I had a lot of jobs in my teens — lifeguard, swimming instructor, Swiss Colony cheese pusher, factory worker (two days) — but, mostly, I babysat. I had a regular gig my first two years in college, sitting with the precocious daughter of a journalism prof. When she was awake, I was expected (quite rightly) to play with her. And I did. We read books, we took walks. But when I was very, very tired, as college students often seem to be, we played a game called Sleeping Monsters. I was the mother monster, whose job was to lie on the sofa. My charge was the baby monster, who ventured to the edge of our cave and reported back excitedly that people were outside, looking for us. “Shhh, baby monster,” I would say. “Let’s lie quietly until they go away.”
Hey, last I heard, my young charge graduated from Penn with honors, so I clearly didn’t do any lasting damage.
And now it’s time to play again, for real. At least for a little while. Yep, my arm hurts. Again. It’s been hurting off and on for about two months. Roughly, I figured out, since I purchased a new computer and got wireless. I had clung to dial-up for years, on the very correct assumption that I spent less time on line. But now, with wireless, it’s just too darn easy. And fast! So even if I limit myself to an hour at a time, there are so many more clicks, so much more mouse hand. Granted, I can move the mouse to my left side, but all that’s going to do is allow my left arm to reach the pain level in my right arm.
Now, my arm doesn’t hurt most of the time. It does, however, have moments of stabbing pain every now and then. Trying to open the dryer door, for example. I ended up on the laundry room floor, almost in tears, when my hand slipped and my arm snapped back. Things like that. I screamed in yoga class last week, which seriously harshed everybody’s mellow. Now I wear one of those rubber bracelets — not a yellow BE STRONG, but a red HOTEL MONTELEONE — to remind me to use my left arm when possible, especially when opening doors.
You might ask now: Laura, why are you typing? Because typing’s okay. It’s mousing, I think, that caused my old nemesis to resurface. So I have to pull back from the Internet for a while, limit my online activity to what is strictly necessary. Which means less activity here.
Of course, the upside is that I’m reading so much more. I’m on my fourth novel (Intuition) this week, having already read The Tenth Circle, The Blonde and The Grave Tattoo. And, again, writing doesn’t hurt. Lots of pauses and my set-up is ergonomically sound.
[A brief tanget about The Blonde and The Grave Tattoo. They are two of the best books I've ever read, in totally different ways. Coming soon to a bookstore near you.]
So as I disappear for a while, good thoughts to all of you. And if I’m a little slower on the e-mail reply, bear with me. Also, some random comments to those with blogs I used to read regularly, but will now have to go cold turkey on.
John R.: You are clearly unique in not lying about your height, a problem endemic among men under five-foot-nine. I know this because I am exactly five-foot-nine and I am always meeting men who insist that I am five-foot-ten or five-foot-eleven because THEY are five-foot-nine.
Bryon and Dave W.: You ony have to be right once. Bryon, ask Dave for the full story behind this.
Joe W.: I’m so proud of you!
Jim W: The Storm will pass.
Cornelia: Knock ‘em dead.
Annie: I’m coming to the Skokie library. Details tk.
Bianca: I’ll be signing in Rehoboth and Bethany, too. Again, details tk.
Nancy N.: I’ll use one of my rationed clicks to read the Nall files once a week.
Duane: Would it kill you not to write such a good book?
Christin: Are you sure you want to take the rap for being Duane’s wardrobe consultant?
Sarah: I don’t about you, but I’m so glad that ITW was formed. At last, male writers are getting some recognition.
Barbara: Keep keeping me honest. Or, at the very least, less typo challenged.
Keith: Keep me in the loop.
Everyone else: Keep writing and reading and remembering. I’ll try to update this site every 2-4 weeks. But I’ll otherwise be missing. No more Mystery Circus for me. No popping up in Sarah’s comments section.
Now, back to reading.
xxoo, ll
Bummer. Big, bad bummer. Fingers crossed that you find a solution that will allow you to come back soon…..
Ditto on the “nooooo!!!”s above but ending up on the laundry room floor in pain when just trying to open the dryer door is a really bad thing. I second the suggestion above about a different mouse (for those times when you simply must click; your plan of severely cutting back on clicking is really the best way to recover and to avoid further harm). I have co-workers who swear by trackball mice (mouses??) such as the TrackmanWheel by logitech. Also, have you considered a physical therapy hand specialist? It is truly amazing what a physical therapist who knows what he or she is doing can fix!
