"Keep a Journal: How else are you going to get a good look at who you were?"

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Hello again;

News highlights include the latest chapter in the Die Nasty II (die nastier) saga, our vacation (is that smoke I smell?) and My bad back (gotta get that WCB form filled out!).

On Friday, July 25, I was up on level 4 with the order picker, @1:30-2:00 PM, dragging a 40lb box of china plates from the back of the shelf. I picked up said box and turned with it; then bent badly and got a stern warning in the region of my lower back. I nearly dropped the box!

I was running the OPR with a single skid on the platform; all the better to load it up with more small pick merchandise for the slap line. So I was doing the equivalent of putting a 40lb weight from chest height down to a level 2" below floor level. I didn't think much of the twinge, and kept on going, filling up the skid as I went. I noticed my back was a little sore as I went to bed that night, but nothing new there. By Saturday evening, after a few hours painting the deck and fixing up Coral's new bike, my back was a little MORE sore. In my defense, I HAD to get Coral's bike done; I had been promising for WEEKS, and she was away at Brownie camp that weekend, so I figured I would REALLY hear about it if it still were not finished by the time she got home. I was fairly 'stiffed up' by this time, so I used the old freezer chest we moved outside as a workbench to assemble the newly painted frame; in short, I kept the bending over to a minimum. If only I had the foresight to forego the bike and the painting altogether...

Sunday was OK, but I was pretty sore for most of it, and I had a terrible night's sleep. Monday I was STIFF!!! and didn't feel a whole lot like riding to work. I am of the belief that biking is good for stretching out the lower back, so I rode to work anyway and felt fine - while I was on the bike. As soon as I arrived at work and dismounted, I knew I was in trouble; IT HURT TO WALK!! I couldn't bear my own weight on my feet. So I grit my teeth and informed my boss that I had hurt my back on friday and foolishly ignored it, and I needed to talk to our first aider. He determined that I had a problem and sent me to Richmond General for further diagnosis.

The visit to Richmond General ER went OK, except for when the attending MD left me ALONE to get off the low gurney myself!!! That was the WORST moment of the entire morning! There was a guy in the next bed over with a broken wrist who was so impressed by my moans 'n groans that he offered me a hand to get up! (and he only had the one...) NOT an enjoyable experience.

In times past, a bad back meant lots of bedrest. Nowadays, it means walking; LOTS of walking. I was back to work later that morning and placed on light duty. I was under medical advisory to avoid lifting, bending, standing too long, sitting too long and I was to do lots and lots of...walking. The first day was the hardest...

BUT, by the time I had spent the following five days doing lost stock reports, unconfirmed location reports, cycle counts, and various other paper shuffling marathons - I ran out of forms to fill thursday afternoon and had to content myself the rest of the week with pushing a dustmop - MY BACK FELT BETTER...

'Course my feet were KILLING me by then...

I then proceeded to go to Penticton on vacation for the following week. More on that in a moment; but while there I was a good boy: no bending, no lifting (well, not much) and LOTS of walking - mostly in beach sandals!!

I got back from vacation Tuesday the 11th, and had my functional abilities form filled out by Dr. Mergens. Cost 30$!!!, but I got reimbursed. Once the FAF was cleared, I was taken off medical restriction and reinstated as a machine operator; and just in time too, it's REALLY starting to back up out there.

The Car: our 600$ adventure.

We got a line on Toyo Motors: Bob's garage of choice and a GOOD independent full-service garage. They found a BALL of sludge in our gas tank and informed us that not only did the injectors need cleaning; the whole system needed flushing out RIGHT AWAY. Also, the widget in the EC gear that I had identified as wonky was in need of replacement. I hope they replaced it, they DID charge us for it after all. To their credit: they also threw in an oil change.

AND...the car is running better...no more chugs and stalls, at least. L wants to take it on a day trip to Seattle as soon as we can manage to find the time. Should be no problem.

Our house is in a CONSTANT state of chaos...and our vacation(s) is (are) to blame. L took a camping trip to Lac La Hache with her family this past week - and we hadn't even finished cleaning up all the gear and clothes from Penticton!!!

Oh, and did I mention she left me with all the peaches to can while she was away? I've never canned peaches before...I've never canned ANYTHING before. I CAN follow instructions; after putting off the project 'till friday evening I spent SIX HOURS putting up 16 quart jars of sliced peaches (15 of which sealed properly). Granpa and I spent the following noon hour cooking 'em to completion In between, I did at least manage to get the Kitchen and Bathroom clean, and do all my Laundry - oh, and I did the shopping (under budget!). Ya gotta prioritize.

Penticton:

I STILL never got to float down the canal to Skaha beach!!! Owing to the drought and the really low water levels in the canal, there is a serious risk of coliform once yer past the halfway point (where the town sewage treatment plant is); I figured if I could only go halfway, what was the point? I DID get in a couple of rounds of mini golf with the kids. Coral is turning into quite the little athlete, if only she would pay attention to her coach! Got to see how the SS Sicamous is progressing. They are hosting a Theatre Presentation in her dining hall. Evidently quite successful.

We flew kites, we played with cheap toys (all of which the kids broke before we got back home) we ate no more than the required amount of junk food. We swam in the pool lots, and because we forgot the kids' life jackets, Mom bought them pool noodles to float about with. Delightful things, pool noodles...
We also hiked all over town and Coral and I went out on Wednesday to find an internet terminal in order to enter her box tops in the "Kraft & Crayola Every Pack Is A Winner" contest. Unfortunately, the Crayola site (using the latest in Media Plugins) was not viewable on the local library's machines, or either of downtown Penticton's two Internet Cafe's. We had to wait 'till we got home, by which time most of the GOOD prizes were gone. Bummer.

I'm still not riding to work yet, and I STILL haven't finished painting the deck! But there is yet time. I DID manage to give away one of those two old Dept. Store bikes that Don gave me. I think the other may go to Bro. Uy's daughter. We'll see...