Check out this photo of me and my parents. We’d just finished up an excellent lunch and wine tasting at Stable Rock Winery & Distillery in Jefferson last Friday and had half a day of exploration left.
Looks perfectly innocent, right? Approximately 60 seconds after Tara took this pic, I stepped off a curb because I was gawking at the scenery and rolled my left ankle. My foot swiveled to the inside at a 90-degree angle before popping back into place.
The pain, of course, was immediate. There were a terrible few seconds when I had no idea how much damage I had done. Rather than collapse into a sobbing heap in the parking lot like I wanted to — I’ve got an image to uphold, yo — I figured the best thing to do was to walk it off.
Walking it off probably isn’t the best thing to do, but I figured if I kept moving, I could will the joints and ligaments back into place and prevent a serious sprain.
I’m very good at manifesting, remember?
Fortunately, my ankle wasn’t broken. It swelled up and was sore for a couple of days, but I kept it iced and elevated when we weren’t running all over southern Wisconsin showing my folks around, and within a couple of days, was back to normal. I skipped my usual walk on Saturday, but was right back at it the next day and haven’t stopped since.
Figuratively speaking. I’m not walking 24/7.
Good thing too, as I’m still in between health insurance policies. I shudder to think how much money a broken ankle might have set me back.
About that lunch. We ordered a charcuterie board that was advertised as having a “massive assortment of German deliciousness” and served four. It included four different types of bratwurst, cheese, pickles, sauerkraut, potatoes, pickled red cabbage, and a Bavarian pretzel that was as big as my head. When they brought over the platter, we wondered out loud, how are we going to eat all that food?! Thirty minutes later, it was obvious that wasn’t an issue.
My parents are due to land in Portland any moment now, after leaving Madison very early this morning and flying to Dallas first. It’s always weird when you have houseguests for several days and then suddenly they’re gone. Even though they stayed in a hotel down the street and we were on our own most days from mid-evening to late morning, I can feel the void created by their absence.
It was a nice visit. I am certain of two things:
- They were charmed by Fort Atkinson
- They will not be visiting in the winter
Something to do with snow and cold. Whatevs! Some of us live for that stuff. I pointed out to my dad that at least there wouldn’t be any mosquitoes or humidity to contend with in December, but he was having none of that.
There were a few highlights of their visit. My dad wanted to check out the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, one of only a handful of admission-free, community-supported zoos across the country. I don’t want to get into a debate over the ethics of caging animals; it was a fun way to kill a few hours, and for a free zoo, there was an impressive selection of exhibits. Even flamingos, which as you’re probably aware, I have a bit of an obsession with. And a red panda, which I had never seen before.
They also enjoyed the traditional Friday fish fry at a window-side table overlooking the Rock River in Fort Atkinson, and the Thai Pavilion at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and the fresh apple cider doughnuts at Ski-Hi Fruit Farm in Baraboo. Not to mention all the fall colors that are really beginning to pop.
It was a great visit and the weather was perfect. A little chilly in the mornings, but sunny and about 65-70º each afternoon.
Next year’s pretty far away. I wonder if I can tempt my parents back in the dead of winter with the promise of another giant pretzel?
Mark My Words 
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