Friday, July 27, 2007

Occupational Hazards of Cooking

We all know the dangers that lurk in the kitchen... sharp knives (or blunt knives that can cause the worst cuts), hot pots and pans, boiling liquids, keeping kids out from underfoot... and yeah, having chocolate in arm's reach!

But, have you ever heard of straining ligaments from loading the dishwasher? Well, now you have! Perhaps it's a message that I've been spending all too much time in the kitchen. Perhaps it's some universe message to reinforce my husband's continual suggestions to "relax". Or maybe, just maybe... I'm a little klutzy!

I was just going about my regular after-dinner routine, washing up dishes, and I felt a strange pull in my foot. It hurt, but not too bad so I kept going about my business. Then, as I was twisting back and forth to load dishes, I noticed it hurt more and more. I joked with my husband and sat down to give it a break. Within the hour, it was so painful I couldn't rotate or otherwise move my foot and no position sitting made it better. I was trying to edit (since I got the design edits back and needed to return them asap), but couldn't even focus on the papers it hurt so much. Hubby said "should we get you to the doctor or hospital?". He said he thought I would scoff at him, but I quickly said "yeah, let's go".
So, we went over to the hospital, which is close by, and he had to carry me to the car and into the hospital!! Can you believe that? When the triage nurse asked me if I fell and twisted it, I said "I wish I had a good story, but I hurt it while doing the dishes". How embarrassing!! Gah! We saw the doctor pretty quick, and hubby said with a determined tone "this is unusual, because Dreena has a very high tolerance for pain" (was he thinking about two natural childbirths? I think so... I certainly remind him enough times any given week).
After all was said and done (and the pain medication had kicked in), the doctor explained that I somehow traumatized my ankle area - not like a typical sprain, but something called a "pivotal trauma". He said that it was fairly odd to have that kind of trauma, and I said "I'm a complex gal!" So, I'm thinking all those months/years of mucking in the kitchen, twisting and quickly stepping about (without decent footwear: my bad!), took it's toll that night. I'm doing okay now, but I spent a day on my butt pretty much - editing. Editing, editing, editing. But yay, the book is going to print very soon now!

So, that's where I've been the last couple of days. I felt so badly for hubby, trying to cook and keep up with everything. Our older girl said that night "I guess we'll be having a lot of macaroni these days". Hee hee. He made grilled cheese for lunch that next day - poor thing, took him about an hour. Then we ordered pizza for dinner and he made a salad. He said "arrggh, it's taken me about 45 minutes to make a salad". I consoled him with the thought that if I had to go downtown to his office and do his job, it would take me forever to get the swing of things (and I probably never would!), so I don't expect him to be efficient at what I've been doing as a mom for 6+ years.

Our girls were so concerned and sweet through it all. Our older girl said "mom, why is your foot sore... because those things happen when you get old?" Ha! Well, that wasn't exactly the 'sweet' part, but they were very endearing with their concern.

But it's amazing how much better I am already. Just wrapped my ankle, and wednesday spent most of the day on the couch editing, then yesterday I hobbled around some, and today I have most of the mobility back and can walk around fairly well. Still not jumping on the mini-tramp, but doing pretty fine. I think I'll be back to my multi-tasking self in just another day or two!

With all that, do I have any foodie goods? Well, I do have to show you this adorable pic of zucchini from last week's farmers' market:


I buy organic produce from this stall all the time, and when I saw the zukes and yellow squash, I said "how cool, look at these". The vendor said "yeah, we've had lots of those this year", and she called them twin zucchini! Love that. But, she said that no one wanted to buy them.

Why? Because they aren't 'perfect' looking? Do other folks think they have some strange genetic modification? It's a local organics stand for goodness sake, people! Besides, how else can you get snow people in the summer...
:)

Have a great weekend guys, and don't forget to vote if you haven't yet (do I get your sympathy vote after this post?) - Kiiiidding!

17 comments:

erica said...

I love those twincchinis (I haven't had them before, but I like them just the same).

Hope you're all healed soon, mend quick, or there won't be enough macaronis left for necklaces!

Anonymous said...

You poor thing!! I hope your ankle get's 100% better in no time :] That's so funny that it took your hubby 45 mins to make a salad...it takes Matt about 30 mins to make himself a veggie burger (a premade frozen one)! heehee

laura k said...

Oh, those zukes are too cute!

More importantly, I'm glad your foot is healing nicely, and I'm wishing you 100% recovery ASAP!! I better watch out--if there's a way to hurt yourself, I'll figure out how to do it. Thanks for the heads-up! :)

Take care.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

oh my goodness, I had no idea you were enduring so much pain, as we were emailing back and forth!! please get better soon - I hope your suffering is short-lived! :0(

those zucchini squash are too cute - it seems like a lot of fruits and vegetables have been "siamese twins" this season (I've had twin bell peppers and cherries - so bizarre, but very cool, haha)

Anonymous said...

