hours. I want to add walking to my workout routine after I finish my initial 30 Day Challenge with the Active and I need happy, non-hurty feet to do that.

Speaking of the 30 Day Challenge, I'm halfway plus one workout through. I can feel tautness where tautness didn't exist three weeks ago. I think I'm doing something right. I think when I finish this first Challenge, I'll go back through it at medium intensity and then I'll go through at high. That should set me on a good path before the winter doldrums hit.

In other medical news, I have my baseline mammogram screening next Monday morning. I am not excited about this. Not at all. But I promised my doctor I would do it before my next check-up so I scheduled the appointment for this month.

I have discovered my new favorite beverage: Strawberry-Banana-Blueberry-Vanilla smoothie. It's a recipe from the Jenny Craig site.

( Fruit Smoothie )

I made one for dessert last night and am enjoying the second one with my breakfast this morning. SO GOOD!

Graduation was grand. We hollered and cheered for Johnny when he walked across the stage. Bellevue Baptist Church, in which the ceremony was held, is frickin' hyooooge. Seriously. We walked in and the foyer looked like a fancy hotel complete with concierge desk and a bookstore/gift shop.

Hyooooge.

We all retired to the Exeter Chilli's for a celebratory dinner. I forgot, when I ordered my margarita, that this Chilli's is big on Happy Hour and that Happy Hour lasts long into the night. This means that for every margarita -- or beer, as Hubbyfink discovered -- one orders, two appear on the table. Three and a half margaritas later, I could barely see straight.

So drunk.

Of course, I'm now sporting these *spectacular* scrapes on my left shin and right knee plus bruising on my right bicep from falling off the curb en route to Mom's car. I was laid out flat and still don't know how I managed not to faceplant into the asphalt. In my defense, the sidewalk drops half a step about four inches from the curb and there's nothing marking that drop. Pete, who drank iced tea all night, nearly tumbled after me when he raced forward to try to catch me. Mom and Pete wanted to drag me back into the restaurant to complain but I (1) didn't want to make a scene and (2) was drunk. Instead, I crawled into the back of Mom's car after making sure I hadn't torn my dress and then had a little cry.

Hubbyfink forced advil and lots of water on me when we got back home and Pete found the hydrogen peroxide. My shin is stinging like nobody's business and the muscles in both legs ache. Hubbyfink is sleeping in the once and future guest room tonight so I can take over our bed in the den and kick my legs as much as I need during the night. This wound will make the pool interesting tomorrow.

On the bright side, I have four containers of Pancho's cheese dip for courtney_d_h and myself and a spiffy little cloth cooler in which to transport those dips back to Virginia. Mmmm.... Pancho-y goodness.