Five-Star Disability

This day was an adventure!  And today, I’m in pain!

The morning and afternoon were, to me, boring.  My wife and two kids, Mum, and Mom in law were happily doing fun and wonderful things.  But if you were to look in the dictionary for ennui, you’d come across my picture.  I was restless because I wanted to explore my new (old) hometown of Vancouver!

As you know, my family moved back to Port Moody, BC, after living in Ontario, for 13 years.  It is good to be home!

Anyways, yesterday afternoon I really wanted to get out of the house.  My goal was to ride the Canada Line skytrain, which was built in 2009 for the Vancouver Olympics.  I had ridden it once in 2012 with a good friend.  We took it from the terminal station, Waterfront and went to Richmond, almost to the end of the line.  Beautiful ride!  Yet, yesterday I wanted to get the Canada Line from Broadway and then go to Waterfront, stopping in Yaletown to have a look around.   Sort of a round trip back to Waterfront.

I did not research the stations or the route of the Canada Line, but I knew there is a station somewhere on Broadway and I surmised the station would be at Granville and Broadway.  I thought this because there is a station at Granville and West Georgia.  I overshot by many blocks!  The station is at Cambie and Broadway!

So, I got off at Broadway at Granville and proceeded to walk around the area looking for a Skytrain station but as I used to live in this area 20 years ago I was soon reminiscing! Good memories!  I remembered eating there and there!  And going into that store and that one used to be a record store!  What happened to the White Spot?  I took my good friend there a long time ago!  I wonder if that awesome Thai restaurant is still there? Wow is that old movie theatre still — WHOA, Face plant, Knee to Ground!  CRASH!  Ouch!

I was so engrossed with reminiscing that I didn’t see the curb and went sprawling into the street!  My walker jumped off the curb, forcing me to go with it!  I went down hard on my knees and hands!  What a pain!  Two people quickly helped me up and gathered my spilled contents.  Was I alright?  Yes, I shook myself off and walked on!  Now more mindful of the inaccessible curbs!

That was not the end of my tumbles!

Later, upon getting home and setting the kids up with a pair of sitters, the adults went out for an evening at Port Moody’s Night Market.  I was feeling the effects of my fall and walking more jerkily than normal, the walker was not helping.  After much persuasion from my wife and mum, I accepted to be pushed by my wife in my walker.  I told her to keep her eyes on the road and the next thing I know, I’m on the ground looking up at the blue sky while my wife and mom in law, and me, are laughing our heads off!  It seems my wife hit a crack in the sidewalk!  The walker flipped!  With me still in it!  Luckily the back strap, and pavement, broke my fall!  I was not in any pain!  We all laughed pretty hard!  I continued to walk myself!  No more pushing me around!

Today, I am in pain, so I took two advil.  I’ll find a place to fix my flat tire!