Day 12

Well today was pretty uneventful. I woke up very early and went to the gym here in Plymouth. My brothers wife's sisters daughter Bridget picked me up. I thought I would be nice and get her a banana from the hotel so I put on in my pocket for her and one in my pocket for me. When I was getting in the car, I said, "I got you a banana" and I was trying to get it out of my pocket, I realized what it looked like and apologized to this poor girl. I swear I am not a dirty old man.

I had dinner tonight with my nephew Sean. This was the first time EVER that I sat and talked to him and what a fine young man he is. I have a million girls in Florida I would love to hook him up with. A Mass Maritime Grad, good job, owns a house and only 24.

Then back to my room and up again early tomorrow. I look as though I have cankels. I guess the flying yesterday really did a number on my leg. It is really swollen. No pain but very swollen. I will be putting many pillows under it tonight. So I am going to bed but I leave you with this quote:

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius

Day 11

There are so many things that you take for granted in every day life. Cooking a meal, mowing a lawn, peeing at a urinal. Today I was traveling to Boston and Adam took me to the airport and dropped me off to the guy with the wheel chair. I was able to get through security fairly quickly and after a swift stop to get some food, I thought it best to go to the rest room before I got on the plane. I ALWAYS go in the stalls because I am very pee shy but just my luck there were non available. I had the choice of 4 urinals. I chose the one closest to the wall so that I could lean my crutches against the wall and if I were to fall I would have a wall to lean on. So I was doing my thing (peeing) and one of my crutches starts to slide, and falls right in front of my stream. I freaked out thinking that I was going to have backsplash, I tried to stop midstream which is very hard, and I was too late. In the shock of the crutches falling, I did lose my balance and fell forward to catch myself and ended up flushing the urinal with my shoulder and I left the restroom...........wet!

After washing for a long time I was able to dry a bit in the blower. I was put on the plane, which was full by the way, and made the long 3 hour flight without incident. My sister Patty picked me up at the airport, we picked up my mother and went to my sister Mary's house for dinner. Mary should be on the Food Network with her own show. She is an amazing cook and quite the entertainer.

After dinner I had a car pick me up to bring me to my hotel in Plymouth. The hotel was great in getting me a room close on the first floor so that I did not have to walk so far. So with Dancing with the Stars in the background, I sit here exhausted and ready to get some sleep. So tonight I leave you with this quote:

Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Oliver Goldsmith

(pretty sure he did not mean into a urinal)

Day 10

Because I posted Saturdays blog this morning, it will look like two entries in the same day but really Day 9 entry was for Saturday the 27th and this day 10 is for Sunday. Really who cares???? No one!!!!

So today my sons Kyle and Adam helped me with the yard work. I sent them on the roof to get a few pile of leaves before they blew off all over my grass. Last week Adam and Ryan raked and picked up leaves for me but I did notice a bunch on the side of the house. So as they were on the roof, I hobbled a rake over to the side and started raking. I wish I were my neighbors watching me because I am sure they think I am a nut case. It is amazing how creative one gets when they have to do something on crutches. I was using the rake to balance myself on one side and one crutch to balance the other as I pulled the rake to create the piles. I was hopping on one foot a few times to get the piles together. I started laughing at myself imagining people watching me. Well I got the job done by the time my sons got off the roof and they had to pick up the piles of leaves. They were amazed at how I was able to get the leaves raked. Where there's a will there's a way right?

After being the watchman as my kids did the lawn, mowing and edging and blowing, I came in and wrote 2 chapters of my book. I am thrilled with the amount of writing I have done but I still have a long way to go. 30 years is a lot to write about.

Karen wanted to go to the gym, so I joined her and worked on my abs and did some cardio which consists of bouncing on a big ball and moving my arms like I am doing jumping jacks. Again, if I were someone watching me, I would so be making fun of me.

We came home and I attempted another shower on the broken stool. So instead of sitting today I tried to stand and put the knee of my broken leg on the stool and OMG, the weight of my body broke another slat of wood. I give up. No splinter on my knee but it did leave a mark. I was able to finish the shower without incident and got ready to go sing at a youth group function at church. When I pulled up there were only 6 kids there and about 8 adults. By the time I finished singing there were 8 adults. I always said, I appeal to under 7 and over 60.

So now my boys and their girls are upstairs playing pictionary and I relish in the laughter and happiness I hear. What an amazing thing being a parent is. Your kids grow up and fall in love yet you never feel as if you have gotten any older. Where has the time gone. I leave you today with this quote:

The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it.
Plutarch

Day 9

Remember 2 days ago when I was so excited to take a shower and then the next day I forgot? Well I took my second shower and it was a slight disaster. We have had a teak wood stool in our shower for years and that is what I sit on while in the shower as I can not stand on my right leg. We are fortunate that our shower nozzle changes heights because of the extreme height difference between my wife and I. Well in the middle of my shower one of the wood strips in the seat decides to break causing me to loose my balance a bit and my @$$ went a bit deeper into the now broken seat and you guessed it.....a splinter!!! So picture this is you will, a 6 foot 3 inch wet, naked man sitting on a broken stool with a broken leg trying to remove a piece of wood from his @$$. Time for a new stool.

