230 POUNDS OF FLYING FLESH
SAILING THROUGH THE AIR,
ENDING IN A CRUMPLED HEAP
ON THE RAMP TO THE
VICTORIA CLIPPER CATAMARAN
PASSENGER FERRY. BETWEEN SEATTLE WASHINGTON AND VICTORIA BC , CANADA
TODAY'S POSTING IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE COLORS BLACK AND BLUE!
TODAY'S POSTING IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE COLORS BLACK AND BLUE!
AFTER WHAT I FELT WAS ONE OF THE BEST NCECA CONFERENCES IN YEARS, I'm not sure just how safely I got home, but I did get home. On Sunday morning at 6.30 I left the hotel for the Victoria Clipper dock for the 8a.m. departure. It was freezing cold and blowing a gale. I got my boarding pass and proceeded through customs and immigration and on down to the departure lounge. These days when I travel, I ALWAYS GO AS A PREBOARD AS I AM SLOW ON THE RAMP. I HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE QUITE ACCIDENT PRONE AS WELL
I was moving gently through the crowd to get to the front of the line and the area reserved for the aged, decrepit and easily unbalanced on their pins. A young woman with a toddler in a push-chair pushed me from behind with the chair, caught me in the ankle and sent me flying in a heap down the ramp in a painful, crumpled mess, face down at the bottom. Forfunately, there was no blood spilled and I didn't break anything as my hands sprang to protect face and head. I have some very painful and swollen fingers, black and blue chin and muscles down the back and shoulders - just what I needed when I planned to try and get back to my studio after six months absence due to another fall! A crowd of people helped me up and sat me down. Once I had determined that nothing serious was wrong except bumps and bruises and bruised ego, I moved slowly to the front of the line. The young woman with the push-chair and toddler was no longer to be seen. It could have been much more serious. I smashed my spectacles frames, but fortunately not the lenses - the second pair in a week!
When they opened the final set of doors to the open air, we were almost blown back into the building that we were leaving. Once the windblasted passengers were all aboard and stoked up with seasickness pills, we left the dock for open and very angry water. The boat crept along being buffeted by 90 mph winds and just about made it down the final ramp and on to the boat. I had managed to be the first one on board, found a seniors' sitting area took a couple of seasickness pills and fell asleep. The ferry ride was just on twice the usual time because of the winds. It normally takes 2 hours and 45 minutes and when the weather is fine is a beautiful ride up the Washington coast with snowcapped mountains.
Miraculously the weather changed to fine and sunny for the last half hour along the Vancouver Island coastline and we pulled in to the harbor with little inclement weather to be seen. I was about the last off the boat and through the Customs and Immigration. My wife Judi was waiting to take me home. Bliss at last. I had hoped that the fall might have reversed my non-stop headaches but no such luck, and today started the 27th week of them. I spent most of the day in hospital trying to find out the causes of the various problems that have kept me out of action. My medical tests continue tomorrow, so I'm hoping that I might be coming close to a solution of the bug that has been sapping my energy for a year now. I was hoping to have a posting on the K - 12 Exhibition from NCECA today, but spent the day undergoing tests instead. I will try to get at it tomorrow for the posting on Friday. I will leave you with a couple of images of student work.
Must hit the sack now, Best wishes, Robin
I was moving gently through the crowd to get to the front of the line and the area reserved for the aged, decrepit and easily unbalanced on their pins. A young woman with a toddler in a push-chair pushed me from behind with the chair, caught me in the ankle and sent me flying in a heap down the ramp in a painful, crumpled mess, face down at the bottom. Forfunately, there was no blood spilled and I didn't break anything as my hands sprang to protect face and head. I have some very painful and swollen fingers, black and blue chin and muscles down the back and shoulders - just what I needed when I planned to try and get back to my studio after six months absence due to another fall! A crowd of people helped me up and sat me down. Once I had determined that nothing serious was wrong except bumps and bruises and bruised ego, I moved slowly to the front of the line. The young woman with the push-chair and toddler was no longer to be seen. It could have been much more serious. I smashed my spectacles frames, but fortunately not the lenses - the second pair in a week!
When they opened the final set of doors to the open air, we were almost blown back into the building that we were leaving. Once the windblasted passengers were all aboard and stoked up with seasickness pills, we left the dock for open and very angry water. The boat crept along being buffeted by 90 mph winds and just about made it down the final ramp and on to the boat. I had managed to be the first one on board, found a seniors' sitting area took a couple of seasickness pills and fell asleep. The ferry ride was just on twice the usual time because of the winds. It normally takes 2 hours and 45 minutes and when the weather is fine is a beautiful ride up the Washington coast with snowcapped mountains.
Miraculously the weather changed to fine and sunny for the last half hour along the Vancouver Island coastline and we pulled in to the harbor with little inclement weather to be seen. I was about the last off the boat and through the Customs and Immigration. My wife Judi was waiting to take me home. Bliss at last. I had hoped that the fall might have reversed my non-stop headaches but no such luck, and today started the 27th week of them. I spent most of the day in hospital trying to find out the causes of the various problems that have kept me out of action. My medical tests continue tomorrow, so I'm hoping that I might be coming close to a solution of the bug that has been sapping my energy for a year now. I was hoping to have a posting on the K - 12 Exhibition from NCECA today, but spent the day undergoing tests instead. I will try to get at it tomorrow for the posting on Friday. I will leave you with a couple of images of student work.
GARRETT WATAMULL - TEXAS - GRADE 12 - "DAYTRIPPER"
REID BURCH - OREGON - GRADE 12 - "DOUBLE DONUT"
Must hit the sack now, Best wishes, Robin
I'm so sorry to hear of your fall and the unhappy results. (People with shopping carts seem to be my particular bete noir)
ReplyDeleteI hope your troubles are soon diagnosed. I am assuming that you have been tested for Lyme?
I look forward to all your posts. I was never able to do any sort of workshop with you so this is the nest best thing!
THANKS A LOT SMART CAT. I DECIDED TO DO THE BLOG AS I CAN NO LONGER DO WORKSHOPS. I WAS HOPING TO MAKE IT TO A LIFETIME TOTAL OF 200 IN CONJUNCTION WITH MY 75TH BIRTHDAY IN 2 YEARS IN 2014. BUT I WAS FORCED TO QUIT AFTER #189 AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE, IN CANADA. MY BODY TOLD ME IT HAD HAD ENOUGH AND MY DOCTOR TOOK ME OFF THE ROAD. MY WIFE BREATHED A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF. I LOVE TEACHING OUTSIDE OF ACADEMIA AND I STILL HAVE MUCH TO GIVE THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO MY BOOKS, SO I CAN DO IT THIS WAY. FORTUNATELY THE MIND IS STILL FAIRLY STRONG WHERE THE BODY HAS WEAKENED.
ReplyDeleteBEST WISHES TO ALL MY READERS AND SUPPORTERS AROUND THE WORLD. ROBIN.
PS. IT IS NOT LYME DISEASE
That's a terrible way to leave Seattle...and I do hope your tests are conclusive, and whatever is going on is easily treatable. The pots from 12th graders are super! I can imagine what the pros must have done!
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to your post on the K-12 exhibit, Robin. I was blown away by it, so much so that I forgot to take photos. Sending healing thoughts your way! Owen
ReplyDeleteThank you for the fantastic photos! I hope the medical tests reveal the source of the problems that you are suffering from. My prayer for you is that you will be diagnosed, treated and able to complete those 11 workshops! I will be sure to be at one of them! Warmest get well wishes to you. Pam
ReplyDelete