Two years ago, I missed the two tournaments I'd most looked forward to - the PdF Memorial Day Round Robin and the Pomme de Terre. Busy recuperating from knee surgery for a torn meniscus. I swore I'd make it to both the year after that. Instead, I was busy recuperating from a shin splint (the MDRR) and then a broken foot (the PdT). I even missed the Vets' Challenge in the fall. This year, oh yes, I was going to make it... to all of them. Registration opened for the tournaments, and I immediately signed up for both.

But no. It was not to be, once again. The ankle I sprained 6 weeks ago or so is still not healing well. It still hurts when I get up to walk around after sitting for any length of time. It kills first thing in the morning when I get out of bed, and half the time, I have to walk down the stairs sideways, like when I had my cast on last year. You'd think it would have healed by now. You would be wrong. You would also think that I would be wise enough to let the damned thing HEAL and not FENCE on it, but you would be wrong.(*)

So I reffed both days of Sectionals. And I reffed ME at the MDRR. And it looks like I'll ref both days of the Pomme, though not sure if it'll be epee or sabre. *sigh* At least I'll get paid. And I really enjoy reffing - and probably do better at it than I do at fencing. I'm even sitting in on the ref clinic at Worcester Fencing Club this weekend (eh, it'll be free, what with me being a real-live ref already) - just because. Still - I. Just. Want. To. Fence. For a few months, without getting injured. Is that really so much to ask?


(*)However, I am trying to fix that. I'm listening to my coaches and friends who tell me I'm being an idiot, and have made it through a week and a half without fencing (yes, I'm borderline homicidal right now), and don't plan to fence at all this week either (alert the authorities). Not sure how long I can make it. Guess doing yardwork isn't helping matters, but that 4 yards of mulch isn't spreading itself, now, is it?