Friday, January 26, 2007

Knee Update and Squirrel Story

My knee is healing slowly. Very slowly. I called Meals on Wheels on Monday to tell them I would need a sub for Wednesday. I realized that I had not been out since Wednesday the 10th and was getting cabin fever. Yes, me, the anxiety disorder/borderline agoraphobic actually wanted to go out. So Tuesday night we met my daughter at Razzoo's. I did not want to leave once I got there. I stretched it out as long as possible, but we finally left after my third beer. The hardest part was trying to get my right leg in the car. It would have been a lot easier if we had been in England and the passenger side was over there (on that side of the car, not in England.) I finally was able to kind of almost stand up in the car and swing my leg in. It was actually funny.

The part I dislike the most is I can't quite lift my leg as high as I would like in the shower to wash my right foot. (Oh a funny little thing happened in the shower today. Duke was playing at 6:00 and I got in the shower around 5:30. The first time I looked at the clock it was 20 'til, so I was taking my time. The next time I checked the clock, it was 20 'til. So I looked at the clock a little closer and it was 20 'til 2:00 and the second hand was not moving. I just thought it was goofy that I hadn't even noticed the little hand.) Anyway, it's frustrating that I can't really reach my right foot very well. I was telling My Sweetie how I feel like I'm walking around with one dirty foot. He said, "Maybe we should get you a shower monkey." Then I was picturing a little monkey washing my foot in the shower. And maybe washing my hair and scrubbing my back. Which is a pretty funny picture but in reality I am afraid of monkeys. Which leads me to. . .

Why I'm afraid of squirrels: It was the spring of 1981. I was still recuperating from my car accident. I was seeing a physical therapist for my arm but my broken leg and pelvis had pretty much healed. It was a very nice day and I decided to get some sun. I took a blanket out to the little greenbelt between my Dad's apartment and the woods. I had been out for a while when I started hearing a lot of noise off to my right. I looked over just as a cute little baby squirrel came bounding out of the woods. It was quite a way down on the greenbelt. In that sing-song voice that one is wont to do with animals, I called, "Hey little squirrel, hey little squirrel!" Well that little squirrel stopped and turned torwards me then started bounding toward me at full speed! It was so unexpected, it freaked me out and I jumped up and ran into the apartment, pulling the sliding screen door shut behind me. The little fence around the back patio was about 5 inches off the ground. That squirrel popped under the fence and climbed right up the screen door to my eye level! He just clung there chittering away. Say what you want about being afraid of squirrels but I KNEW this was NOT normal squirrel behavior. He stayed up there for some time. I was yelling, "Get down! Go away!" Finally I just closed the glass door and the curtain. I waited about 2 hours to retrieve my blanket and suntan lotion. And I never sunned out there again.


Meals on Wheels called me this afternoon and wants me to train another person. I felt like such a big girl!

8 comments:

JR's Thumbprints said...

There's a simple solution for getting rid of squirrels, but if your neighbor's feeding them, it'd be hard to remedy the problem without complaints. Just don't let the buggers get into your house, I've heard they can make quite a mess. Perhaps a shower monkey could be your bodyguard too.

Dan said...

Then I was picturing a little monkey washing my foot in the shower. And maybe washing my hair and scrubbing my back.

Or maybe you should get yourself a shower squirrel? Oh no ... never mind! (Just saw the second part of the post.)

Jo said...

Well, Geewits, you definitely wouldn't like Vancouver. We are infested with squirrels. They sit on my terrace and beg for food. In the spring when I re-plant my planters I have to dig out all the buried peanuts before I can plant anything. I was attacked by two squirrels last fall. One ran up one leg and one ran up the other and they clung there swearing at each other.

It sounds as if your squirrel had been "tamed" by people and he was expecting you to feed him.

Josie

geewits said...

jr,
I don't want to get rid of squirrels. I just don't like the overy friendly ones. Our backyard squirrels keep to themselves and are mostly seen high in the trees.

dan,
You were close. I saw a squirrel monkey on "Ellen" today and thought what a good little shower monkey it would make.

josie,
Between the wolf spiders and aggressive squirrels, I think I'll just stick to looking at pictures of Vancouver.

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

geewits,
Sorry to hear about your "unfortunate" cross-species encounter. I can understand how that would have freaked you out. Josie's probably right though that it was a 'tamed' squirrel expecting food.

Squirrels are easily bought off with nuts though. Carry a bag of nuts and if they start chasing, just throw the nuts away.

geewits, I hope you know, I would never do what that rogue squirrel did to you. No sirree. I wouldn't be able to get in under the fence! Hahaha hum.

Marie-Hélène Raletz said...

Hi Geewits!
You're taking chances with your knee. I'm under the impression that you haven't seen a doctor about it.
About the squirrel... I think you were just startled, and that you overreacted :)
LGS's comment made me laugh ... :)))
Marie

Marie-Hélène Raletz said...

PS: Your link to the "car accident" only reopens your blog, it doesn't redirect to the aforesaid post. I thought I'd let you know, as I wanted to read this previous post.

geewits said...

le nightowl,
For some reason with the new blogger I can't seem to single out an old post. It's Dec. 23 in the dec. 2005 archive.