they weren't in Madagascar

The real stars of the Central Park Zoo:

bacon frenzy

I couldn't decide which bacon to have today: D'Artagnan Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon or D'Artagnan Uncured Smoked Wild Boar Bacon.

The boar bacon ("from feral swine") are the small pieces. They're tiny, but so savory. The flavor is somewhat richer and deeper.

(No, the diet did not go well today - why do you ask?)

even in the sports I'm good at

I'm enjoying using this as an injury journal, particularly since I seem to get injured on a regular basis.
Unlike softball, I've been playing volleyball for 20 years now. That still doesn't stop me from bending my fingernail backwards, halfway down, on a dig.

The discoloration depicted does not nearly convey the pain that I'm currently experiencing. (Blessedly, it was numb throughout the game.) And blood was seeping out from under the fingernail before.


We won the division playoffs; that's all that matters.

communication (+injury update)

And if any of you are just here for the gore, it's almost all gone. There will be a little bit of a scar, but the pretty colors have faded to the usual dull tiredness. There are just a few sore lumps remaining under the scar.

now THAT'S a black eye!

Che poverina!

not cut out for softball

I haven't used this blog as an injury journal for a long time. I'm not particularly into gore, but watching myself heal (or worsen) fascinates me.

I've been trying to learn how to play softball. I've been to two scrimmages. I've gotten hit in the eye with the ball both times. On the 15th, The ball flipped off the top of my glove and hit me in the left eye. It didn't discolor, but the eyeball was sore for a few days. (I get nervous about these things because I already have 7 retinal tears in that eye ... the other eye has a repaired retinal detachment. I used to box.) On the 22nd, a ground ball popped up and smacked me in the same eye. This time I had the foresight to be wearing sunglasses, which probably saved the eye by diffusing the impact to my cheek and eyebrow. My ophthalmologist thinks I should take up rowing.

I haven't had a black eye since I was about 4. I've been taking pictures about every 8 hours, watching the colors change. I'm really lucky it wasn't worse. And I need new sunglasses.





Sunday afternoon









Sunday evening







Monday morning (Whole face was puffy!)









Monday afternoon. (Pupils still dilated from eye exam.)

rather impressive all together like that

One of my correspondents inquired as to how well his wax seals make it through the mail. Rather than try to explain, I took a picture of the envelopes I'd received through the mail from him ... all of them. This is approximately 13 months of correspondence.














Even more incredible to think that he's only 1 of over 40 correspondents. (No one else's volume is comparable.)