Well, folks, curling season has started and last night, a friend thought
I should get out (after 25 years) and get back into it. Our game didn't
start until 11:00 PM, but despite having improper shoes and a borrowed
broom (which had seen better days) I was undaunted. I threw some pretty
miserable rocks and my delivery style was pathetic, but by the 7th end, I
was getting the hang of it again. I started to feel pretty good,
running down the ice, sweeping as fast as I could (not fast) when
suddenly my feet went out from under me and I hit the ice with a loud
crack! I actually saw stars as I was helped to my feet and after
deciding I was all in one piece, my my long suffering mates put me on
the bench to thaw out.
The Powassan Curling Club is about 25 minutes from my house, so I was
invited to stay over in Powassan at my friend's place. By 4:00 in the
morning I knew something was wrong. She helped me get dressed, and we
set out for the emergency dept of the new North Bay hospital. As luck
would have it, there was a bad storm. The electricity was out in most of
the city and we arrived at the hospital to find that everything was
being run by a generator and none of the computers were working. Still,
emergency was quiet and I was soon in an alcove waiting for X-rays and
to be seen by a doc. No computers means no info...and so I was forgotten
for an hour or so until an orderly discovered a "missing" patient and I
was finally taken into the inner sanctum.
It turns out that I didn't do any damage to my head, but my elbow,
which received the brunt of the blow, is now refusing to work. Nothing
seems to be broken. There might be a chip off the old condyle, but
nothing that won't heal in time. I paid $15.00 for a sling (not
unattractive, I might add) and was driven home. Today, I am unable to
eat with my right hand, comb my hair or do other um...personal things...
easily - much less write! Book signing will have to be postponed until
Monday, so folks who have ordered the new treasury which is now in,
please give me a couple more days to recover - I should be able to sign
books on Monday. Thanks in advance for your patience!
As for my curling future...I shall get some proper shoes, take a few
remedial lessons and try again. I hate to be beaten by an inopportune
descent - and besides, I'm Canadian...I should be at home on the ice!
Cheers for now! (groan...)
Lynn J.