I love it when veggies or fruit produce quirky and odd mutations. It only makes me want to buy them that much more.

I hope you're feeling better soon. At least your hubs is attempting to cook. If I couldn't cook my hubs would be making cold cereal and pb&j's.

aimee said...

Glad yo hear you're on the mend, Dreena. Youch, it's always the little things that do us in!
I love "twin" fruit & veg. I look for them to share with my sister (my twin!!) when I go to the farmer's market! We find tomatoes, but I've never seen zucchini!
Aimee

hyphen_helena said...

Oh no! I actually think hurting yourself doing dishes makes a better story! It's original! :) Hope you feel better soon!

Sheree' said...

I have to say, your "snow people" in the summer are so cute. I would have bought them just because of the uniqueness of them. I love them!

I am so sorry about your bum ankle, but am glad it was not a torn tendon, which take forever to heal.

Can't wait for your new book! How exciting!! Hope your back on your feet soon and doing what you love, cooking!

I Am Gluten Free said...

Can't wait for the new book! Congratulations (in advance). I voted for you (fave author and fave website) - it's so easy - I would encourage everyone to do it -took about 2 minutes. Gives us a chance to have a voice!

Everyday Superhero said...

How romantic -- your hubby carrying you. :-) Get better soon. I think the ankle pain is a way of your body trying to tell you to take it easy.

Dreena said...

Funny, Erica! I think I'll stock up on macaroni for the future.

Thanks Julie, ha, that's just as bad I think... have we created our own problem by doing all the cooking?! Most likely. :)

Hiya Laura... a fellow klutz? I'm in good company anyhow. I'm doing much better, thanks.

Veggiegirl, sitting on my butt at the computer was one thing I *could* do... it was just getting there! I haven't seen twin peppers - that would be cool too - have seen the cherries. It's all fun! I'm such a food geek!

Hey Vivacious, it's nice to hear from you again. :0) Also nice to hear that it's not just my hubby. He can go through a lot of cold cereal and nut butter toast too...

Hi Aimee, that's so precious, that you share them with your twin!! Do you look much alike? Were you dressed the same as kids? I'm sure you get those questions all the time... lately our older daughter is fascinated with 'twins' and wants to do anything she can to be a twin with her lil sister!

Hyphen_helena, I love that angle. I'll use it! :)

Veg-A-Nut, I'm very lucky it healed as quicly as it has. I just have to watch out a little now I think. But I'm not a sit-back kind of person, so even a day or two of not keeping on top of stuff was hard!! Thanks for your well wishes. :)

Hi again Ellen! Thank you... very much... and yeah, it is a short survey. Fun to go through too, sometimes you see a brand of something or website or something you didn't even know about!

Hey Veggie Vixen... in form of storytelling it's fashion, though at the time trying to get the kids in the car and him drop me off without leaving the kids... not all that romantic! More rushed and scattered. :) I hear you, I need to practice what I preach, but that easier said than done as a mom, right?

Teresa said...

Oh No Dreena! I think that this is definitely a sign that you need to start listening to your husband and relax! Dreena pampering day, sans kids or anything kitchen related, is long overdue. I hope that your husband finds time to give you a good massage, among all the time it takes him to make salads and macaroni! Continue feeling better, and don't worry I'm probably a bigger klutz than you!

Those twin zukes and squash are so fun! I hate how commercial supermarkets and such have caused people to only accept produce that is of a perfect shape with absolutely no sign of any slight blemishes. Personally, that just screams unnatural and pumped with lots of hormones/steroids/nasty chemicals... I like produce with character that is natural and unique! (Did you know that Whole Foods actually has standards for the size of their produce? I recently visited an organic farm and they told us a lot of their strawberries are rejected from WFM.)

-Teresa

Anonymous said...

lol @ paul!! and at C's comment to u!! hope ur feeling better now...! how is it we do these things? I can bruise myself if I think hard enough on a spot! Good think we were never into sports much.

I love those zukes!! they are so funky lookin! it's a sin that no one wanted them. now i'm kind of sad.

bazu said...

Oh that is so awful about your injury! I hope you are healing completely and are feeling better, Dreena!
And those zucchini are so adorable. I have a soft spot in my heart for "weird" produce that noone else seems to want. I never understand it- people put the weirdest crap in their bodies, but they want their produce to look picture-perfect. Whatever!

Anonymous said...

got well soon!

Anonymous said...

I recently found your blog and its great! I love summer veggies...even the weird ones. Have you ever gotten curly okra? I like to grill them. Hope your ankle is feeling better :) From a fellow barefooter in the kitchen :)
Cristina

Rajitha said...

those squashes look adorable. I hope i am able to find some like this when i go to my farmers market.