Hiking with a Broken Toe

Yeah, you read that right.

I broke my toe.

Except, really, it wasn't my fault!  Three different people stepped on my toe Saturday night.  THREE.

I did have sandals on.  But seriously!

Three!?!

Louella, Amber, Jess & I.  Sara should've been in this...maybe she is but I just can't find her?

So apparently I should avoid the Row for awhile since I've broken bones there twice.

Really.

I woke up Sunday thinking the tips of three of my toes had been cut off, turns out it's just the tip of my left big toe.  Nail is partly gone, it's fairly colorful.  Ibuprofen and a trim cut the pressure and pain, and I can walk without issue.

Hiking, however...

This was yesterday's hike.

At night, obviously.

I have this idea that we (the museum I work for) can lead tours on Halloween on the Constellation trails that share our parking lot.  So, Chris and I decided to test the feasibility. 

Oh, it's flipping creepy!

Can you see the Jolly Roger?  Pirates in Prescott!

I swear this looked like skeletal fingers...

Haha!  I'm the light at the end of the tunnel!

Yes, it was a ton of fun.  My toe only tweaked a few times, most noticeably when we walked through sand.  So I figured a family hike this morning would be fine, right?

Let's just say these two teenagers weren't as enthused as I was.

Sharing is still something they are working on.

Their dad thought it pretty funny.

Me?  Well, I was inverted...

Really I was.  It was a pretty cool move, man.

Let's just say the steepness of Thumb Butte was challenging... for my toe.

So hiking with a broken toe.  Constellation good, Thumb Butte bad.

Except.

No air monster.

Check this:  I didn't have to stop on the way up, and chatted the entire way.

My lungs were ok.  Much to my delighted surprise, I handled the hike with ease -breathing wise.

After only hiking once a week for two months (and easy hikes at that!) A lasting effect of my Fitness Quest:  fit lungs.

Broken hand, broken toe?  So what.

The Air Monster has been defeated!

  Joy.  I could breathe at the top! 

To celebrate?  I'm gonna flame dip my hair on Thursday.

Because I already steampunked my iPhone.

Steampunking a cast...and other assorted Madness

Initially, my cast had me in near tears.

It was too scrunched.

I took tin snips to it twice, and had long, thoughtful pauses at the tool box at work.

When I thought I'd go mad after afternoon swelling set it, I'd go see Grandfather.

Technically, not Grandfather, but "Look of Long Years" by (sigh!!) Howard Terpning.

I do LOVE working in a western art museum.

Finally, after a sleepless night which found me on the balcony, I texted the dear doctor.  He agreed to recast.

Oh, I definitely did a happy dance!

So the new cast was blue like the last one, and by now I had convinced the King to bring the mattress outside.

Ahhhh...coffee and a view of our hot tub?!

So while Wei Tai is a lovely distraction, at least I'm not needing art to calm me and keep me from cutting off a cast.

That's progress.

Then the idea hit-why not steampunk the cast?  It's blue and rough-why not wrap it in leather?

I love my leather cast!

As for decorating....!!!!!

Feathers and lacings on Sunday.

Post apocalyptic princess yesterday.

I'm finding some outlet for the madness of a still-not-healed-thirteen-weeks-later hand.

At times I just want to explode; the frustration is so intense.  I've been advised  not to make any long term decisions until after it heals.

But what if it doesn't?

You'll note the cool hair.  At least I can control that.