Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Old Fart Sports Injury
Since my assignment to the Pentagon I've been taking my health and physical fitness a little more seriously than the previous 40 years. I've been running regularly and lost about 20 pounds so far.
I've also been playing some volleyball and wallyball with the other members of my shop. And interestingly I have been really enjoying it. Unexpected because I never really enjoyed sports much before and especially not volleyball. But, I've been enjoying it and have been getting better at, learning to bump, set and serve. Learning to be more aggressive.
Perhaps a bit too aggressive. Monday morning we were playing and doing pretty well. Someone on the other team (thanks, Brian) bumped the ball to the corner of the net. I could see it was going to roll over to our side. I decided I was going to rush halfway across the court and push it back over. What I didn't see was that even if it came ove it was going to be out. I could hear about five voices shouting "It's out! It's out!" Unfortunately the rest of my brain was intent on stopping that ball.
I made great jump and hit the ball back over. Unfortunately I also collided with the post and when I came back down my ankle was a bit less than level. I could hear and feel some crunching going on in my right ankle. Fortunately that was the last thing I felt in my ankle for a while.
The guys got some ice and when I got to the doc in Flight Medicine he said it was a "mild to moderate" sprain. Tonight it's about twice as big as my other ankle, stiff as a board and I'd say it's a long way from mild.
Here's what it looks like now:
The worst part about this is that it's probably going to be at least a month before I can play again!
¶ Tuesday, December 19, 2006 0 comments
I've also been playing some volleyball and wallyball with the other members of my shop. And interestingly I have been really enjoying it. Unexpected because I never really enjoyed sports much before and especially not volleyball. But, I've been enjoying it and have been getting better at, learning to bump, set and serve. Learning to be more aggressive.
Perhaps a bit too aggressive. Monday morning we were playing and doing pretty well. Someone on the other team (thanks, Brian) bumped the ball to the corner of the net. I could see it was going to roll over to our side. I decided I was going to rush halfway across the court and push it back over. What I didn't see was that even if it came ove it was going to be out. I could hear about five voices shouting "It's out! It's out!" Unfortunately the rest of my brain was intent on stopping that ball.
I made great jump and hit the ball back over. Unfortunately I also collided with the post and when I came back down my ankle was a bit less than level. I could hear and feel some crunching going on in my right ankle. Fortunately that was the last thing I felt in my ankle for a while.
The guys got some ice and when I got to the doc in Flight Medicine he said it was a "mild to moderate" sprain. Tonight it's about twice as big as my other ankle, stiff as a board and I'd say it's a long way from mild.
Here's what it looks like now:
The worst part about this is that it's probably going to be at least a month before I can play again!
¶ Tuesday, December 19, 2006 0 comments
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Wreaths at Arlington
Today I had the honor of participating in the Arlington Wreath Project. For the past 15 years the Worcester Wreath Co. of Maine has donated Christmas wreaths to be placed on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. It was a fairly small affair for the first 14 years.
But last year an Air Force photograph and the internet changed all that. Thanks to one of those "forward this to everyone you know" e-mails and this photo there were about 600 volunteers this year.
Fortunately there were also 5,00 wreaths. My friends and I got to lay out about 6 of them each.
But last year an Air Force photograph and the internet changed all that. Thanks to one of those "forward this to everyone you know" e-mails and this photo there were about 600 volunteers this year.
Fortunately there were also 5,00 wreaths. My friends and I got to lay out about 6 of them each.
Read an article about this years wreath laying here.
Read about more about the Project here.
See an awesome video about it here.
¶ Thursday, December 14, 2006 0 comments
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Party with the Big Boys
Tonight Kim and I feel like we must have made it to the big time.
Tonight we attended a Christmas party at the home of General Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He and his wife have a beautiful home on Fort Myer, VA that overlooks the Potomac River and downtown DC.
Great food and good friends as well as a fantastic bluegrass trio playing Christmas carols. Yeah, if I could change one thing about my career I'd have gotten an assignment to the Pentagon way before 18 years.
¶ Saturday, December 09, 2006 0 comments
Tonight we attended a Christmas party at the home of General Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He and his wife have a beautiful home on Fort Myer, VA that overlooks the Potomac River and downtown DC.
Great food and good friends as well as a fantastic bluegrass trio playing Christmas carols. Yeah, if I could change one thing about my career I'd have gotten an assignment to the Pentagon way before 18 years.
¶ Saturday, December 09, 2006 0 comments