After taking my shower, I had to be at my church at 2:45 for a rehearsal for Easter music and to sing at the 5:00 mass. I was the cantor so I had to be there. No one was home to drive me so I took my boot off, got in my mustang and drove myself. Can you say Granny? I really should not have done that but I did arrive in one piece. They had a stool for me to sit on and a chair for me to prop my leg up on right next to the piano. I felt like a lounge singer in church. All I was missing was the wine and a cigarette, but the wine was coming during communion. I got through the rehearsal and the mass and on my way out so good friends of mine Laura and Joel Keller, offered for Joel to drive me home and Laura came and picked him up at my house. This was way out of their way but I did appreciate the ride. Once home I sat and waited for Karen and Lexi to get back from the dance competition. I started writing in my book and needed to verify some information so I called my sister Patty and she was having dinner for my mother and my cousin and I talked with them for the next hour.

Karen and Lexi came home and when she walked in the door she looked like Mark Spitz with all of her medals. She won 6 double platinum medals (the highest you can get) and 2 platinum medals. The trio she was in came in first over all and she had a big trophy for that. I am so sad that I missed it. She had 5 more competitions coming up so I know that I will be going to a few of those. They were so tired when they got home that it was right to bed.

So I leave you with the quote of the day:

Our life's a stage, a comedy: either learn to play and take it lightly, or bear its troubles patiently.
Palladas

Day 8

Where were you 26 years ago today? I was experiencing my first day as a parent. So young with a wife and child and no family close by. I tell you what, I can still remember watching this life come into the world and realizing I helped create that. My poor tiny wife squeezing this 6 pound 12 ounce child out and all I have to do is say breathe!!!! I know that does not seem fair but God knew that men would not be able to deal with the pain of child birth. He was right. I could barely deal with the pain of a broken bone.

So today I did the gym thing but this time Karen drove me and I was on my own. People were nice enough to help me if they saw me struggling trying to get a weight. Not that bad but I like working out with Kyle cause he carries a stool for me to sit in and carries my water. After the gym I came home and wrapped all of the gifts we got Ryan yesterday.(even though he knew what they were we did it cause Lexi gets so excited) Then it was my weekly journey up the stairs to work in my real office. I had a phone meeting with PartyLite and put some music together for Lexi. I actually forgot I could shower and filled the tub up with water and being the frugal person I am, I just took a bath. I will not forget again!!!!!

By the time I got out Ryan and Cayla (his fiance)Kyle and Erica (his fiance) and Adam and Lauren(his girlfriend) were here for dinner. Karen made a great fish and pasta meal and it was so great having the whole family here. We opened the gifts and I was off to play cop in tight clothes pretend stripper on crutches for a friends bachelorette party. It was quite odd asking my son to take me to go strip for a girl that he dated once who was getting married. My other son took me. LOL. Oh the things you do for friends.

Now I am home in the dark. Karen and Lexi are in bed resting up for the long day tomorrow. Lexi has a dance competition. My leg feels okay. A bit swollen but still okay. So now it is my turn to go to bed. I leave you with this quote today:

Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.
Doug Firebaugh

Day 7

What a day I had today. I went to the doctor for my post op check up and I am healing quite well. He told me he wished he turned the screw in my leg two more times to get it further in the bone but he was being picky. My stitches came out and I can now shower!!! It's the little things :) I can take my boot off and move my foot around to get circulation going and only stand putting the weight of my leg down. I can not use the boot to walk on yet. Good news all around. I go back in 4 weeks and I know that I will be ready to resume my life again.

I went to the gym with Kyle and Eric and then came home and took a shower. It was the longest shower I think I have ever taken. Soooooooooooooo nice!!! I had to fix my own breakfast today and although it took a long time to do that, I DID IT!!!!

Ryan and his fiance picked me up and we went to the Mall at Millenia to get Ryan a new wardrobe for his birthday tomorrow. I insisted on him getting clothes that fit and not baggy hoodlum clothing. We even bought him a suit. Oh my baby is all grown up. He is 26 and he's got a suit now. Well he is technically not 26 until tomorrow but still, he looked great in all of his new clothes.

