The Princess And The...Holy Cow!

    [This post has been edited in an attempt to make it intelligible.]

     So this morning at work, my left foot suddenly started to ache.  It was really bad for a little while, then calmed down.

     The return of real-shoes weather is never a happy time for me; I carry most of my weight on the balls of my feet, I have very high arches and when I walk, I roll my feet from supinated to pronated like it was goin' outta style.  Keen has closed-toe sandals that fit me fine and in really cold weather, Milwaukee makes a jump-boot-style motorcycle boot that I find comfy.  The seasons in between, though--  I've worn Merrill trainers for years.  In recent years, I started getting squeezed across my foot just behind the toes and had to change to a box-laced pattern that only pulls tight across the last two eyelets.

     I mention it because this afternoon, the ache had faded but it sure seemed like the old discomfort was back on the left.  It almost felt like there was a rock in my shoe! I checked (no rock, it's never that easy) and loosened up the laces but it only helped a little; I was limping pretty bad when I left work.

     Got home and decided to have a close look at my foot.  There's usually nothing at all to see when this happens, but it felt pretty bad.  Peeled off my sock, turned my foot to see the sole and--

     Found a large and somewhat inflamed-looking spot with a big, dark splinter in the center of it!

     Sometimes, there is something to see.  Sometimes, the Princess isn't just being petty and petulant -- sometimes there's a good-sized pea under the mattress after all!

     A little careful tweezer work later, I feel much better.*  Maybe a bit of a soak in warm water and Epson Salts for that foot after dinner.
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* As John Astin was wont to say in his role on Night Court.