entombed in the shrine of zeroes and ones

The good news is that my soccer team won our division again.  The bad news is that we got kicked up to the next division and have since lost our first two games, the second one badly to a team that was superior in every way.  The ugly news is that i took a shoulder to the ribs while clearing an incoming pass.  This is the latest in a series of dings: got kneed in the back three weeks ago, which flared up after the game two weeks ago; and a week after this, i got kicked in the shin right below the knee with the edge of the shoe which caused a huge hematoma...

There's still a bit of residual swelling and numbness.  But, hey, i love the game...

Note to self: if you're on the ground and can't kick the ball away because it would be a foul, trying to head it away will only knock it for a couple of feet and you'll smash your nose into the turf for your trouble.

This week has absolutely blown.  Lots of problems at work for me and Kimmy; yesterday i was helping her out after hours and i managed to slip on some steps and whack my forearm pretty bad.  No structural damage, but the bruise hurts at the slightest touch.  I've not gotten much sleep due to going to bed late thanks to work, and halfway through today's second half of our soccer game, i was completely winded.  We managed to not lose today (5-5 tie), but there was an ugly moment where after a struggle for the ball, the opponent fouled our guy, who fell; the opponent then saw fit to toepoke my teammate in the back.  If it had happened to me, i don't know if i'd held back, but my teammate managed.  It reminded me of a similar moment some months ago where my team was playing like shit, and i was tired from running and flopping around, and as a guy broke away towards me, i tried to beat him to the ball and failed, so i ended up checking him into the boards.  It was mortifying to me, but when i apologized to the guy after the game, he said it was no big deal and even laughed it off.  Anyway... it's easy to lose your shit when you're playing if you don't keep a lid on the adrenaline.  At least it's easier than when stuff and people at work are full of fatuousness.

I'm also grumpy because i'm in a creative slump.  I'll see what i can do to shake myself out of it.

I went back to play soccer last week, as i'd been jonesing to play and i felt my right thumb was well enough to handle it.  Last Wednesday i was pretty rusty, but i was pretty good on Thursday.  Today i was pretty good until one of my opponents kicked my left thumb out of joint.  Have a look or two if you have a strong stomach.

Kimmy took me to the emergency room and, well, there's not much to do.  I'm in a splint, it's swollen, and i'm depressed because not only will i be out for another month, but i am seriously considering quitting.

Last night, in a "winner takes the division" showdown, i called for a ball, but my defender failed to hear me, kicked it away and bent back my thumb in the process, then ran through and kneed me in the head for good measure.  And then we lost the game by a goal.  Not the best of days...

I was at the colo about a month ago, and while my coworker was away, i figured i'd do a few pullups on a fallow rack because, hey, exercise.  After i was done, i let go and my foot landed on a piece of galvanized steel pipe, which neatly flipped up and delivered a quick blow to my left shin.  I pulled up my pant leg, expecting to see a nasty welt, and was instead surprised by a trickle of blood.  I took the picture as i cleaned up the wound at the first aid station.  Naturally, i played soccer that night, and the next night, with only minimal bleeding.

I stopped a shot with my mouth today.  Now my jaw won't close correctly (i can force it but it hurts).  What makes it worse is that Centavo was undefeated until tonight.  Ugh.  It was inevitable, though, as yesterday, Quakes finally won its first game of the session after four straight losses.

rone: "Man, one of the other guys gave me a good kick on the shin.  It's sore."

Teammate: "Aren't you wearing shin guards?"

rone: "Sure, but it went right through it.  Just like this, whack!" [demonstrates by whacking leg with fist] "Ow.  OWWWWWW." [limps off to car]

I showered after a soccer game and noticed a peculiar mark on my torso.  It had a familiar shape, almost like...

The grey mark on the right is a piece of pencil lead i jabbed into myself in 3rd grade; for some damn fool reason, i went out to recess clutching a freshly sharpened pencil, and tripped.

It actually looked a lot worse than it felt.

( two pictures of my elbow )

If i recall correctly, this was from the game where i got checked into the boards head first and the ref made no call; i guessed that my elbow hit the boards, too.  The tip of the elbow hurt like hell if i rested it on anything, but the rest of the bruise felt fine.