I only slightly gimp-walked today! Tried to be gingerly with it, because I like having fully functional legs and I'd like that back ASAP, please.
And that leg didn't stop me from getting out. And then leaving both places I was supposed to meet people at, because it turned out I was slightly late while the others in this party were really late.
That requires explaining. I was part of a combined bachelor/bachelorette party, for two friends of mine who are getting married. The invite was "optional dinner at [a time] at [a place I can easily walk to even when I'm gimpy], then drinking at [a two-hours-later time] at [a bar]" so I made it to the first of the two announced locations and waited. And waited. Wait, I (eventually) thought. That dinner was "optional," and we're getting up to when the drinking's likely to begin and that's probably the part the party's really serious about, so I'm more likely to run into everyone at the next stop. So I headed for the next stop, via walking (AGAIN WITH THE WALKING, I'VE GOT SKILLS) and a bus. (Eventually. The #14 bus was reeeeeeeeally delayed out of downtown, I wonder because of prep down there for the Starlight Parade or something.) And I had enough time at the next stop for dinner -- a version of French Dip plus a salad, both damn good -- and two colas, plus run completely randomly into another friend with nothing to do with the bachelor/bachelorette party, before I started to think ....well, crap. Am I likely to run into anybody at this rate? I paid and left, figuring I'd get home and send a message to the bride and groom to the effect of "I suck, I didn't run into you even though I really really meant to."
(I didn't have anything mobile with me. My only mobile device is an iPad. I figured bringing that to pubs where I might actually do some serious drinking was a bad idea. "Drunk With An iPad" sounds like a Daft Punk album.)
I walked several blocks one way, then walked the blocks back figuring I'd at least check one more time at the bar. GUESS WHO WAS THERE? The bachelor/bachelorette party people, including the bride and groom. They'd run late. But we'd all finally rendezvoused. Visiting and shenanigans in more than one bar got started. I didn't actually drink -- "You're more straight-edge than a Christian punk band," my radio-business friend Jay Mackin said -- but! I did unbutton some of my black shirt's buttons. I also eventually wound up in a strip club, because Portland. And in the bars and in the strip club, I smiled a lot. I'm still smiling now.
Especially smiling at my leg being better. And about my friends being good.