Meme: I don't get out often enough...

[magnetic_pole]

Hi, flist! I've been too quiet; I'm sorry. I'm struggling with some offline writing that's sapped my energy to do anything else. I should remember the key to posting here is not to stop.

I'm going to dip my toes back in the water with an edited version of a meme I've seen in a couple places. (Copying here from nachodiablo --thanks!) The take-away seems to be that I need to get out more.

🌴 Been to an Island: Yes, if big islands like Maui or Oahu or Lanzarote or count. (Or Roosevelt Island? Or the île de la Cité in Paris?) To the remote, unpaved kind? No.
✈️ Flown on a Plane: Yes. Probably two trips a year, on average.
🚑 Rode in an Ambulance: Never.
🎤 Sang Karaoke: Never
⛸ Ice Skating: Yes! A few times with my brother and his two boys, who are now playing hockey. I'm surprisingly good at it for a nonathletic newbie. I think it's because I did so much roller skating as a child.
🚢 Been on a Cruise: Never.
🏍 Rode on a Motorcycle: Never.
🐴 Rode on a Horse: Never.
🏥 Stayed in a Hospital: Just the once, when I shattered my elbow and needed an operation.
⭐️ Met a star: Never, if we're talking the Entertainment Weekly kind. That said, I had two world-famous orthopedic surgeons put my elbow back together again. I still appreciate their stellar skills!
🚁 Rode in a helicopter: Never.
📺 Been on tv: Never.
👻 Seen a ghost: Yes! On the Metro North commuter train leaving NYC late at night about twenty five years ago. We passed another train and a hand came out to touch the glass of my window. Not a believer in ghosts, generally, but that was such a vivid, real experience I'm convinced something happened.

I'll paste the meme below, flist, but if you don't want to do the whole thing, do you have any interesting responses to any of these questions? I hope your summer is going well so far!

🌴 Been to an Island: ✈️ Flown on a Plane: 🚑 Rode in an Ambulance: 🎤 Sang Karaoke: ⛸ Ice Skating: 🚢 Been on a Cruise: 🏍 Rode on a Motorcycle: 🐴 Rode on a Horse: 🏥 Stayed in a Hospital: ⭐️ Met a star: 🚁 Rode in a helicopter: 📺 Been on tv: 👻 Seen a ghost:

Comments

[ayebydan]

Omg how did you shatter your elbow?!

[magnetic_pole]

Ridiculously, that's how! I was staying in a hotel room (i.e. unfamiliar territory) with a bed that had a bed frame that was larger than the mattresses above it. I tripped over the bed frame and fell awkwardly, landing on my arm in such a way that my elbow bent 90 degrees in the wrong direction.

I grabbed my arm, wrenched it back towards my body, and crawled to the phone, where I placed a call to the front desk that was far too polite. After I hung up, I had to call again. "I just spoke with you a moment ago, asking for some help in room xxx" I said. "I should have said that I need an ambulance and may pass out at any moment. Please send someone RIGHT NOW."

Then I proceed to send the ambulance away and got someone to drive me to the hospital. It was Christmas Eve and very quiet. I waited for more than an hour before someone got my x-ray and came running into the room where I was waiting. "Oh my god," he said. "This is really bad! Why didn't we give you some pain killers earlier?"

*sigh* I'm not always my best advocate.

But it all turned out fine in the long run! I have an amazing x-ray showing the 22 plates and pins in my elbow, and I can still swim. :) M.

[ayebydan]

All my toe breaks have been ridiculous too but....holy shit.

No wonder someone ran in hollering! Glad it healed up ok.

[magnetic_pole]

Ooof, toe breaks, ouch! Did they heal up okay?

Thanks for asking! I'm not sure I've told that story here before. M.

[ayebydan]

My two big toes that I have broken don't look as they should but they don't hurt or impact my walking so I count that as a win, especially as the first big toe break I didn't even know happened until 6 months later when my Dr was was like 'why are you limping?'

