An anniversary of sorts

ETA: Hmmmm I did write a post here but it seems to have got et. So I'll repost something about what I meant.

On 21/05/2007 I was noodlng along on my beloved Zip50 scooter on the back streets of the 'burbs when an idiot got distracted at a roundabout by a young man collecting rubbish for the local Golden Arches "restuarant" and failed to roundabout correctly, hitting me and my scooter base over apex / arse over tit / for 6 / clean off the wheels / whatever euphamism you like. I wasn't badly hurt, in the scheme of things, but for the past/next 3 years I have had to deal with a rather impressive list of injuries, both mental and physical.

So on Friday just past I celebrated the passing of 3 years since that fateful day. It has been a shit of a time since then really. The whole experience has coloured my studies and life and relationship and friend's experience of me in a way that I don't really understand. I hate hate hate dealing with it and having to visit with my lawyer last week to finalise another step in the claim was shit. But it's another step in a journey that will definitely end, hopefully this year.

The end point will be money. It won't be an apology from the idiot who hit me, or a medal for not giving up, or anything meaningful. And frustratingly no one can tell me whether that money will be enough to make a difference to my life (because there is NO amount of money that is going to compensate me for the loss I've had to deal with) or whether after medical costs and lawyers fees there will only be a few magic beans left. So TheHusband and I play a fun game sometimes of "what would we do with lots of money". Which is rather fun, similar to "what happens if we win the lottery" but yah know, the chances are probably a bit higher.

We therefore have a list of priorities:

• new car
• new fancy top quality mattress
• kettle that doesn't BUZZ all the time (not really but it just started BUZZING AGAIN and I have a babe asleep on my chest and a laptop on my lap so can't be bothered getting up to it)
• laptop for TheHusband
• trip to see my paternal grandparents
• trip to New Zealand
• little house to call our own

with lots of things in between of course, and setting us up with investments and plans for Sally and so on.

Brief update as my shoulder is sore today...

6 weeks post op. So dot points will have to suffice:

• Saw the surgeon on Monday. I got another gold star for progress and more admonition to slow down and take it easy. Which is funny because I'm hardly doing the exercises I've been given, and I am still so freaking frustrated with the lack of what I *can* do that I'm hardly pushing what I can do.
• On the upside, I can drive again (YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY) and go back to work (yay) next week. I can now do all range of movements, which means I can focus less of don't.do.that and more on the woah protect yourself feeling. Which is fine, but still frustrating.
• Unfortunately, when my shoulder gets sore, the rest of my symptoms come back. Sore neck, amazingly painful spot in my trapezoid, pain down hand, sore spot on ribs... and it makes me want to wail because it is SCARY to know that that pain is still there, just out of reach and view. And I am heartbroken to say that I'm having to face up to the realisation that is slow in coming - that no one is going to fiz me. I have to work through the next 12 months of inflicting pain on myself and pushing myself and encouraging myself to be the bext that I can be.

I am knitting though! Did I mention that I've finished my Perfect Sweater a few weeks ago:


More photos on Flickr as always (and there are mousse photos as well!).

And I've cast on an I Do:

as my wedding day is just 10 weeks away and you know, as it's in New Zealand in April, I wanted something extra to go with my dress. We've set a date - for April Fool's Day (01/04/09) (or 04/01/09 for those in North America!). Anyone who knows us will say "yup that's perfect for you" and those that don't will be aghast, and also be horrified that we firstly wanted to do it on Friday 13th but that's in March (too soon) or November (too far) so AFD it is.

I've gone ring shopping, which was REALLY fun and scary because I've never Shopped Specifically For Jewelry before, ya know? The e rings don't count as I was nervous at that stage and just chose what I loved whereas this time around I'm not as nervous. ManFriend isn't wanting another ring at this stage so I've only had to find one for me. I'm thinking of getting one made to "match" my e ring. Will let you know after the date I guess!

I'm wearing the same dress as I wore for my e party, though I'll want to make a shrug to go with it I think, and find some stockings to make it a bit more suited to the weather!

Cat sitting has been organised.



Not sure what else to say really - it's kind of organised, very fun to sort out an o/s trip, but otherwise pretty easy :). Eloping is fun!

Christmas, wedding, surgery...

* Christmas may be interesting this year. Surgery is on 10/12 and I'll have 2 weeks of being unable to move my arm, so it'll still be a case of "help me get dressed please" by that stage. I've politely suggested to the family that I'm not up for traveling 2 hours to celebrate Christmas (as much as I do anyway, which is minimally) and will be having a quiet time at home.

* Wedding plans are on hold at the moment or are going on in so much that we are still talking about it when we get the chance. Money comes into it a lot, and I am waiting until I see my dad in December to pick his brains about the trip we want to make. Well, I want to make - it's hard to get ManFriend to make any moves on this, whereas I desperately need something other than school and my injuries to think about.

* Shoulder surgery is set for 1 month, 1 week and 1 day away. That's kind of poignant. And look I did what any good blogger would do and put up a ticker for it. I have exams x2 between now and then as well. I am wondering how to prepare for the recovery period. I'm a bad patient - I don't rest, I do too much, I fret about things that need doing but not by mem and I am going to struggle to feed and entertain myself for at least 2 weeks if not more. I found a great website on recovery from a broken leg but nothing similar for a shoulder; there are lots of similar things to take away!