Monday, November 27, 2006

Standing

Once in a while the people I love chose to describe me in less-than-flattering words.
I know, it's very surprising.
"Stubborn" and "Pig-headed" being the most recent. Both terms were applied to my refusal to stay off my broken toe. It's an inch long! Yet, it continues to thwart my aspirations for activity. The blasted thing is still swollen like a tiny puffed-up sausage (albeit, a well-manicured one).
I tried ice skating this weekend with my children. I got the skates in a size too big so that my toe would not be crowded in there. It hurt too much, and I took the skates back to the counter where they refunded my money.
There was not enough snow to ski, so we played scrabble a lot. The boys and I went sledding for a little while. That was another activity designed to promote healing in my smallest appendage.
I just don't think it's reasonable for that teeny tiny little thing, way down at the farthest reaches of my anatomy, to cause me so much difficulty. My dear friend Chuck says that my I.Q. drops 40 points when I am stubborn and pig-headed. He says it "plummets precipitously." And I was really excited about that, because if I could understand and pronounce such large words while operating on a reduced intellect, why then, I guess I'm smarter than I thought.
However, my illusion was dashed by my own mispronunciation of the word "Fiefdom." My insistence on it's pronunciation served to punctuate his claims that I am indeed stubborn and pig-headed. I looked it up in the dictionary and found that it is said with a long "E" sound and not a long "I" sound. Chuck was right!
I stand corrected.
But I can't stand for long....

4 comments:

KJP said...

In the average daily conversation, when does Fiefdom come up? What were you talking about?!

Yes, it sounds like toe needs more rest (it has been a few weeks hasn't it?) and less activity to heal. No more gym. I have no doubts in my mine that a Lindt bar with hazelnuts would go far in elevating your spirits and promotion of healing....

Anonymous said...

You mean like feef-dom? That's just stupid. No one says it like that. (But I'm with Kris - who says that anyway?)

Don't you secretly love having a reason not to be active? I revel in being injured because then I have a very good reason not to go work out.

Pathetic. I know.

KJP said...

I have long thought English was a bunch of French words with German pronounciations. Of course, that opinion removed me from one English class! If only I had known, I could have been rich - hooked on German phoneics! (Sure wish these comments had a spell checker!).

And, I still say tape the puppy and take lots of aspirin to knock down swelling and pain. A cane might help as well!

Kelly said...

I say things like "Feeeef-dom" all the time. Big words are lots of fun. I believe that the English language should be spoken well!
The toe thing is a total drag, though. The ski resort opens tomorrow, and I am trying to figure out how I could ski without agony. I think I could do it with enough Advil....