Well, actually I took them both.  The shovel stayed home.

I don’t think the city folk would appreciate a dirty shovel in their fancy buildings.

I parked in a parking deck and swung myself about a quarter mile

through doors, up elevators and down corridors to find my destination.

I use the word swung instead of walk because I like to use my crutches like a personal swing set.

This gives both my legs a rest, the hurt one and the now over-worked one.

I have been here before you see. It is not my first Crippled Rodeo. I am a seasoned performer.

The lobby was full of pitiful patients. I was the perkiest person there. I was almost ashamed to be among all this obvious suffering.

I fidgeted feet, twittled thumbs, tapped knees and hummed.

I had to swing back up to the front desk twice for instructions.

Finally, it was my turn to go back. For my last trick, I held both crutches under my left arm for support and carried my purse and medical chart with my right hand.

These folks needed to see how it was done.

Dr. Beaver is like a breeze and sunshine.  Some people just have a happy aura. ( Sorry, no photo ladies.)

We discussed my overzealousness in the Charleston gardens and my precious parents.

I got both my hurt, real knee and my artificial, expensive knee x-rayed.

He then took out a LONG needle and shot a miracle through and into my knee.

I carried out my crutches and swung my new orange purse.

This is not the end of the story.  But for now, I am back in action.

Shovel only!  Hooray.