[magnetic_pole]

I'd heard that you could break a smaller toe and not notice (I mean, you'd feel pain but not know that you'd broken a bone), but I can hardly imagine a big toe! I'm so glad it didn't have any long term consequences. M.

[ayebydan]

My first big toe break was the first of my four toe breaks in general. I stubbed it on an uneven tile on a swimming pool floor.

It hurt for months and I hobbled for months, probably as I didn't take weight off it. The second big toe break was last summer were it hurt a LOT at first so I needed hospital so my aunt took me up. I was put in a 'boot' type thing for two weeks and after that was fine. It depends where and when the pressure is I guess.

My pinky toe breaks didn't bother me too much. More when I was putting socks or shoes on or off it hurt than generally walking and day to day life.

[ancientreader]

OH MY GOD

That is all.

[magnetic_pole]

Heh heh. Yes. M.

[torachan]

OWWWWWWWWWW

DDDDDDDDDDD:

[magnetic_pole]

:) Exactly! M.

[therealsnape]

That's one amazing story. Pity you sent the ambulance away - your one chance to say "yes" to the ambulance ride.

[pauraque]

Wow, how awful! I'm glad you came out of it all right. (Somehow I keep imagining the hotel manager in a panic thinking you were going to sue the pants of them.)

[write_out]

I'm not always my best advocate.

But you are master of the understatement! OUCH. I cringed so hard reading that even though I remember you talking about that before. OUCH. 22 plates and pins!

[lash_larue]

I sympathize with the elbow adventure. I think I'll have a lash at this meme myself.

L

[magnetic_pole]

The Elbow Adventure was my first and last Adventure, I hope. It was the very definition of a freak accident--an unusually awkward fall that caused an unusual amount of damage. The world-class orthopedists found me interesting, which is not what you want to happen.

I'd love to see your replies! I bet you've done more on this list than me. (Not that all are necessarily a good thing...) M.

[lash_larue]

Been there too. A preeminent neurologist once pronounced me "interesting". I spent four hours on a table getting shocks though needles stuck into various places.

But at the end he told me I didn't have ALS, so I count that as a win as well.

L

[shadowycat]

It's good to "see" you! Your "elbow adventure" sounds excruciating. How did you manage not to scream for painkillers as soon as you got to the hospital? I bent one of my fingers backwards once and the pain was so horrible I was begging for relief as soon as I got in the door of the ER.

It really is too very easy to slip away from posting. Here it is mid-July and I haven't posted since last month. Your meme gives me the perfect excuse, though, so thank you! Best of luck with your writing. I hope you're winning the struggle! :D

[magnetic_pole]

I think I was in shock with the elbow, honestly. You probably actually were feeling more pain. I was certainly living second by second and feeling woozy. My sister-in-law, who was there with me, said that the radiologist wanted me to extend my arm to get a better x-ray, and I snarled at her like a wild animal. :)

Thanks for the good writing vibes! It's been a rough month, word count wise, so any online encouragement is much appreciate. M.

[ancientreader]

Island: Crete, Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Hawai'i, Maui, Saba, St. Martin but just stopping over on the way to Saba, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos. Oh, and the Galapagos. Those. Uh. I like islands. Does the UK count? Spouse and I have Shetland on the agenda.

Plane: ... yep. Several times a year.

Ridden in an ambulance: I don't think so.
Karaoke: Nope nope nope.
Ice skating: Well. If you can count falling down a couple of times and really hating it.
Cruise: Never.
Ridden on a motorcycle: Once, pillion behind a novice rider; it was not a pleasant experience. Now, if I could ride with Steve Rogers ...
Ridden on a horse: Yes.
Stayed in a hospital: Ha ha ha ha ha yes so much yes.
Met a star: Yeah.
Ridden in a helicopter: No.
Been on TV: Yeah.
Seen a ghost: Not to my knowledge.

[magnetic_pole]

That is a formidable list of islands! Which of the Greek ones would you recommend, if I eventually got to go to one one day? (I've been to Athens and the Peloponnese, but no islands.)

