Ryan meanwhile has no idea what happened. I vaguely remember that I didn’t spill the drink, drop the jacket, or crush any popcorn. Not bad, huh? That’s talent. Ryan may have even continued reaching over for more food and drink – completely oblivious (Gosh, I hope I never have a heart attack and need him to call for help. He just might mistake me for a comfy pillow!)
Anyway, I am busy trying to make sure Humpty Dumpty can be put together again when my phone rings. Brenda (the wife). We had been doing an exchange of calls on another matter during the night, and my first words out of my mouth are “I think I broke my rib!” I got a bit more sympathy here. In fact, I said we are going to leave the hockey game and come home now (of course, it was done in halting speech, on account of I couldn’t breathe).
But before I could really finish the thought, Ryan, who was watching the remote-controlled inflatable blimp fly through the stadium, starts yelling that more prizes are coming our way (I said they really entertain the fans). You see, this blimp drops coupons for something like free Subway sandwiches, and one little paper was fluttering our way. Right to me. ME. The guy with hands full (to recap: popcorn, drink, jacket, and now phone), barely able to breathe. I yell to Brenda to hold on, and I try to reach up and grab this paper, like it was a foul ball at a baseball game. This was MY MOMENT. Redemption would be had! Yes….Noooooooo! The paper slipped from my grasp. %&$%#!!!! Pain erupted again from my side. I was done. Toast.
Yes, Ryan was next to me and didn’t catch this prize either either – I do believe his hands may have been slippery from the buttery popcorn. In fact, both prizes were scooped up by Jack, another 7-year old from our Leaning Teepees tribe. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Well, we made it home that night, and the next morning, I woke up early for my trail race. As I stepped out of bed I quickly realized the run wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t take one step without pain shooting through my chest. But as a consolation prize I did get a race t-shirt which I picked up with my race packet the night before. Oh yes, one of us got a shirt! A week went by and the pain ebbed-and-flowed, and finally it was too much to take, so I went to urgent care (being a man, I was hoping just for bruised ribs). As you know, the nurses first, then the doctors, inquire as to how the injury occurred. So, I recalled the whole gun-shooting incident (doesn’t that sound more intense?!), and how I walked away empty handed. (note: perhaps I should have said it was a bar fight, and that they should see the other three guys!). I guess I must have told them a humorous story, because when the x-ray technician came to get me, he said something close to “so you’re the guy who didn’t get the t-shirt?”. Ouch. Everyone is a comic...
Long story short, X-ray proved conclusive – a broken rib. Am I a prophet or what??!!! (yes, more likely “or what”)
And that, my friends, is why I haven’t written about my training…makes one helluva a story though (and once again – I didn’t make any of this up). Oh yeah – there is still more.
To be continued, one more time…
KEIYH
Hey...
ReplyDeleteWas wondering what EXACTLY did you Google to get that last image there? At first I thought it might be you, but then it appears that the person in the picture is wearing lipstick and I remembered you stopped wearing lipstick years ago.