Mr Sun's Peek-a-Boo Game

 

I'm feeling better today. Thanks R-man for the hug.

 

The sun keeps teasing me. Mainly gray again, but at least there's no rain.

My left shoulder is killing me though.The muscle on my neck right beside the collar bone is all swollen. Looks like a huge tumor.

 

On Dec 16, 1994 I was walking through the plaza (its a little spot that has a fountain with a lot of brickwork everywhere. I was taking a short cut to see Mary, my bestfriend and also my framer. She was downtown then, right across from the library in a little building. In my hand I had a few watercolors I had painted and wanted her to frame for Christmas. To keep them safe, I had them in plastic photo bag. I remember I had on a pair of black pants, a royal blue sweater and some stupid velvet ballet type shoes that I had let the Shoe store guy across the street talk me into buying (they were on sale). They had Christmas designs on them. Cute but really not practical for fast walking.

 

I was almost at the bottom of the 4 steps going up from the plaza onto the highway, when a guy dashed out of the bushes and scared me so badly that I tried to move fast, while taking a step. But the toe of my right foot caught a stone that lined the floor of the plaza area, sending me into a funky out of the control walk up the stairs. I should have let myself fall at the bottom instead of trying to correct my over-step. I stumbled at the top and landed hard on my left arm...which held the plastic bag causing me to slide a yard and almost spill over onto incoming traffic.

 

The guy came running over, apologizing. I told him I was okay and that he shouldn't skulk around. He left and I went to Mary's all shaken up. It wasn't until a few hours later that my arm started hurting. But I kept on restoring photos--I was doing them by hand the old fashioned way then. When I went home I put ice my wrist because it was hurting too. By morning I couldn't raise my arm. But..did I go to the doctor ...no. I had clients waiting for me when we opened. I wore a button up shirt with a tank under it. I put my hand in my shirt Napoleon style.  I spent all day in agony and it was a client who told Dad off for not allowing me to go to the doctor.

 

This was during the time that I not only did the restorations. I logged in orders from the lab. I cut negs and placed studio, wedding and copy orders to the lab. (Our film is split 70 mm--100 feet in a canister). I did sales and answered the phones. Place all our framing and photography supply orders. I knew everything there was to know about this place then. I was dating Charles--in fact it would be a month later that we would break up forever.  I put in 70 hours a week. Lived and breathed this business. I think that's partly why I miscarried. I was doing too much for too many years.

 

It took me several years to slowly get Dad to take on more duties.

 

Damn.. got off track. So I relunctantly went to urgent care and was told I had a contusion to my shoulder. To go home and stay put for two days. They gave me a sling and meds.

But I didn't listen to them. It was Dec 16 th... 8 days to Christmas Eve. Some of my deadlines were due NOW... so I spent the night at the studio, taking half of my pain meds and trying to paint. I had several commissioned oils that year--last minute ones and knew I needed to get them done. I made my deadlines but on Christmas Day I slept--missed all the opening of Christmas presents.

 

Me and my aches...lol...