Wait, you've been on tv, too? Everyone on the flist has had fifteen minutes of fame! M.

[ancientreader]

I visited Crete in 1976, Naxos, Paros, and Santorini in 1987, so my recommendation can't be based on anything like current information. Uh. Anyway, I can't decide! Crete has Knossos and the amazing museum in Heraklion. And of course it's beautiful, like all the famous Greek places. But I was sexually assaulted there (I did fight the guy off), so my memories are mostly of that and the aftermath.

Naxos was my favorite. It was just quiet and lovely and had delicious food and was a great place to rent a moped with one's best friend for $7/day and picnic in whatever olive grove struck our fancy. A "tourist destination" was a family farm with a kouros lying in the middle of the vegetable garden, I kid you not. I spent a blissful month there and wasn't bored for a minute. But that was the Naxos of three decades ago, and I'm given to understand that time machines are not available. Paros I visited v. briefly but, again ... I flew in on a plane carrying 20? passengers and the runway might still have been dirt; there was a donkey watching the flight come in. I'll never go back; I don't want to see what's become of those places.

Santorini is spectacular, of course. It has a must-see archaeological site (the village of Akrotiri) and an active caldera. It was already highly commercialized in the late 80s so funnily enough it's the only one of the islands I've been to that I would revisit. The things that made Naxos so lovely and would draw tourists would be ruined by tourists; the things that make Santorini so splendid and would draw tourists are unruinable: what are they going to do to a caldera when they can't plant a hotel on it?

Being on TV isn't any fun, I promise. The makeup takes longer than the on-air time.

[kelly_chambliss]

Does this meme writer not understand the difference between past tense and a past participle *cue grammar police grumbling*

Ouch about the elbow; it hurts just to think about it.

The ghost story is spooky indeed.

[magnetic_pole]

Such an odd experience, seeing that hand! I'll never forget it.

I started to correct the meme (I was editing out a number of prompts anyway) but decided that correcting the internet was an endless and thankless task. Instead, we get to grumble about it together. :)

I haven't forgotten about your three prompts! Hopefully this meme will get me back in the talking mood. (I've been so quiet lately--using up all my words elsewhere.)

I hope it's not as hot where you are as it is here. (Upper 90s.F) M.

[therealsnape]

The ghost story is truly spooky. And the elbow experience made me wince when I read it.

[magnetic_pole]

The ghost story is more of an unidentified phenomenon story than a ghost story, because I really don't believe in ghosts, but it was quite creepy! My friends from that period in my life probably all remember it, too, because I told anyone who would listen.

Now that you know the elbow story, you'll notice my elbow bent in every picture you've ever seen of me. :) It doesn't quite extend all the way any more.

Thanks for reading! Hope you're having a great vacation week. M.

[liseuse]

🌴 Been to an Island: Well, I used to live on one! Other than that, yes! I've been to a few of the Scottish islands, and Cyprus, Fuerteventura, and probably some others I can't remember because we went when I was a child.
✈️ Flown on a Plane: Yep, I average about 2 flights a year. I remember the first flight I ever went on - to Cyprus in fact - and just how exciting and amazing it was. I still think that. Airports aren't my favourite, but take off and landing are glorious.
🚑 Rode in an Ambulance: Never as the patient, but yes as someone accompanying the patient; I was about 11 so too young to stay home by myself/make my own way to the hospital.
🎤 Sang Karaoke: Nope, never and it can stay that way.
⛸ Ice Skating: Yes. When I was in middle school Father Brian used to book out the local ice rink and teach us how to skate. I haven't been in years though.
🚢 Been on a Cruise: No.
🏍 Rode on a Motorcycle: No.
🐴 Rode on a Horse: I used to ride semi-competitively, and we had ponies, so yep!
🏥 Stayed in a Hospital: I had my tonsils and adenoids out when I was a kid so stayed overnight, and then I've had a couple of day patient procedures. I suppose the two weeks post-birth also count, but I don't remember those obviously!
⭐️ Met a star: Maybe kind of? I've met Prince Philip (do not recommend) and Sir Patrick Stewart was getting an honorary doctorate when I was graduating with my PhD so I got to shake his hand. I'm completely claiming that as meeting.
🚁 Rode in a helicopter: Yes! My mother's 45th birthday present was a ride in a helicopter and I got to go too!
📺 Been on tv: As a child I, and this is hilarious if anyone has ever heard me sing, was on Songs of Praise (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_Praise)
👻 Seen a ghost: No

