So I’ve been walking to and from the office (2.2 miles one way) Mon-Fri for about four weeks and the health benefits have been amazing. My blood pressure is at a new low of 98/64, my resting heart rate is 65 bpm, and I’ve lost over 5 lbs. That’s all great news, right?!

Ready for the bad news?

Yesterday a doctor diagnosed me with retrocalcaneal bursitis in my right foot.

You’re probably like, “What the hell is that?” Well, if you haven’t clicked the above link because you’re all enthralled in my story, here’s my first-hand description (one, so I can whine and two, so you know for like, reference and stuff):

On the back of my right ankle, at that top of the knobby bone that attaches to the heel, there is a white hot ball of fire that ignites whenever I put a shoe on. It’s the pressure of the shoe that causes 99.99% of the pain. When I’m shoeless, I’m fine. When stand on my tiptoes in bare feet, I’m fine. When I thump the sides of that knobby bone it doesn’t hurt. When I jump up and down it doesn’t hurt. BUT. Put on a pair of shoes and I’m like, dude, kill me now.

Know how I got it? New flats that hadn’t been broken in yet. Sure a little discomfort is easy to ignore when you’re toodling around, but walking over four miles in them was my undoing.

It’s not a quick fix, either. For two weeks I have to wear extra heel support in both shoes (and forget the cute ones for now), pop 800 mg of ibuprofen three times a day to battle the inflammation, ice my heel at night, stretch often to keep the tendon from becoming taut, and and cut down on the walking. That last one is the toughest for me to swallow.

Call me limpy. Call me gimpy. Call me dummy. If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s don’t take your body for granted. In the back of my head I knew it was a bad idea to wear those damned shoes, but I thought the worst that could happen was a gnarly blister and an ache that would go away overnight. Now I’ve got a legitimate injury that, if I don’t follow doctor’s orders, could cost me an achilles tendon and make my favorite passtime, walking, a much less carefree experience.

Fashion is fun and all. But it’s not worth wrecking your feet. Or the embarrasment of having to take your shoes off in a doctor’s office after you’ve been wearing them for eight hours. Just sayin’.

Hi.

I bet you’re wondering what’s goin’ on. That’s why you’re here.

So I should, like, tell you and stuff.

Gotta be honest with you, sweet people, I’m feeling a little less wordy this morning, as looming over my laptop screen is a mess of an office nook that MUST. BE. ORGANIZED.

OR.
I.
WILL.
GO.
INNNN-SANE.

So, today I’m into the whole brevity thing. Dude. But, I owe you a weekly recap, so here goes:

• I still love my job.
• Walked to and from work every day except Monday, when I used Nitrobob to deliver groceries.
• Got a roomy new backpack, replacing my fun cross-body laptop case on workdays.
• Reorganized the office supply area, and it was a monumental task.
• Learned how to play Go.
• Jed and I watched Ben animate at Drink and Draw.
• Saw Matthew and Sara at Wilf’s, and listened to Matthew sing some jazz.
• Played pool with Christina and Ben at Shanghai Tunnel, then we enjoyed seafood.
• Had dinner with Brittany and Jacob, then we all watched JCVD.
• Augmented the “chopsticks only” rule to “chopsticks most of the time”.
• Still doing okay on the other New Year’s Resolutions.
• Developed an aversion to beer. One and then I’m done. Wine’s still fine.
• Looking forward to a paycheck on Tuesday. Call me Scrooge McDuck!
• We get a new President on Tuesday. I would tell you about the text message that Christina sent me re: Getting Rid of Bush, but it’s too racy for my innocent little fingers to re-type.

I’m planning to write about my innaugural experience. It will be epic. Check back Wednesday.

In the meantime, all you game nerds enjoy this:

Imagine a musical montage that goes a little something like this…

L to the U to the C to the KY peanut butter JELLY time Oh Me So Lucky, Me Me So Lucky! HEY hey hey, goo-ood Byeee Bye Miss American Pie in Yo’ Face Baby ME ME Lucky ME! Here I go, Here I go, Here I go again (DavidLeeRothScream) WAAAAAAAO!!! I ate some bugs, I ate some grass, I used my hand TO Legit, to Legit to Walk This WAY! Out, Way-ay Out the window and what did I see? There was this guy and a keyboard, And he went WEEEEE!

…and you’ll have the party that’s going on in my head.

As I look forward to my second week at my new job, I’m feeling like somebody’s got my number in the best possible of ways. Sweet location, sweet co-workers, sweet company, sweet prospects for growth–not to mention the fact that I got hired in a time when most small companies in Portland are bleeding talent…

And that’s when I get serious about it all. Folks, I recognize that I am INSANELY fortunate. Nobody knows it more than I do. I have friends who are beside themselves with frustration over the total lack of jobs in this city. I’ve driven down MLK and seen the crowds of day labor workers waiting patiently on the street corner for someone to point at them. The storefronts with freshly inked “Out of Business” signs, the lines at the shelters, the old ladies sitting on bus benches clutching floral suitcases… The walk to the office is opening my eyes to the plight my fellow Portlanders face in this economy. It sucks.

I’m not going to apologize for being employed, but I promise to take the money I’m earning and use it wisely: I’m searching for a home to buy, which will open up the inexpensive rental property I’m occupying. I will try harder to patronize local business. I’ll carry cash so I’ll have a buck for Street Roots. And? I’m going to feed my savings. Sure, money is a tool that we use to keep the economic machine running. But! I am going to make damned sure that I don’t become the next victim when the walls come crashing down again in 20 years.

But enough ranting. Here’s some food for thought:

(via Twitter) “baconbaconbacon @NycoHerzog I wish our economy used bacon as currency”

We can only wish, oh Sultan of Bacon…

New Year’s Resolution #1 is in full effect, with the help of a web community called Gyminee. Cute name, right? Aside from having a catchy moniker, Gyminee provides some great, simple tools for tracking your progress toward self defined health/fitness goals. It’s a fairly new service and, though not unique in its concept, is a little less intimidating than more established fitness communities like Peer Trainer. I joined up for the January Twitter Lose Off, and quickly found that the simple interface, charted progress, and customizable goal setting are just what I need. Jed and I have accounts and could use a few more GymBuddies! Join up and find me: My username is NycoHerzog.

Also, you can join the official Look, Something Shiny! Shiny New You challenge if you want to make the fun last longer than a month. I started the challenge because I realized my weight loss goal will take me longer than January to achieve. If you’re like me, you don’t want the fun to end on 02/01/09. So sign up and let’s get healthy awhile…