Here I Am

Here I am, stuck on my couch, ankle broken. I've been here for over a week and a half, save the day I was in the hospital for my surgery. A freak accident which has led me to not just slow down but to stop completely. Who would have thought that hopping off my friend's porch over her flower bed would lead to me being parked, missing the last two weeks of the school year and some of my summer? But it is what it is. I can sit here and look at all the bad things that have come of this, or I can look at the good. I always say there is a reason for everything, which is my way of looking for that silver lining, no matter how small. And in this instance, I am again going to look at the silver lining.

To be honest, I was on the verge of a nervous break down at work. The chaos of the school and the horrible moods of everyone there were really starting to get to me. So, the beginning of my silver lining is the fact that my summer vacation started 2 weeks early. 2 weeks to sit and relax. Fall in and out of sleep as it comes. Watch hours of television or play on the computer.

Also, this whole thing has shown me that I may not die alone with my dogs eating my eyes out. I have really not sat here too long by myself over the past week and a half. In fact, I have been turning down offers for visits and meals in order to sit here in the silence. I know I have several friends that are only a phone call away to help me around the house, bring me a meal or just plain break the monotony.

And third, me being incapacitated has forced the kids to step up their game around the house. S has been getting me food, going to the grocery store, doing a little laundry, taking out the trash. C has watered plants, gotten me things I need, generally helped when necessary. Now, if I could just get them to wipe the counters and change the toilet paper roll, we would be set. I really think this is going to be good for them. I realize they are very independent, more so than many kids their ages, but in some ways, I do too much for them. When I walk into the kitchen and the countertop is not the right color because of all the ick on it, I realize that it's time for me to stop cleaning up behind them. When my 16 year old comments on how the "hygiene in the house has gone down hill," I realize that they may need to become more aware of how often I really do wipe down the kitchen and bathrooms, sweep the floor, change the cover on the couch, etc., etc. So this may be a good learning experience for them.

But I have been literally just sitting here doing nothing for an entire week and a half. I have decided that, if I'm going to be laid up, I need to do something productive, thus the reinstatement of this blog. I've graded all my papers and gotten all the end-of-school chores lined up to be finished by the kids and my friends, so all I've got at this point is time. I don't know how productive this blog will be to the rest of the world. I mean, I'm not giving tips on how to find great deals or decorate your home or make the most of your relationships. I'm just a girl, sitting on the couch with too much time on her hands...I've led a pretty "interesting" life so far and have much life experience, experience more diverse than the average bear.

So, I guess I'll write this mostly to pass the time stuck on the couch but also to maybe inspire me to write something great...the great American novel or something. Ha Ha.