Sunday, March 27, 2011.
That Steak Did It. Pull This Tab To Remove. Mellowness Pills.
Back to work on the Lost Restaurants book. We have to turn it all in by this Thursday. I found that the project was not as far from touchdown as I thought. Most of the remaining pieces were fully written, and just needed copy editing.
I had a problem finding a comfortable position in which to write. The doctor stresses the need for me to keep my leg up as much of the time as possible. I am doing this by propping the splint on the top of my typing table, leaning back in my chair, and holding the keyboard in place with velcro on a lap table. (The lap table, just bought last week, sports a Sixties psychedelic peace-sign motif.)
However, this puts my butt to sleep and makes my back ache--the last thing I need to add to my assortment of disabilities. So I can't work long without stopping.
On top of that, the gout in my right foot has returned. Must have been that steak last night. Hopping around (literally) on a gouty foot is as much fun as giving oneself a shot.
But those concerns were outranked by the need for me to remov the catheter supplying anesthetic to my foot. The doctor called and said that the time had come, and that he would walk me through it. He said it was so simple that I'd be amazed. Just rip off the tape, he said, and wished me a good day.
I ripped off the tape and found the thing going into my leg in a different place than I expected. It seemed to really be in there, but I followed the doc's advice and watched it slowly pull out. Then it was done. Not a drop of my blood was shed. I wish I had known! I could have known, but for some reason Mary Ann was keeping the brochure that explained it all to herself.
With that project done, Mary Ann was off to pinch hit for me at a fundraising auction. It's for the new Lycee Francaise a la Nouvelle Orleans--a French charter school being started this fall by Paige Seleun (who with her chef husband Jacques owns Chateau du Lac) and others. All the French chefs were there serving food, too. Sorry I missed it. Apparently MA was a hit as auctioneer, and pulled down several thousand dollars for the cause. A dinner I am hosting for six went for a grand--a flattering price, if you ask me.
While MA was away, I felt the numbness fade from my foot. The doctor had said I should get right on the pain pills, which I did. I took half the authorized dose and felt a marvelous sense of well-being mellow me out. It did not slow my writing down a bit. Hmm. I can see why Rush Limbaugh got hooked on this stuff. A long nap under the influence was very, very nice.
