Elbowed Aside

I think I just may have lowered the art of getting old to a new depth. I somehow, as yet to be determined, injured myself grocery shopping yesterday. I make one complete meal for the family all year long – the annual Christmas dinner. I take a lot of misplaced pride in my ability in the area. I think the rest of the family is just happy I’ve taken the lead so they don’t have to. For whatever reason – this is the one real meal I attempt.

We’ve moved it to Christmas Eve this year due to lack of attendance on Christmas Day afternoon. My inordinate pride declared I had to go out yesterday morning as I headed home for lunch to pick up the required accoutrement at the local grocery store. In a rookie mistake I thought the grocery store would be uncrowded since it was the middle of the work day. How wrong I was. I should have factored in the whole day before Christmas Eve effect. It was a merry crowd though and I got several compliments on the festive holiday tie I was wearing. I guess I must look old enough to be safe because a couple of the compliments came from attractive young ladies that I would have died for 30 years ago (whoops, I mean 35).

At any rate part of the Christmas meal involves preparing a separate turkey gluten free for my big sister. I was reaching across the cooler to pick up a measly eleven pound bird when something popped in my elbow. I didn’t think anything about it at the time, just another in the seemingly endless indignities of an aging body. After loading everything into the house under Buddy’s close scrutiny I found I couldn’t lift my right arm above my waist without significant pain. I must have pulled some sort of ligament, in the friggin grocery store, of all places.

Over the ensuing hours I learned that I actually use my right arm for a lot of things. I was reminded of this by the almost constant pain. It’s not as if I had anything to do, say like preparing two turkeys or anything. I’m usually very good about pain, acknowledging pain was always considered a sign of weakness in the Army, but this elbow was kicking my proverbial butt.

Sleeping was a real adventure; as it turns out I sometimes move my right arm while sleeping (who knew?). Whenever that happened last night sleep came to an abrupt halt. It made for an interesting sleep cycle. At least it didn’t last too long because I was up at 4am to come in to work.

Each year the excellent boss and I come in early on Christmas Eve to greet the early morning drivers with coffee and donuts. These are our most senior employees and we rarely see them because they’re out of the building at these ungodly early hours. While I complain about it, it’s actually a lot of fun hanging with our best employees. I just wish it didn’t hurt every time I shake someone’s hand. The hope the elbow would repair itself overnight was not realized. I’m going to have words with the night crew.

I did receive some medicinal support from far off California where my granddaughter decided my daughter needed some early morning quality time together as well. I received a text from her asking about the status of the Christmas turkey, sent around 2am California time. I think she’s going to miss being here almost as much as I am to not have her here. She did send me the latest pictures from the First Blog Reader who ventured out yesterday to secure her passport; needed so she can join us in Panama in February to party. I swear my elbow feels a little better after seeing these photos.

Already!