I tore the crap out of the bottom of my foot today.

I walked to the lake tonight (about a mile), and plunked myself on a picnic bench and read a bit. As it started to get dark, I went home. I decided (stupidly) to hike up a makeshift trail (steep incline, rocks and branches making "steps," sort of) instead of following the paved bike path. Needless to say, I was wearing lousy shoes, and I already had a blister going from the last time I wore lousy shoes to go on a long walk.

Got home, discovered a quarter-sized chunk of skin missing.

(Don't worry -- no blood, just a torn blister, and I cleaned it up and put a bandage on it.)

Ouch.

Walking will be fun for the next couple of days.

Glad you got it cleaned up, but owie owie owie... I hope you heal fast!

walking barefoot to the beach in Chicago. As the crow flies, I am four blocks from the lake, but must walk two blocks south to get to a street that goes through to the beach.

Many years later, I cannot believe that I used to do it. These days, with all the crap and broken glass, etc., you can't do it. And I find that sad. It was a great time.

Band-Aids and comfortable shoes help. I am prone to blisters as well. They are miserable.

one night, when I was like 11, and it was summertime, I was in a friends garage and I was barefoot and cut myself on a nail. So I walked home. For days, my foot started to hurt more and more and swelled. Lucky me, my family decided to take a vacation to canada, to Quebec. We walked all over fucking Quebec city and I would have been having a great time except my foot was in serious pain.

After we got back, it was so swollen and sore, I could hardly walk so finally went to the doctor. He examined me, and in an ordeal of ghastly pain, he removed a long sliver of glass that must have embedded itself in my foot, probably walking through my neighborhood after I injured myself originally.

:rant:

:shrug:

I was sailing once in a catamaran. We tipped it over (part of the fun) & were running it up on shore. I stepped on some rocks (coral?) & ripped the hell out of my instep. The lifeguard even when Uck! My sister took me to the emergency room, but they couldn't operate until they got a hold of my parents. It took hours. The doc comes in & proceeds to scrub my instep with a wire brush. I kid you not. Finally, the doc starts to sew it up & he's putting his gloves on. I watched him & thought Great, the guy can't even get the gloves on right. Turns out he was missing 2 fingers. He thought he had shot me up with enough Novocaine (is that what it is?). He hadn't. He would hit an unanesthetized piece & I would come off the table. (remember, I'm sitting there in wet clothes & I've been there for hours.) He would take the needle & shoot me up again. After a while I figured out getting the Novocaine was just as bad as sewing it without so I shut up.

It's been 30 years & I can still see the scars.

best