I Fell and Couldn't Get Up

Sunday before last, the Lone Star steakhouse on High Point Rd. had this Dine and Donate thing going on (which I guess they do all the time) where they would donate 15% of your meal to our church if you presented them with a little flyer/coupon with our church's name on it. We never eat at Lone Star, but we did that night for our church.

I had slipped and nearly fell in the parking lot on the way in and again in the entryway. So when we were leaving, I made sure to take my time. When I came to the steps, I held onto the railing and took one slow, easy step when suddenly I was landing hard on my right hip and backside on one of the steps. It happened so fast I didn't even realize I was falling until after I'd landed. It hurt so bad! It was all I could do not to cry. I was squeezing my eyes closed tightly and praying in my head, "Please, God, don't let me cry in front of my husband and kids."

Charlie and Sean helped me up and to the car. Getting in, as well as sitting and riding, was quite painful. I had tears in my eyes and it was quite a struggle to keep from crying for those first couple minutes of the ride home. Not just because of the pain, I don't think, but also because of the shock of the fall.

When we got home, I took a look at my hip and butt and could see a very large, swollen, pink area. The next day it hard turned into a big ugly purple bruise. I also had a small bruise on the right side of my back, a few inches below my shoulder blade on my ribs and a small bruise on my left forearm.

I was in a lot of pain and was beginning to hurt in other areas. Pretty much my whole body. I told my mom about it and she insisted over and over that I go to the doctor. I called them that day and they scheduled an appointment for the next day - Tuesday.

The doctor was a little shocked by the size of the bruise on my hip and backside and apologized when he touched it and the bruise on my back because it hurt so badly when he did. He was concerned and sent me to their other office (a few miles away) for x-rays, which thankfully showed no fractures.

The doctor (who, by the way, was really nice; I'd definitely see him again) said I'd probably be in pain for a couple weeks. It's nearly 2 weeks now since my fall and my hip is still bruised and painful when touched, as is my back. Sitting has been difficult and I haven't been able to sleep on my back or my right side. I'm not a stomach-sleeper at all (can't breathe like that), so I've only been able to sleep in one position - my left side. I'll be glad when I can sit and sleep normally again. Hopefully the pain won't last too many more days.

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I finished reading An Echo in the Bone, by Diana Gabaldon, yesterday morning. It's the 7th book in the Outlander series. Really good book. I can't wait to read the 8th book, Written in my Own Heart's Blood. Unfortunately, it doesn't come out until next Fall. It's going to be a long, difficult wait. I want to know what happens next.

I'll be starting Les Miserables soon. I had started to read it several years ago and didn't get far. (A few chapters maybe.) I want to read it before the latest movie version (which looks really good, based on the trailer and behind the scenes video) is released on Christmas day.

Pause the music player at the bottom of my blog before watching videos.

Vacation 2012

Saturday, September 8th, Sean's football team played their first game. Unfortunately, they lost. By a lot. The team they played had twice as many players (so they got more breaks) and most of them were bigger and appeared to be more experienced than most of the players on Sean's team. I felt bad for him. Naturally, he didn't like losing, but he wasn't upset.

Sean is number 29.

After the game, we (me, Charlie, Sean, Kelly and our niece Samantha, who goes to a year-round school and was out of school at that time) ate at Red Robin and then went to Southport for a short vacation. Lord, I love that place so much!

We checked into the hotel, ate supper at Ship's Chandler (aka Cape Fear Restaurant), got some snacks and drinks from Wal-Mart and then went back to our hotel room for the night.

Sunday morning, as is always the case when we're on vacation, I was up before everyone else and then got them up when I was almost ready to leave the hotel.

We had breakfast at Castaway Keys (because Locals, which I'd heard has really good food, was packed) before going to Southport Waterfront Park to enjoy the scenery for a bit.

Charlie and Kelly

Samantha and Charlie

Samantha and Sean

Kelly, Charlie, Samantha and Sean

Southport waterfront. Taken from Southport Pier.

Sean, Charlie, Samantha and Kelly on Southport Pier.

From there, we drove down to the marina (about a mile or so away) and parked. Then walked the boardwalk over the marsh. It leads to a large gazebo. There are gorgeous views and a wonderful breeze.

Cape Fear River/Intracoastal Waterway. Oak Island Lighthouse in the distance.

Sailing on the Cape Fear River.

We sat there for awhile enjoying the views and the breeze. Then we stopped by the Indian Trail Tree (said to be around 800 years old and used by the Indians as a marker) in Keziah Park in downtown Southport.

 Sean wanted to go swimming, so when we stopped by the hotel, Charlie and Sean stayed to go swimming in the pool. Samantha was looking forward to shopping at the antique stores and small shops in downtown Southport, so she and I and Kelly did a little shopping. They each got a small stuffed animal (a wolf for Samantha and a white tiger for Kelly) and a small wolf figurine.

After we were done shopping, we went over to Caswell Beach on Oak Island. We walked the beach, getting our toes in the sand and letting the waves roll over our feet, and taking pictures with our phones. The sun was low in the sky (though still about an hour or so from sunset) and we had the beach mostly to ourselves. It was really nice.

We eventually tore ourselves away from the beach and went back to the hotel. After Sean and Charlie took their showers and got dressed, we went to a pizza place on Oak Island. I had asked about pizza places on the Southport Facebook page. A few places were recommended. Dry Street, in Southport, was closed. So we went to East Beach Diner on Oak Island. The cheese sticks were really good. The pizza wasn't horrible, but it wasn't that good either. Too much cheese, not enough sauce.

