FRIDAY the 13th & MY BIONIC FOOT (published 8-15-2021)

 Introduction

Howdy, y'all! We are an “Interweb family.” I write. Y'all read. I'll keep writing, as y'all keep reading! Well, I'll write anyway. I keep readers.

Yesterday, about 3 PM, I saw my reader numbers, for the last seven days. They were, as follows, from the following nations:

Indonesia 1.17K. USSA/USA 177. Canada 26. Netherlands 16. Singapore 16. Ireland 11 (my ancestral country, visited in 1998). Germany 10 (been through Frankfurt airport many times). France 5 (airport once). Russia 4 (home from 1994 to 1999). China 3. Argentina 2. Portugal 2. Sweden 2 (Stockholm airport once). Brazil 1. Czechia 1. Finland 1 (visited Helsinki a few times). Other 2 (no clue).

The numbers keep increasing, of course. I don't know why Indonesian readers like my website so much. I've never been there. Thanks, to my Indonesian readers, especially! (No, they are not “bots” that hit my website. I know how to hold down the “bots” that hit my website. I see very few “bot” hits that are fake readers.)

Yesterday, I finally got a much needed haircut! It had been seven weeks! I would rather not go without a haircut more than four weeks, in the warm weather. Tony's Best Clips gave me a much needed and perfect, as usual, haircut, from 9:45 to about 10:05 AM! Thanks much, Tony! I dropped at least of a couple of pounds of hair – finally! It took longer than usual, since my hair was “hippy” volume!

Well, yesterday was the other mundane chores, by Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and me. Let's move on!

Friday the 13th, from Greek

Fear of Friday the 13th, in Greek, is “Ο φόβος της Παρασκευής 13.” This is: fear (φόβος) + beside/a long side of (παρά) + utensils, literally, or Friday (σκευή, noun form) + 13. In English, this is Paraskavedekatriaphobia. I would translate the Greek as “Fear of Friday the 13th.” I don't know who figured out that “paraskavedekatriaphobia” was a better word. (I assume it was either an egg head who thinks too highly of himself or a government bureaucrat.) Paraskavedekatriaphobia is a 12-cylinder word! If you were educated in phonics, as I was, you can pronounce that 12-cylinder word well enough. Otherwise, study phonics!

By the way, I enjoy saying “triskaidekaphobia.” (I'd mastered the pronunciation of the word decades ago.) It means, from Greek, fear of 13. You can be afraid of 13 anytime, not just on a Friday. I'm still working on my phonetically correct pronunciation of “paraskavedekatriaphobia.” I'd rather say, “fear of Friday the 13th.” That's easier.

I had asked Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, the morning of Friday the 13th, to tell her colleagues, later that day, “happy triskaidekaphobia!” She didn't have the fun. I had fun practicing saying “paraskavedekatriaphobia,” on Friday, while I worked at the office. The four women that were there were confused. I never explained myself. I hope that my colleagues will recommend a “crazy pension” for me. That's my plan!

My Bionic Foot Photos

Friday the 13th -- after I had returned from the “Hadean Realm” (work Thursdays and Fridays at office; Monday through Wednesday at home) – I had noticed that the red spot on my “bionic” right heel was gone! That my luck on Friday the 13th!

I took the above photograph of my heels yesterday, after my haircut and chores. I'm on my back, with both legs elevated. My trusty Samsung phone took the photograph. (Don't mind the ironing board leg and iron cord in the background. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman still irons stuff, for some strange reason.)

Do you see my right heel? It looks almost like my left heel! A very little spot of callus is on my right heel still. (Don't mind the “black tape.” I use that “black tape,” as I call it, to help a little, when I walk. I hate that “black tape!” I'll get rid of it, in a few years! I know!)

It has taken over five years (since 3/29/2016) to get rid of that red spot on my right heel!

On 10/27/2019, during my House Mountain hike #160, that right heel scab bled through my sock. I wrote about it. That was progress, on 10/27/2019. I made further progress, on 8/13/2021.

