A couple weeks ago I wound up in the ER with intense pain. I couldn’t quite point to it, it was kind of everywhere. We have six local hospitals, each specializing in different things. I started with the women & children’s hospital, I am a small woman, made it over to the orthopedic hospital and saw four different specialists. I never did find out what the pain was, but I had a kidney infection, kidney stone, and a magically disappeared (well, flattened) disc between L1-L2.

I’d done nothing weird. No accidents. It just happened overnight. A CAT scan, MRI, some x-rays and ultrasounds, a week went by… I finally wound up with an Orthopedist. My choice was surgery to fuse my spine or therapy. I picked therapy. No way are they turning me into the six million woman.

Now, three times a week, I drive to Böblingen for therapy with an amazing woman named Emily. I love Emily! She’s teaching me new, ergonomic ways to sit, work, stand, even sleep. She also gives perfect, gentle, massages and helps  me strengthen my core so I don’t need that non-existent disc. For the first time in years, I have me-time three times a week. It was worth the pain.

Böblingen is usually less than a half hour away. I enjoy the time in my car with me, myself & I. It’s a peaceful drive from my rural village to the small city in the suburbs of Stuttgart. Except for last Thursday. Last Thursday was not half an hour but an hour and a half! The sun was out. All the cars were out. The autobahn was a parking lot. Luckily Emily is flexible, and she stayed and waited for me. Even better, I had a friend pick up Tess for me and meet me after therapy for dinner out. I did not want to get right back into traffic for another hour and a half ride home.

We met in downtown. Me, Tess, Ramona and her husky’s Argo and Khaleesi. It was almost sunset, and we walked the streets of Böblingen, teeming with people. Halfway to the Thai place, there’s a beautiful little fountain. It’s the kind that’s flush with the ground, multiple holes create multiple dancing streams. Sometimes they are up, sometimes they are down, sometimes they are moving up & down. It’s peaceful to watch. It’s not so peaceful to drink from if you are, let’s say, a husky.

Both huskies happily ran up to the fountain to get a drink. Only to jump back in surprise when the water went up. Or down. And again. They were not amused.  We, however, were very amused and we weren’t alone! We soon had a little crowd watching them trying to get a drink and then get surprised by a sudden spray of water. It was a wonderful giggle moment.

We wandered around a little more, stopped for dinner-in-a-box from the Thai place and ate outside by the lake. We treated ourselves to the first ice cream cone of the season, much to the dismay of two drooling huskies, and then walked back to our cars. I drove home with a very happy Tess, a full tummy and a peaceful heart. It feels good to get out of the house, walk around town, and eat a treat with friends. I’m doing it more. I really, really am.

The fountain was not cooperating.

Argo is not amused.

Quick! The fountain stopped spraying!

Argo is not amused. The fountain sprayed him. Again.

The trees are starting to bud & bloom around the lake.

I asked Tess to slowly walk Argo towards me. She’s running.

He posed for me!

We are having ice cream. They are not. They are not amused.

The Böblingen lake just after sunset. Time to go home.

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