So…. hubby and I been planning on a picnic on Daytona Beach, then home, you know, a day trip. Well, it’s 3 pm Saturday afternoon, and we’re on the way to Daytona Beach…..
We woke up at 8,intending to leave at 10, but I was doubtful since we didn’t get anything ready the night before.
Friday night pre therapy we were planning on dinner and a movie, then pack for our picnic cooler.
What had happened was……
I had physical therapy at 3:45, so I took a shower in the morning and wore a “‘cute” outfit to therapy.
Would have been wearing makeup, if ma wasn’t rushing me just to get to the hospital early at 2!
My appointment wasn’t till 3:45, with Jay the therapist who recommended I get a knee cage.
Well, none of her patients no showed, so she wasn’t able to see me earlier. But, guess who had a gap in his schedule?
It was Daniel, the therapist who did my initial evalu. He read ’23 return to physical therapy and modified my care plan to cover my goals so that floor transfers AND dancing are included! BTW Daniel is Cuban. I wonder if he can salsa? I’ll ask him.
We started our appointment with walking a lap around the gym with the rollator AND knee cage. I haven’t had such a comfortable walk in God knows.
Jay was right! The knee cage does help my foot land more flat or dare I say properly, opposed to on my heel.
After I walked around the gym and got to the start/stop, did a 180° and sat on the rollator till our next activity (review home program). When Daniel said “‘okay, let’s go to the bars.” I stood up, did my 180° and started walking. This made ma make a commitment on how I was “walking around like it was nobody’s business” which made me give her a smart ass reply that she loved. “How else will I get there?” as I turned to walk away.
I got in between the parallel bars and attempted to march in place. Well, I’m not able to! I explained to Daniel it felt like my knee extenders/quads were overpowering my knee flexor/hip and that was why I couldn’t get my knee to bend.
Daniel said, “To the mat.” I can march when I’m lying on my back. So I’ll march when I’m laying down, to strength my hip 😁.
We spent close to an hour working on mat exercises.
I was beat when I got home, so I told Dom “‘going to the movies will be a waste cause I’m going to fall asleep. Not paying to nap, let’s grab something and stream.”
He was looking forward to going out, so we comprised and went to eat at a sit-down restaurant and crashed.
There was no beach prep, asides from an additional shower, I forgot to shave my bikini line 😬, then I crashed, for real….I sat on the bed (big mistake) and next thing I know it’s 4am and I’m freakin out, cause I didn’t do my bedtime routine (cone of indica, brush teeth, exfoliate lips, put on night cream, pee and put on leakproof underwear). As I’m trying to get up in a rush I wake Dom. He gets up to give me a hand. As I was peeing, I asked Dom if he got anything ready for our picnic, he didn’t….. I started my bedtime routine by the time I got back on the toilet I was ready to say fuck the budget I’m finding a room on the beach, knowing us we won’t be ready to leave the house till after noon, then on the highway by 2 (had multiplestops, my parents, Trulieve, Walmart, and Waw), which would make us arrive in Daytons close to 4.
So, no fuck the budget, respect the budget and find a room in Daytona (beach isn’t a necessity). I found an accessible room across the street from The Speedway, we’ll picnic Sunday.
We got to Daytona after 4, and went straight to our “accessible” room at a Quality Inn. I used the quotations cause there were no grab bars beside the toilet! This made me realize how pathetic my sit to stands are! Nose over toes to stand up, but it’s also nose over toes to face plant.
I did that before! Yea I freaking face planted on The House of Blues bathroom floor, no I wasn’t sober. It was at a Ginuwine concert I was nursing a broken heart, my friend knew that and made sure my cup was never empty.
Long story short, this was the first time I DRANK since I was disabled, I pissed myself, then faceplanted at a Ginuwine concert. Yes, he’s still fine. I missed him performing Differences!
Back to Saturday night and the not so accessible bathroom……
I was able to independently get on and off the toilet when I was at 100, middle of the night I don’t trust nose over toes, Dom was aware, so we continued to unpack/sanitize the room. No, not solely for covid. We’ve had our hotel room sanitizing routine in place since 2018.
Anyway, after we’ve finished, I put on my bathing suite, Dom oiled me up (Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning Oil) to go to the pool I imagined our hotel had to sun bath. We forgot my float, so there not being a pool wasn’t too much of a disappointment.
After the lady at the front desk informed us that there wasn’t a pool, we headed back in our room making a pit stop for a took.
While I was smoking Dom and I are planning our evening, and going over what bars we saw close to the hotel……
Dom “I’ve never been to WingHouse.” I’m thinking they usually have drink specials 🤔. It slipped my mind that I’m on ass level, and they walk those boy shorts that are smaller than most of my panties (married almost two years….) So, of course, my lack of tone is foremost on my mind, so I’m going to talk about it. Who knew Dom could fsil so terribly at trying to comfort me? “These girls are on another level. They probably train with a trainer.” I train with professional therapists! Not helping yourself! I give him a look like sure and say, or they’re young and blessed. To which he replied, “Ask them their gym routine.” This is what I did. Our server had a pear shape and it was clear she was blessed, she was the only server I had a ‘relationship’ I don’t need to explain why I didn’t approach a stranger with my shape with “you have to share some diet and exercise advice”
Kaytlyn (our server with a pear shape and a booty) response of “I’ve been blessed I eat too much and God sends it where it needs to be, but I do have to work,” and she points to her tummy….. I roll my eyes, thinking what now big boy. She shows me an isometric exercise that I also do. We pay our bill with me mentally claiming my bed. That commitment almost bought Mr. Ramos his own bed, we had a room with 2 queens.
Lucky him, I can’t sleep without my big spoon keeping me warm. Yeah, I’m an icicle year round.
Sunday morning, we almost missed breakfast! So much for going to the beach early we were parking on the beach at noon, Dom parked, I lite up and took a few hits of I-10.
By close to 12:30 I had my knee cage and pool shoes on (cage is quick and some whst easy to put on one handed, shoes on the other hand are tight, so a bitch to put on, and I knew if my foot swell anymore there would be no getting that shoe on, without lube.)
And that’s what it did. SoB ballooned. I walked across the ‘street’ and plopped my happy ass down on the beach chair. I not only have a hard time getting up, going down is kinda like falling….. I have close to no control over low descents. I think this may be/probably is from weakness, and I need to get back in the gym, for real.
After plop, I take off my shoes and knee cage. (Blanca here, tan lines happen fast, and they stand out.) And adjust for my 20 minutes of direct sunlight. As I mentioned before I’m fair (blanca), so there’s a science behind getting brown and not burnt.
After the 20 minutes, Dom put up the umbrella, I was fully under the shade, or so I thought. Y’all won’t believe this, I have one little red spot on my right boob. The rest of me has a nilce tan building. I get dark. I haven’t been really dark since I was a kid, but I can get brown.
By the time Dom had enough two hours had passed and even though I had it elevated on the cooler there was no way I was getting my show on, so I told Dom bring the car closer knowing I can manage a short walk barefoot.
I took a step, and “papi, I forgot to put on my cage, help.” and Dom put on my knee cage. That was some scary shit. I had to stand steady on sand, holding a cane while I had Dom messing with my left knee.
People were watching, believe it or not the owner of the truck that was blasting the country and classic rock with a rebel flag hanging off its rear view mirror, actually offered assistance.
Come to think of it, I can’t think of a negative reaction THIS relationship has received. Dom gets nods of respect, I get cheers of encouragement, and it seems people don’t see our race. All they see is how love works…… how it should be.