 

I took the above photograph yesterday also. (Ignore that “black tape!”) Do you see my work in progress? I do! The red dot under my toe next to my big toe, on my “bionic” foot is still there. It has faded slowly over the last five plus years. My right big toe still needs to point straight (as my left big toe). The two farthest right toes on my right foot need to get over their desire to become hammer toes! I keep beating down their efforts to be hammer toes! I am winning, so far! (You do not want to know all the day-by-day details, over these last five plus years! I, however, know the details. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman knows some of the details.)

I took the above photograph today. (I replace the “black tape,” i.e., kinesiology tape, every Sunday.) The red line below my ankle marks where Dr. Scott T. Smith, UT Medical Center, cut my foot, on 4/13/2016 (Wednesday). (That's one reason why I don't fear 13.) He had already cut on my left shoulder and right knee – when my concussion was still trying to kill me – so, I don't remember those. My 3/21/2021 article goes into more detail. (You can read it, if you are not too squeamish!)

I know that focusing on one “bionic” joint (and surrounding muscle groups) is not beneficial. Daily, I focus my ongoing recovery on my “bionic” left shoulder, right knee, and right foot (and surrounding muscle groups). Day by day, I move on.

Conclusion

This article focuses on my “bionic” right foot. My right ankle needs to figure out how to bend forward! I keep trying to get that ankle to bend forward the same as my left ankle! My “bionic” right knee is doing well enough. It's still not the same as my left knee. My “bionic” left shoulder aggravated the heck out of me in May. (I didn't write about it.) The big muscles down both sides of my back, into my hips, and down both legs are still trying to figure out how to be a balanced muscle group. I know. My “bionic” left shoulder is the main culprit. It is improving, slowly.

My nuclear scientist doctor and friend (Dr. Stoyan Antonov) was right, as I hope. He examined me, on my House Mountain hike #141 on 12/3/2017. He said that my recovery would take about ten years. (I wrote only one article, in 2017, but not for that hike.) Of all the medical folks who have speculated to me, I know (as I'm in my body) that Dr. Antonov (my hiking friend) was right. Well, I hope so. I do not wish to endure my “whatevers” until I die. Well, the apostle Paul endured his “whatevers” until he died. I guess that I'm man enough to do the same.

Dr. Stoyan Antonov (my Bulgarian hiking friend) hiked together or met while hiking 12 times: 1/2/2011 (first meeting), 1/30/2011, 2/6/2011, 3/13/2011, 10/9/2011, 10/27/2013 (my hike #93), 1/19/2014, 12/7/2014 (Pearl Harbor Day), 12/16/2015, 1/3/2016 (my hike # 129), 2/7/2016, and 12/3/2017 (hike #141 as a “bionic” hike for me). My hiking log and memory have the details. I hope he's doing well. I haven't seen him since 12/3/2017.

The inspired by God apostle Paul wrote (2 Cor. 12:1-10), “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me” (verse 7). Well, thanks, Lord, for giving me my “bionic messenger of Satan,” on 3/29/2016. I can endure, as the apostle Paul did. Why don't you still use me, as you once did, in your service? Will you let me know when you will do so? Okay, no answer – again as usual.

Hey, Lord, I still believe! This temporal triviality does not concern you or me. I'll see you at Home – eventually!

At about 4:50 PM, 8/15/2021, Sunday, the storm and rain are coming! Good! We need more rain! I'm still working on a “Poly-tics” smorgasbord article. It will mention the meaning of PGI and PGO. Do you know what a PGI and PGO are? I do! I'll let you know – once I get that “Poly-tics" article published!

Y'all keep turnin' right and goin' straight out there! The current insanity in this once great nation is just temporal triviality, which we must endure, sadly.

By the way, at 4:54 PM today, my readers for the last seven days are:

Indonesia 1.29K. USA/USSA 219. Canada 27. Netherlands 22. Singapore 16. Ireland 11. Germany 8. France 5. Russia 4. Argentina 2. China 2. Spain 2. Sweden 2. Czechia 1. Finland 1. Portugal 1. Other (no clue) 1.