(Of course, my sincere belief in the PT recommendation is a sign of aging. I met a friend for a drink after work last Thursday and as we were sitting there comparing the wonders of our respective physical therapists she observed, “Do you remember when we used to come to bars and talk about sex and shoes?”) *sigh*
Laura, it’s very sad about your boo boo. Hope things improve for you soon. I’ll look forward to your next posting whenever that happens to be. Good Luck!
Because it sounds too dangerous, I’d say stop doing laundry–you did say you sometimes write dirty. Do it all dirty. What the heck.
Good luck and hope you heal quickly.
OH NO!!! What else is there to say other than “good luck and get well soon”? You will be missed. I look forward to seeing you in Rehobeth or Bethany! Keep me posted. Take Care
Laura, because of arthritis, I’ve trained other fingers, including the little finger,to share the clicking. (I can do the alarm keypad and assorted remotes that way, also.) The cordless mice that allow you to scroll also spread the action around, and I love my new laser mouse. Have you checked to see if your mouse might be set rather high, causing you to have to press harder than might be necessary?
I haven’t found that my left hand gets as sore as the right but it can learn to do more. Good luck with healing.
We will all miss you but wish you well!
Barbara
Enloopiation: Check.
My sympathies, Laura. I’ve got tendonitis in my left hand and typing with a splint is a bitch.
Oh noooooooo!!! Have you thought about getting a different mouse? I was having gnarly index-finger-shooting-pain with the Mac one, and switched to a trackball thing that I click with my thumb, and it’s way better.
Of course, I then couldn’t/didn’t have a good reason to wean myself from the internet, so there’s THAT.
And THANK YOU for the “knock ‘em dead”!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Ditto on the ‘you’ll be missed’ sentiment. But healthy arms trump the Internet every time.
Oh, thank God. Now I don’t have to talk about how much I like your stuff anymore. I can finally move on to my rants of appreciation for V.C. Andrews.
Man, you had to group me and Bryon together… ouch…
Oh sweetie, do I sympathize. I just recently had shot #2 in my shoulder for bursitis – which is so stupid and annoying as it seems to be from overusing a cane. Sucks. And shows up doing trivial things – yeah, the pits. But it worked – mostly – because i may also have a rotator cuff problem. I know, there goes the pitching career.
Resting stuff DOES works so yeah, as frustrating as it is, DO let it calm down and see if it will help. and if not Ahem, SEE a doctor. don’t tough it out for too long. Sometimes they can say “oh, it’s THIS” and deal with it quickly.
Think ice, think restful thoughts. And think of Maestro James Levine who fell and hurt his rigt shoulder so he hasto have surgery and has to take the rest of his season off, while other conductors fill in at the symphony. You’re in chi-chi company.
Get a laptop with a trackpad. But I’m no doctor. Rest sounds like the way to go. It’ll also reduce the static that too much internet exposure leads to. I’m sorta envious, actually.
Oh, bummer.. we’ll miss you, LL. But resting your hand/arm is the right thing to do now. Before you start clicking the mouse again, you might look into the foamy pads out there that support your wrist/hand while clicking. It’s in the angle. My super orthopedist recommended this, and it did the trick, at least for me. Most PT places do have hand/wrist specialists who can oftentimes work magic and teach you some new tricks, and there are certain gentle strengthening exercises that help too. Take good care, rest your arm, and see you in Skokie, for sure. Mmmm, ice cream …
I knew, I just KNEW Dave White would have an issue with being “grouped”. Goodness gracious.
Laura, feel better. It seems the world is in hiding for medical reasons right now. And as far as Duane’s wardrobe goes…didn’t you enjoy the hot pink oxford I paired with his green and yellow striped trousers? I thought it worked. All he needed was perhaps a madras hat…to really polish it off. maybe some suspenders.
I only wear that pink oxford to important meetings, Christin. You know that.
But let me repeat the chorus of “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” This is like our cool big sister going off to college. It sucks, and it’s not fair.
(Can I have your room?)