[magnetic_pole]

I always forget you have this horse-y background! Have we talked about R's fascination with the ridiculous teen drama Free Rein? I don't know what about this show appeals to her, but she's all about competitive horse riding drama these days. I'll have to imagine teen!you among the cast of characters next time.

Hm. Patrick Stewart is very impressive. Quite possibility in that top tier of folks I'd like to meet in person, actually.

Fun! I bet you were a sweetheart on Songs of Praise--and now you can be famous, because somehow all famous people have footage of themselves as a child. :) M.

[liseuse]

We have! I find it adorable! The actual horse riding was very competitive but when and where I was doing it produced a very odd mix of kids/early teenagers who were competing - some of them were the stereotype of rich entitlement, but mostly it was people whose parents lived on farms, people who lived near farms (me!), and who had ended up competing in show jumping and cross country purely because once you'd mastered hacking around you might as well try something new.

He was very kind and he gave an excellent speech, as one would imagine. Definitely a better speech than PhD Uni's then-Chancellor who gave a not very relevant speech about the developments in Earth Science and Health research to a hall full of people getting various humanities degrees (Earth Sciences and Health research are super important! But we hadn't done any of it!) which then got a bit weird and jingoistic in a vaguely racist "yay Empire!" way.

I looked very angelic. The irony is that at no point was I singing because that's not in my skillset, but we lived in a very small village and all local children were roped in to look angelic.

[write_out]

I love it when you do these memes because a) I'm Nosy, and b) I always enjoy reading your answers. That ghost story is something else. Have you ever incorporated it into a fic?

[magnetic_pole]

The ghost story's a bit ridiculous, because I really, really don't believe in ghosts, but at the same time, I was so sure I saw what I saw. Very weird.

Thanks for reading! I never used to do memes, but they're so good at getting me to say *something*, anything. I need them lately.

Do you have any interesting answers to these questions? M.

[nachodiablo]

Awesome ghost story!!! And dang, glad your elbow is fixed up <3

[magnetic_pole]

Thanks! The elbow is permanently bent a bit, but most people never notice. Hurrah for surgeons! M.

[semielliptical]

So are you waiting for an opportunity to sing karaoke or have you been avoiding it all your life?

[magnetic_pole]

Heh heh. What do you think? :) M.

[delphi]

I've had to explain to many friends and family members back east or abroad that while I technically live on an island, it's an island that's roughly the size of the country of Belgium. It's just island-y enough to be extremely inconvenient, but not nearly island-y enough to have any cachet.

I once thought I had an encounter with a ghost, but it shortly after turned out to be an owl. Given the choice between the two, I'd go with ghost. I feel like an exorcism is easier than getting an owl out of your house.

[magnetic_pole]

I had no idea your island was that large! I had to look it up just now. I think it's because I've seen so many photos of the water's edge that I assumed the whole city was that close to the water.

It's just island-y enough to be extremely inconvenient, but not nearly island-y enough to have any cachet.

:)

We have mice occasionally, and you're right: I'd rather the small noises be supernatural than just...natural.

Thanks for the response, D! M.

[delphi]

You're rarely more than a stone's throw from the water anywhere in my city proper, since it's crammed down in the pointy tip of the island - there's just a whole lot of rest-of-the-island!

[secretsolitaire]

*waves* You've been missed!

This is a fun meme, although your elbow story is horrifying.

Sounds like you've been to multiple Hawaiian islands -- which was your favorite?