Well, it's said you should write and see what comes out, a bit like when you up your hand over your mouth when you're afraid that if you open it the truth will fall out. So let's start with a story.
First week of the new year, I was running the department, rather than just being a lazy slacker as always. This involved both office work (yawn) and being on the production floor. Two hours into my day shift on the floor and I feel something give in my left shoe. Hobble to the work station and get shoe off. My left foot strap on my orthotic had snapped where the bolt connected to the foot plate.
Fantastic.
I have no shoes that fit my feet as I go up a shoe size to fit the orthotics, I can't spend another ten hours on my feet trusting my shoe to hold everything together, and I certainly can't go home (OK, that did cross my mind, I'll admit, the thoughts of a soft sweet bed, all ready for me to fall back into, but then I've survived long enough in the work environment and life without the plastic supports, and I'll be damned if a little damage is going to make me a helpless cripple now). Kiwi, my Oz colleague, throws gaffer tape at me. Only one thing to do now.
So I bind the orthotic, strap and all, together over my foot, get my shoe back on and get moving. To say the new hire was a little aghast is perhaps an understatement but he laughed as I hobbled back out onto the floor.
So, with one broken orthotic I can't go on indefinitely, I need to call for repairs. Taking a break, I rang orthotics in QMC (Nottingham) who booked me nine am the next morning for repair. I jog round to the general manager and let him know. I'll be in to do essential office work but I must be in QMC for nine. He was fantastic, checked I was ok to continue and told me if there was any issues I could go immediately.
Things get better: arrived to QMC for repair, they took my legs with a smile and told me about forty five minutes. Time for a hot chocolate in the cafe. Now, I should explain I wear three piece suits when I'm doing office work. I feel that dressing up shows respect for the role, fellow managers and the staff. Also doesn't hurt I look human in a suit. Three times in QMC I got asked if I was a consultant. Now I have no medical knowledge or skills, so an apologetic "no" was all I could give.
Forty minutes later, warm from tasty hot chocolate, I arrive back to be handed orthotics that had not just had a strap repaired but had all four straps replaced, and new padding both lining the joints and in the straps. It was a full service and over hall, I'm now whisper quiet when I move (they'd taken to clicking at the hinge joint when I walked). It was like getting an only car that's had a full over haul.
So, I've been wearing them for a week and I've hit the down side, new straps eat into my feet, but it's a small price to break them back in. I also bought socks of various types to go with my refurbed legs.
So why restart the blog? To impress people and measure my self worth through page views......
I joke, mostly, but I thought maybe this journey isn't over. It will never be over. And I think the blog was beginning to touch subjects and ideas that could be greatly expanded.
So, a minor mishap to start a blog.
Until next time, silent tread.
P.s. I've started a linked Facebook page: The Aspy Journey Reloaded
P.p.s: there is now also a Twitter @theaspyjourneyreload.
Follow those for photos, links to other sites, watch me fail to understand Twitter (I might read Trump Tweets to see how it works, I understand it s about being a big baby)!
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