weekend of injuries.

[frobzwiththingz]

L and I were part of Redtail Open Studios this weekend. L displayed a set of her paintings, i displayed some of my industrial-style jewelry pieces. Also, we rigged a silk off of the truss in the studio and did silk performances both Saturday and Sunday. We occasionally say, w.r.t. our silk practices, that in reality the most dangerous thing we do is going up the ladder to put up/take down the rigging. Sunday i injured myself, about 10 minutes before i was to perform. What was i doing? CHANGING MY CLOTHES. I was in the bathroom, trying to take off the black tights i was wearing in order to put on the "liquid silver" unitard i was going to perform in. As sometimes happens, it bunched up around my ankle and refused to pass over it. I put my foot against the sink counter, and pushed a *lot* harder with my hand. Tights pop off. Left hand and arm continue onward into sink counter, catching left thumb against counter while arm blithly continues onward. Ow. F*cking Ow. Thumb joint is no longer in the socket in the way it should be. I pull on it outward a bit, then try to push it back into place. It goes. Ow. that hurts too.

I test things out, it seems to have mostly full mobility, nothing seems broken. I get ice and pop 800mg of Vitamin I. L and other folk tell me that i shouldn't go up on the silk, but i'm stupid and go on anyway. The performance actually goes well, no further injuries. I bail out on a move that turns out to require more palm-thumb pressure than i could then do, and shorten things a bit because it's just getting too painful, but overall it went fine.

It's currently swelled a little, a bit stiff, and the fleshy part of the palm is tinged purple. I went to silk practice yesterday and mostly stayed off of it. Skipping volleyball tonight.

This will heal in about a week or two and a year from now will be nothing more than a funny story.




Sunday morning i was woken up by a phone call from my aunt J, who informed me that my grandfather had just passed away. It wasn't really unexpected; he was 91, and had been suffering from kidney failure. He had refused dialysis, not wanting to just prolong the inevitable. Still, you never really expect "the call" when it actually happens.

Yesterday was the funeral service, led by a Lubavitcher Rebbe (Granddad was Orthodox), followed by the actual burial and Kaddish at the
grave site. I'm not much for ritual, but there does seem to be something worthwhile in actually burying your dead with your own two hands and a shovel. The rebbe did the first few of shovelfuls, using the back side of the shovel for the very first, as an indication that "we do not do this willingly, but we will accept it". The rest of the pile we shoveled ourselves, until the casket and vault could no longer be seen. Then Kaddish and ritual washing of hands, and we were done.

Granddad was a good man. I loved him. He's not here any more. This will take longer to heal and will never be a funny story.

Comments

[bookly.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry to hear about your grandfather.

[jim-p.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about the owie.

Really sorry to hear about your grandfather.

I hope you're doing okay (hugs!)

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

ouch and ouch :(

i do hope you get to remember and retell many good and funny stories about your grandfather.

[gosling.livejournal.com]

I am very sorry to hear about your grandfather (and your thumb.)

[maighread.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your grandfather. *hug*

[missionista.livejournal.com]

My condolences on your grandfather passing.

[hauntmeister.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather. One of mine died before I was born, but I have happy memories of the other. He's a part of me, and I imagine yours was -- and will always be -- and a part of you.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

also, ouch, the hand injury sounds unpleasant.

[ceo]

My condolences on your grandfather's passing.

And here's hopes for swift healing of your thumb.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Very sorry to hear that your grandfather's gone. Glad that you were able to participate in his burial and find meaning in the ritual. I hope your grief is comforted by your memories of him and the by the love that surrounds you.

[tb]

My condolences. My father is in the same age range as your grandfather. Today I was reminded how frail he is, and how soon I'll probably be getting "the call." You're right, you're never ready.

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

Condolences.

[kimberlogic.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I'm sorry that your grandfather is gone. (and that you injured yourself ...)

[tcb.livejournal.com]

*hug* it sounds like he lived a good life, and that's all that any of us can really strive for. sorry to hear about your grandfather, and the ow to top it off..

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

My condolences on the loss of your grandfather.

I hope your ouch heals quickly.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

suck on the injury. vitamin I is indeed our friend. do keep up with the warm therapy/stretching...

and sorry about the grandad. none of the elders of my family (that i know of) are around anymore, except my dad, and i do miss them. it sucks. all that knowledge and humor and connection. i hope you cherish his memories.

#

[drwex]

*hugs* Yeah, it's a good ritual, as rituals go. Sucks, though.

[cutieperson]

i'm sorry for your loss *hugs*

[magid.livejournal.com]

My condolences on your grandfather's death.