Stitches Out!

The good news is that I'm no longer dependent on surgical thread to hold my ear skin in place.

The bad news is that it hasn't quite healed enough for swimming. I am completely bummed out about this, because I was really looking forward to getting back in the pool. Oh well, at least the healing process is proceeding as the doctor expected. It's unfortunate that I've been unable to will myself to heal faster than normal humans. I had assumed I'd be able to.

The fact that the healing is not quite complete means that I also must continue to walk around with bandages affixed to my otherwise flawless head. Whether this is good or bad is not for me to judge; I'm not required to look at myself very often. But of course, it does mean that I'll continue to face the challenges presented by poor eyesight and bad mirror-image hand-eye coordination in applying new dressings to the wound. This photo represents the work of a professional nurse; my bandage applications tend to be somewhat less harmonious.

As of this morning, it appears that the swim team remains divided down the middle in their opinion toward having me as a deck coach. Half of them like the fact that I'm easier to hear, can pay more attention to each swimmer, and am more likely to suggest sets that contain butterfly (since I presently don't have to perform the stroke myself.) The other half of the group has expressed their annoyance with my "infernal crabbiness" (which is another way of saying that they don't appreciate being held accountable for legal strokes and appropriate lane etiquette.) I would never accuse any of the Foothills Masters swimmers of being slackers and/or cheaters, but I must confess that there are times when I feel myself channeling my inner Strickland.

Does this mean that I'll be able to remain committed to my running program, since I can't yet engage in aquatic exercise? Perhaps. But on the other hand, it is supposed to snow tonight, and I'm not certain I've made the mental transition to cold-weather athletics yet. We'll see.

In the meantime, here's a simple puzzle for you. This graphic represents a well-known actor whose talents have been critical to the success of some of the world's most popular movies. Who is this mystery performer? (World Series Hint: This person has appeared in at least a couple of well-known baseball movies, too. Extra credit if you can name those films.)



Good luck, and have a great day!