I came home and folded laundry that was left on the couch and watched Ugly Betty. So sad that show is cancelled. Great show. I then heated up some left overs and my neighbor took me to the homeowners association meeting. I just got back from that and still no one is home. Karen and Lexi have been at that dance studio for HOURS getting ready for this weekends competition. Costume pass out etc.

I am now sitting in a pitch black house and only hearing the noise of the clock ticking. It is glorious. I love my family but my time alone in my house is so rare that I cherish every moment. So I will sign off right now leaving you with this quote:

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.
by Aldous Huxley

Day 6

You know when you try so hard to be careful, there is that one moment that passes that just messes things up. I went out on an outing today with Karen to get some tickets to upcoming shows at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. It was nice to get out and I really did not have to walk far at all. Karen pulls into our driveway and lets me out before parking in the garage. I start walking when my right crutch slips out from under me and I fall stepping onto my broken leg. I fell to the ground to take the weight off of my foot and began to curse like I have never before. Of course every curse word that came out was spelled with a "PH" and not an "F". I got up and got in the house and Karen called the doctor to see if they wanted to see me. Tomorrow is my 2 week check up anyway so they said just keep it elevated and ice it if I saw any swelling.

We took the boot off and unwrapped the leg and there was no swelling, just some pressure, so we iced it anyway and I have not moved since. I HAVE TO PEE!!!! I am now so afraid to move on my crutches. It was not bad enough that my new found rubber allergy had turned my hands and armpits into monster looking skin diseases due to the rubber on the crutches, but now I can't even walk on them without fearing that I might fall. UGH!!!!! The doctor prescribed me to get a knee walker which is like a walker on wheels with a place to put your hurt legs knee so that you can walk with the one good leg and roll with the bad leg. My insurance did not cover that and it cost $800.00 so needless to say, crutches it is.

Because of Lexi's upcoming dance competition, Karen is at the studio for hours on end with her and I am home alone, hungry with a full bladder. She does make me food before she goes but we all know how much I eat. She brings me water and the phones, gives me a kiss and off she goes. So many people said "if you need anything call me" but I hate to ask for someone to drive here to help me go to the bathroom. (Karen just called and said she was on her way home and had nothing planned for dinner so I ordered Chinese)

Today (other than the above) I went to the gym with Kyle and his friend and then have been working on my book most of the day. I did talk with my friend Chris who lives in Scotland over Ichat. We had a full voice conversation like we were in the same room. I don't have a camera on my laptop otherwise we would have done a video chat. Isn't modern technology amazing. Today I leave you with this quote:

Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.
by Jawaharal Nehru

Day 5

I am so blown away by the kindness of others. Today I had a visit from Melanie Stinger from the Finding Nemo the Musical cast. She brought me a care package from the cast as they deemed this "Lead Appreciation Week". Even though I am not there doing schedules and helping out (as I wish I were) they still included me in this awesome honor. The other lead, Serena, really deserves the cudo's as she is there doing both our work. What a wonderful group of people I work with.

My second visitors today were Steve and Tracy again who brought us Fat Free Peanut Butter. Sam's does not sell it anymore so they picked it up for us at B.J's. They are the best.

I am entering this late tonight because we had a parent teachers night tonight at Lexi's school. Right now she goes to a private Christian school and our thought all along was to keep her there through elementary school and then send her to public school come middle school years. Well she is now in 5th grade and has only 7 kids in her class. She has made the all "A" honor roll for the third term in a row and with the ABEKA curriculum that is quite a feat. The school had done a presentation tonight which in my opinion was a scare tactic trying to get people to stay in the private school because their enrollment is down. They made some valued points but basically it was scaring parents about moving kids to the public schools. This particular school has great academics and that is where it begins and ends. There are no gym classes, no computers, no extra curricular activities, no sports, no chorus, no drama.....but the kids can read and write and do arithmetic. A very old fashion school and it has served us well. Any thoughts?

Kyle once again to me to the gym today and I did get my workout in but the rest of the day I spent writing my book and answering emails. Thank you to my 4 followers. You are too kind. Oh, I took a bath today and got dressed in something other than shorts and pajama pants. It's the little things. I go to the doctor in two days to get an update on my foot. Feeling just fine.

I leave you today with this thought, "when you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours." My favorite quote from Dolly Parton.

Day 4 (really 18)

I did a whole workout at the gym today and did not pass out. My son took me to the gym and he and his friend were my weight beatches!!! They carried a stool around for me so that I could go from the machine to the stool to rest. If I needed extra weights, they were there to get them for me, and in return, they got a great workout themselves. I was there way too long. An hour for my weight training and an hour waiting for Karen to finish her classes. I tried to do some cardio but bouncing on a ball with jumping jack arms for 30 minutes did not quite do the trick. I got a bit winded but that was all.