When we were done with our pizza, we went to Frosty's Ice Cream (where we always go for ice cream when we're in Southport), also on Oak Island. So good. :-)

Monday morning, we had breakfast at Castaway Keys again (Locals was again packed) and then took the ferry (Samantha's first time on a ferry) over to Ft. Fisher so we could go to the NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher. Another of those places we always have to visit when we're in Southport.

Hurricane winds machine at the aquarium. I don't know how fast the winds got.

We went to Ft. Fisher beach after leaving the aquarium. You're not supposed to walk on the rocks there (they have that part chained off), but Charlie and the kids did.

We then walked over to the shade of the trees. I was cooking out in that sun and did get a little sunburned.

We took the ferry back to Southport and went back to our hotel so the kids could go swimming in the pool. Charlie went to the pool with them and I took a nap in our room. I slept for about an hour or so and then went down to the pool to get everyone to come to the room and get ready so we could go eat supper. It took them all a couple hours to shower and get dressed and I was really hungry by the time they were finally ready.

We had supper at Locals (fried flounder for me, which is also what I'd had for supper at Ship's Chandler on Saturday night), which was pretty good, and then went for ice cream. Frosty's was closed, as was Leaky Tiki (though it was only around 8:00), so we went to Dairy Queen instead (on Oak Island). I had a chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard. Eh. I didn't care much for it. I reckon I'm not much of a soft serve ice cream kind of person.

Tuesday, after a delicious breakfast at Locals (their French toast was perfect - no soggy parts, just the right amount of cinnamon, slightly crispy edges), we went to Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson. (I love historical places.) Brunswick Town had been a small community (described as "very poor") on the Cape Fear River before the British burned it to the ground in 1776. The town was never rebuilt. In 1862, the Confederates built Ft. Anderson there.

In front of what's left of St. Philip's church.

Pretty views and delightfully cool breezes.

Inside the fort.

We enjoyed our time at Brunswick Town and Ft. Anderson. The views of the river were really pretty and the breeze by the river, especially where the raised wooden walkway is, were just heavenly. We didn't want to leave.

But we couldn't stay there forever. We went back to Southport (Brunswick Town is right outside of Boiling Spring Lakes, which is a few miles inland from Southport.) and ate supper at Atlantic Seafod (again, fried flounder for me; I haven't found any seafood as good here in Greensboro, though there are a couple seafood places I haven't tried) before going back to our room for a bit. I wanted to get some good shots of the sun setting at the waterfront in Southport and we still had some time before that would happen. Charlie and the kids played a game while I watched a little TV. At around 6:45 or so, we went to Southport Pier and I took many shots of the sunset and of the river.

It was such a beautiful evening by the river, but as it got dark, we went to Frosty's for ice cream and then went back to the hotel. The kids went swimming for awhile, despite an outside temperature of 66°.

Wednesday morning, it was time to check out of our hotel room. Our last day in Southport. We didn't want to leave, but the time had come. The kids and I were missing our home and our pets, Charlie was missing his dog Milo (aka Julio - I love calling him that lol), Samantha was missing her mom and dog and I was ready to get back to our normal lives here at home. Though at the same time I knew I'd miss Southport when we left.

After checking out, we had breakfast at Locals (awesome French toast again for me and Kelly; Samantha had a blueberry Belgian waffle with blueberry syrup, which she said was awesome; Sean had a Belgian waffle again and Charlie had a BLT again), then took the ferry over to Ft. Fisher Historic Site, a Confederate fort.

 The breeze in the shade of these trees was so cool and refreshing.

The kids got souvenirs in the gift shop (a book of North Carolina ghost stories for Kelly, a WWII aircraft poster for Sean; I don't remember what Samantha got) and then after touring the fort (which Charlie, the kids and I had done once before several years ago), we went to Wilmington. We wanted to ride the horse-drawn trolley, another favorite activity of ours when we're in the area, but it was 3:20 and the next trolley wasn't coming around for another 40 minutes. We still had to take Samantha to her dad's house in Cary, pick up Milo from Samantha's dad's house, get something to eat and come home. So, unfortunately, we didn't have time for the trolley. :-(

I took a few pictures of the battleship and then we left.

We brought Samantha home, got Milo, ate at the Red Robin in Durham and then it was home sweet home. It was so good to see my furry babies and to sleep in my comfortable bed. The one at the hotel was too firm and my back hurt the whole time we were on vacation.

Over the next few days, I got our bags unpacked and all the laundry done and put away. Life has gone back to normal with homeschool and my other responsibilities and Charlie is, of course, back at work. Though he misses Southport and already wishes we were there again. Hopefully we can visit there again in May.

Father/Son Football

Sean in the blue shorts and white shirt (closest to camera). Charlie in the blue shirt.

This past Saturday was the father/son flag football game. (Homeschool football.) Charlie and Sean's team won 14 to 7. They were hot, sweaty, and sunburned (especially Sean) after the game, but had a lot of fun and were glad that they were able to participate.

Speaking of homeschool, things are going well for the most part. We're still figuring some things out, but it's not at all too frustrating or too difficult to handle. They say the first year is the hardest, so I don't expect things to be exactly how they should be just yet. Especially not after one week. Despite the mistakes, corrections and adjustments, which haven't been numerous, I'm not discouraged in the least and my kids are still happy to be homeschooled. I hope they continue to feel that way. :-)