rads project 365

Day 7: bone chilling temperatures across Northern US. But hey, guess Mother Nature is kind to us, we are all set for the beach weather (comparatively) for the weekend! #polarvortex #project365 #weather #dc #nova #iphone #instagram #winter #2014

Day 6: my crutches and my shoes. It's a week since surgery and this is what I can do. I have constant pain at 5-6, with Vicodin it goes down to 2. The weekend hasn't been good as I started physical therapy on Friday and ran out if Vicodin, and since I don't like pills anyways, I was trying Tylenol out and that was practically useless. Moving the leg and trying some isometric exercises and leg lifts has helped with movements but has increased discomfort and pain. Tricky situation but let's stick to the fact that I now can lift my leg off the bed and place it down ALL BY MYSELF! I can change my own clothes at a slow turtle pace and I even took a shower - with careful planning and moving the leg slowly and not losing my balance ALL BY MYSELF. The munchkin was on guard outside the door, and thank god for the sweethearts compassion and empathy. I can also now scoot down the stairs on my butt using my arms and shoulder strength. It is still a challenge to figure out the best place to rest my leg when flat coz the knee is till bent and no amount if cushioning or placing of cushion down the leg seems to help. Smallest of bending is excruciating and I can't yet completely roll over and sleep on my tummy like I love. That said, long way to go, and I will go. I have to and I will. #project365 #kneesurgery #menisectomy #life #determined #positive #love #iphone #instagram #crutches

Day 5: Eyes - I've always loved eyes. They've always spoken to me. Eyes of strangers', friends, teachers and pets. It was no surprise that I studied eyes scientifically for 4 years and a few more. They are fascinating in how they react and change with respect to emotion, light and darkness. They are physiological for the most part but then there is always that little part to science that is inexplicable on why our body behaves the way it does based on how our mind behaves - outside if the realm of scientific data and law. My zephie has the most beautiful soulful eyes I've known. She is barely 3 years old but is an old soul in her heart when she is with me. My eyes give me away way quicker than I want them to. Today they are tired but searching. Eyes are the windows to our souls, as the soul searches for enlightenment and answers while letting the light in. #eyes #photoaday #photoadaychallenge #project365 #zephie #blackandwhite #life

Day 3 is Breakfast, I woke up with a bad headache. The pills had worn off by 4, I was up till around 6 with many many demons for company in my head. I tried playing quizup, then tweeted and then emailed and lost that same email twice that I wrote in much wretched agony as I discovered a part of me that needed revealing, like I have a dual identity like Nargis in Raat Aur Din. :-) Dozed off at around 6 and woke up with an intense headache that I knew would go down a bit with coffee. So the husband was assigned the task and instead of the instant I asked for the French press and gave explicit instructions. It came, but extremely piping hot and I burnt my tongue in my hurry and that didn't go well what with the rest of the way my body was behaving. I snapped for just a second and then quietly waited for the coffee to cool down. I had asked for Dosa before the coffee and he asked so many questions, so I said, nvm, get me a bagel or cereal. After 15 minutes of this coffee incident, while I behaved the completely ungrateful wife and tweeted and got commiserated by @maith_i and @anossrini in waltzes the husband with this plate above. They were perfect rounds. The edges crispier than the middle, the Podi with the valley of oil and the dosavakaya that I like. ..and just like that, I felt terrible, guilty and happy all at the same time. This isn't his usual, and he is taking efforts this week to keep me happy and I couldn't ask for more. Doesn't the plate look like it's winking at you? :-) #littlemercies #photoaday #januarychallenge #breakfast #dosa #project365

January 2 2014: #project365 #photoaday - with my knee surgery since Dec 30th, Monday I've been out if sorts and confined to the bed upstairs. Zeph and I spend a lot if time together at home. We don't spend very waking minute glued to each other and I think we both value out private bubbles, but we are close in out own way. We miss each other simply and the last two days has been very hard. For some reason after a trip of ours in the summer, she refuses to come upstairs. It's been hard on me ;as am sure on her I think) that we haven't met and cuddled a bit since three days. Through some persuasion and cajoling the daughters and husband managed to get her up for me and boy, we were so happy. She got up on the bed (which is not usually done coz he doesn't like itbut is now grudgingly accepting it) and we spent some quiet time with each other and then of course #selfies happened. If only to record today and how happy I am for this project 365 that I may or may not last through. <3 my #zephie is the best. :) #munchkin #pet

Day 2, pain scale of 3-4 with Vicodin. Three incisions and there is some swelling and stiffness as expected. The comfortable place is when am sitting up with knee resting on cushions. To get up is a n adventure. It is a careful planning of physics, balance of the body and mind and the juxtaposition of the crutch with the carpet, my body alignment and the precise timing of the left crutch coming in as my left leg is placed down with minimal angular bending. So much fun. Precisely why going to use the potty is an affair well planned. Parched throat requires water. Water inside must go out. And so on we go. What we take for granted is not simple anymore. The independence and confidence with which we normally do things gets shaken and we start to appreciate our body as a system. Well balanced connected and in harmony. One little clink and te system suffers. Shuffling with the crutch also requires thought. I move faster, the shock waves through the right leg reach the left hip and down. It’s fascinating when you really think bout it. This is for posterity sakes, no pity trips or sad sack behavior is being indulged. In the grand scheme of things, a menisectomy is small fry and nothing to get knotted up (pun intended) :) Day 2. I didn’t step out except for potty trips. New year has started simply. 2014 will be simple. Hopefully the curtain call for all the drama is done with in 2013. Grit and bear. Chalo :-) #posterity #menisectomy #leftknee #adventure #keepcalmandhobbleon

just quit.

but I love you. sometimes awkwardly, and at times silently, and i just pray that those times you are wiser. :-)