I did manage to get myself upstairs today (YEAH!!!) and do some bills and get things done up there. I feel very organized at this moment. I have my office upstairs and my working office downstairs on my couch. Way to hard to get up there and down right now but it was nice to have a change of scenery.

Steve and Tracy came by this afternoon to say hello. I love chatting with those guys. We always laugh and you know that laughter releases good endorphins that keep you young. So anyone that will come by and make me laugh, you are welcome anytime. I missed Oprah, Ellen and Regis today. I feel so out of the loop already.

I am ready to get to work on my book right now so I will leave you all with these words:

"No chance has brought this ill to me, tis God's own work so let it be, He sees that which we can not see!!"

Making the best of what I have been given.

Bye for now!!!

Day 3 (or 17)

So here we are on a Sunday. Not sure how people who don't work, know what day of the week it is. If it were not for my daughter being home from school, I would not know the day. Every day seems to blend into the next. I get up, eat, sit on the couch, check my email, respond, call my mother (she is always home) go to the bathroom, sit on the other couch, and begin to write either my book or my blog or work on other projects I can do while....you guessed it, sitting on the couch.

Yesterday I went to a wedding of a friend of ours and had a wonderful time. I had not taken any pain meds for a few days so I was able to enjoy a glass of wine or 4. My leg got bumped once but after the wine, there was no pain. It was fun to see many people at work that I had not seen in weeks and show off my beard. You see at Disney, you can not have facial hair so being able to grow that is quite fun, yet itchy.

So day 17 of being injured and day 3 of the blog. Today I watched a dreadful Woody Allen musical with some pretty great actors. Glad I waited to see it for free. Then I watched Mrs. Doubtfire. What a fun movie. I did cry at the end. So now I am alone and writing the time away. Until tomorrow. TTFN

Day 2 (really day 16)

So this is day two of the blog thing. Day 16 since the big injury and no work. I finally got cleared to go back to the gym but of course I can only work upper body. After 3 exercises and forgetting it had been a week since my last visit, I got dizzy and had to leave. That did not keep me down though. I did go back later that evening with my neighbor and finish. You have to be very creative when working out on crutches.

Thank God for children. My son is outside raking leaves for me while his girlfriend is washing the cars. Gotta love 'em. Last week before my surgery, my son was on the roof trying to get the large amount of leaves out of the gutters and needed a bit of help. So I got myself up the ladder on my knees and was pulling the leaves out of one end while he was pushing the down to me. My wife came out and started screaming at me so I had to come down. I know it was stupid but I thought, if I were going to have surgery anyway and I broke something else, they would just fix everything. I know that I am not a good patient at all because I am always on the go, but I am learning to be better.

I have faith that God put me in this position so that I would slow down for a bit and have time to work on the things that I really want to work on that I never have time to.

Funny how children react to an injured parent. My daughter (who is 10) has LOVED me being down because I can read to her and I am not distracted by my 1000 other things. She hugs me all the time and we are having fun playing games and connecting. My poor wife is exhausted waiting on me I am sure. She makes my food for me before she leaves to teach her classes and checks in on my 12 times while she is out to make sure that I am behaving.

We have a wedding to go to tonight, no dancing for me, but it will be nice to get out. Until tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Why I started this

Well here I sit on a couch in my home 7 days after a surgery on my broken tibia. I have been a performer at Walt Disney World for 28 years now and have never even used 1 sick day and because I got injured outside of work, I now have to take all of the days I have saved up for years. Not Disney's fault at all, all my fault.

So now I am best friends with Oprah, Ellen and Regis and Kelly. I watched Julie and Julia the other day and thought that a blog about my journey to healing might be fun.

Having never been immobile for as long as I will be, I thought documenting my process might be a tad interesting. You see, for the past 10 years I have been working on a book originally called "20 Years, Wearing Ears". The story of my very successful career as a theme park performer. Believe me, this was not my idea originally. I was being interviewed for a magazine called "WHERE ORLANDO" and the writer was so intrigued by my stories, she suggested a book. I put it off for sometime and then thought, why not.

So after writing a few chapters, I have put it off again and again. I always know that one day I will finish it but never really have the time....correction....take the time. Now I have no excuses. I have 7 more weeks of healing to get a large bit of it done.

So why am I taking time away from by book to write a blog? Well, I wanted to look back on this "down time" and monitor my process of all that I do with my time to heal. I don't want to waste a minute of it by doing nothing but watching television. I need to have something to show for my time off. Now I will have this. I will blog each day about my recovery, and any interesting things that might go on in my life as an injured singer. I am not sure that I will have any readers. I really don't know how this whole thing works, but even if I am the only reader, it can be my diary if you will. So until tomorrow,

sung to the tune of the mickey mouse club sign off

B I L (love for you to read me)

L Y (why? because I like you)

FL AN I GA N.