My computer at home has been down for the last several weeks, thus, no blogging as of late. Work has been terribly busy so my lunch times are spent relaxing and trying to get away from it all.
Since I last blogged, I found out that I will be having surgery on my gimpy ankle to remove the bone spur at the end of my tibia. After seeing an ankle specialist for a second opinion, who also happens to be the surgeon, it was determined that my ankle needed to heal up more before he wants to cut up my ankle. In the mean time, I needed to continue my ankle strengthing exercises to rehab the sub-talus joint that I have injured so many times, including this latest episode this year. I will also need to get custom orthodics made so that my flat feet will be less prone to sprains. Long story short, it was both good news and bad news. Good news being that I don't have to worry about coming up with funds for a surgery as soon as I had thought, and that I can continue playing sports (the doctor said so :-) ). Bad news being that I will have to have surgery in the near future, but on the flip side, it will prevent any chronic ankle problems as the birthdays keep coming.
Since I last blogged, I also had my 29th birthday. It is really not any different than any other birthday. I spent my birthday hiking the Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park just east of Salem, Oregon. Although the weather had been in the 90s-100s that week, the hike was pretty comfortable, since the trail led in/out of a small canyon. I hiked the entire trail in about 3.25 hours and saw 9 of the 10 waterfalls along the way. I was feeling pretty good about the hike since the ranger said the hike would take about 4 hours, and I had my gimpy ankle to work with. Not too bad in an afternoon's work.Since I last blogged, I went through a small hitting slump in my softball games where I was hitting and getting on base, but with singles and doubles. I came out of the slump this week with an in-the-park 4-bagger and another triple this week. It felt a little better after those. At the same time, I wished that I gotten to play in some tournaments this year, but just wasn't happening with the injury. Had hoped to play in the Play 4 the Cure tourney again this year, but no luck there either. D and I are going up to La Grande to play in the Moonlight tourney next weekend though. They use the larger .47 core balls for both the men and the women, so that should be a nice challenge.That is all for now.
Just when I thought life threw me a nasty curveball, I hit the damn thing out of the park. No, really... this is week 11 of my ankle injury and though I am still trying to rehab it back to normal, I have had the good fortune of other fun opportunities coming my way. See, about a month ago, I was still mired in the ugliness of ankle rehab reality, progress having stalled and my summer felt like it was going down the tubes. Here I am, 5 weeks later, planning for a couple of big trips at the end of this glorious summer, while still nursing my injury.
So two things. First, I have a week-long vacation planned with my two best friends in August. We'll be rafting, hiking, listening to chill music, and whatever else somewhere near Aspen, CO. It will be a rocking good time to get away from work for a week, out of Eugene, OR, and just be silly and stupid for a few days with people who really "get" me.
Secondly, although I have never been one to win anything major, or even a generous lottery prize, I managed to draw a hunting tag for Big Horn Sheep this year. Those of you who know me well know that I am not exactly the hunter/camouflage type and I've never really handled a firearm before, much less know how to use one. The only reason why I put in for hunting tags at all was so that D could accrue preference points and maybe a little bit hoping for the off chance that I will actually get to tag along on a hunting trip someday for the hike. Long story short, I drew one of the most coveted hunting tags in the state of Oregon. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I must take advantage of, and therefore have begun preparations for the September trip. It sounds crazy, especially since my dad describes me to his friends as "the pacifist", but it is not an experience that I am gonna miss out on if I can help it.To begin with, I secured my first rifle this weekend - a Weatherby 708mm Remington. It is small enough for little ole weakling me to handle, yet (supposedly) powerfuly enough to down a 250 lb animal from 100 yards. It is also versatile enough that I can use it for deer, elk, antelope, or other single-toed ungulates roaming the state of Oregon. It is really exciting to finally be able to participate on these week-long exursions that I have heard so much about the last few years. Not so much for the trophy part, but for the sheer experience of hiking in the wilderness, miles and miles from the nearest road, trekking across ridges and canyons, and enjoying the wild scenery that are likely to disappear long before my lifetime ends. I actually see myself shooting more pictures than actually shooting an animal. In any case, it will be a wild time that I am really looking forward to.Until then, there is the second half of the softball season that still awaits, of which both my co-ed and women's teams are undeafeated in league, seeking for more bragging rights. As soon as that seaon is complete, it is the beginning of a new chapter in my life's experiences.....On a side note, while in the process of acquiring my new "gat", I had my first experience with "gat envy".. there was another female there purchasing a rifle with her male friend... granted that she was a few inches taller than I was, I did take notice that her rifle was bigger and longer than mine....
