She can run.... But she CANNOT squat.............................

When I got up yesterday morning, I felt great. Until I went in to assist a resident and squated down to help with shoes. OUCH! My quads let me know they didn't think too kindly of that position. I did some streching during the day, and that seemed to help. I was scheduled to run four miles yesterday, and decided to run to the post office and back because I had a letter that had to be postmarked by yesterday. (A friend and I were signing up for a race in April, and if postmarked by 3/15/06 you saved two bucks off the entry fee. That is two bucks that now goes into the found money fund.) It is actually close to six miles round trip from my house to the post office, but I figured I could walk after I completed the first four.

Things went as planned until I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a get well card. Walking the last mile home my quads felt really tight. Shortly after I got home, I went down stairs and discovered my quads had seized up on me. You know, like a car's engine does? (Not that I know the details of what really happens when your car seizes up, but it sounded descriptive of what had happened to me, so I borrowed the phrase.) My quads just stopped functioning. If it wasn't so painful, it might have been funny.

I could manage walking okay, it was/is transitional moves that create problems. Like sitting down to go to the bathroom..... I have never been one of those women that think guys have it so much better than we gals do, but let me tell you...... Last night I was pretty envious of a guy's ability to be able to stand up to tinkle. Okay! Enough said about that one.......

I fully understand that you don't have to squat in order to make dinner, but I just wasn't in the mood to cook last night. (Note: I had already made one meal for the rest of the gang, before going for my run.) I also didn't feel like eating junk food. I wasn't willing to give up all the gain I had to have made with my quads feeling like they were feeling. What I ended up doing was calling one of the restaurants in town and asking them to make me a special order. This is another of the blessings I get from living in a small town, they were more than happy to do this. I told them I wanted a salad with whatever they had in the kitchen that was raw, with a grilled chicken breast from the grilled chicken breast sandwich on the menue. They happily filled my request and even though I would have happily paid extra for the whole special order thing, they charged me the price of one of the menue salads. Talk about great customer service!

Even though I ended up not eating the chicken, (It tasted funny, and I have a hard enough time eating meat as it is. I guess it was okay though, as my daughter ate it with no problem.) the rest of the salad was wonderful. There was a mountain of fresh food. (Two of us have eaten from it, and there is still some left.) In addition, it was very artfully arranged, the bright green brocolli nestled next to the brilliant orange carrots, with splashes of red radishes and red-purple onion circles tucked here and there among the greens. (How's that for a descriptive sentence?) I think in this day of pre-prepared foods, the cooks in our eateries enjoy a chance to express their creativity. So, not only did I get my needs met, I did so while breaking up the potential monotony of someone's job. I love win win scenarios, and this is a reminder to always ask for what you want. The worst that could happen is that you are told no, (like that hasn't happen before.......) and you have to figure out another angel to get your needs met.

Speaking of getting needs met......... I am being summoned....... Enjoy your day!