"We Don't Eat In No White Restaurant"

Just got off the phone with Clif. The boy managed to mess up his knee again in a cross-country race Saturday morning.

The history of Clif's knee trouble is varied and rather squishy. It all started when he was in high school and playing soccer. Someone came in for a slide tackle from a very bad angle, and Clif's left knee bent inwards in a way that knees are specifically designed not to do. He ended up having surgery (fun!) and sitting out for most of the rest of the season. The next year, he twisted his knee the wrong way, popped the sacs of fluid that keep the knee floating the way it's supposed to, and had to have the thing drained.

Anyway, he managed to twist it wrong again while running Saturday, and then he proceeded to run the rest of the race (he was less than halfway through) on the bad knee. On the positive side, he ran an exceptionally fast last mile because he was in serious pain and wanted to get the race over with. Now he says it's swollen and squishy, meaning it's probably filling up with fluid and he'll have to go have it drained. He can't bend his knee to even a right angle, so it's definitely having trouble.

Basically, each Cottrell kid has foot or leg troubles all his own--Clif has his knee (and several problems with his heels--when he was younger, he was growing too quickly, and the growth plates in his heels heated up from the friction and fused together. He's also got these weird lumps on the back of each heel which are probably bone spurs). Scott has weak ankles and a club foot. I was born with my toes touching my shins, and now I've got gout (which isn't hurting anymore, thank God). From the thighs down, we're in sad shape (hell, from the waist up, I'm in sad shape. I'm in sad shape basically all over).

Anyway, aside from discussing his wonderful knee affliction, we also talked a bit about history (I've got a few books I need to loan him for his Senior Seminar), and a bit about Yeti. We're probably going to try to play some music when I go visit Arkansas in a couple of weeks. Might even put on a little show for those interested in being there. Just don't know location yet. We'll figure something out, I'm sure.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: Led Zeppelin, "The Ocean"