Wednesday's "mishap" in the woods has really caused a backlash of problems.
The first was that about 30 minutes after I woke up the next morning the phone rang and when I said "Hello" my Mother started yelling at me like you wouldn't believe. She was FURIOUS at me after reading my blog post and actually ended the tirade with "If you ever do something like that again I'm going to come over there and Whip Your Ass!"
Which was shocking because my Mother doesn't yell, doesn't cuss and even as a kid the closest she came to saying she was going to whip my ass was when she'd say "Just wait until your father gets home"
Then she says "Your Father wants to talk to you..."
I think my Dad may have been as shocked at my Mother's outburst as I was because he said "We'll talk in a few days when you're feeling better".
Whew.
The second problem is that I am almost completely incapacitated. I can walk but can only drag my right leg and cannot lift it without causing tremendous pain.
My shoulder doesn't hurt much unless I move that arm too fast.
The surprising thing is that I walked 22 miles and my left leg is a little sore but certainly not what I expected. If I hadn't hurt my other leg I think I would be a little sore today but perfectly able to move around normally. Weird.
The third and fourth problems are ones I have with myself.
Why did I need to be rescued? I like to think of myself as a capable woman who can take care of herself.
But on Wednesday night I was sobbing into my husband's chest like I'd been lost in the woods for a week and one more day would have killed me.
And why in the hell can't I FOLLOW DIRECTIONS? I'll have a compass in my hand telling me that this way is North and I automatically turn around and head the opposite direction. What is that?
I also can't seem to read maps. The map at the trail head? Looked perfectly explanatory and yet I was lost within minutes of leaving the sign.
I pay attention to my surroundings, being a slightly paranoid person I'm aware of what's going on around me all of the time.
But I can't spot a marked trail head?
And guess what? I took a picture of the trail sign but then later on couldn't figure out how to make the camera show me the pictures I took.
Sigh.
I tried to find some positives and I realized that I had a lighter and I know how to build a fire so if I got really cold I could have easily, State Forest fine be damned, started a fire to rest by.
I also know that with no help at all I would have reached my car eventually. My estimate would have been in about 5 or 6 hours. I don't think I could have driven home but I had water in the van and I knew I could turn the heater on if I got cold and slept until morning.
At which time I could have figured out how to drive myself home.
Obviously I have a family who cares about me and that didn't happen but why was I in that predicament to start with?
Because I was once again wandering the world lost.
It's like that part of my brain just doesn't exist.
When I was talking to the Island King on the phone he asked for my bearing.
What?
I have a bearing screen on my GPS so I flipped to it and read him what I saw.
Which he said had to be wrong. Except that I was reading exactly what I saw.
He later explained that while the bearing thing says one thing you're supposed to read it differently.
Ok.
I've come to the realization that if I could find my way around I wouldn't end up in situations like this one.
The Island King says he can teach me.
I'm certainly willing to give it a try - and I hope it works - but my confidence level isn't very high.
I'm very disappointed with myself.Labels: Done