Swift Changes of Direction

Owen called me at work today and cheerily asked me if I could get hold of Dad. I asked if he had called him and he said he had. I pointed out that I didn't have some magic telepathic way to communicate with Ernie despite our years of marriage. Oh, he said. I wasn't terribly concerned about Owen...I kinda told him to just suck it up. His father called later and said he was with Owen and he said he was in terrible pain from his knee. After some more back and forth I finally told the two of them to do whatever they wanted and gladly hung up the phone.

Ernie called me later to report that the doctor had said it was a recurrence of Owen's Osgood-Schlater disease. He was told to go home and put ice on his leg and begin a round of regular ibuprofen, follow up with his doctor and possibly physical therapy.

Owen was, of course, beside himself. "SEEEEEE MOM? You should BELIEVE me!!!"

Given that I habitually google the hell out of everything, I looked it up online. The Mayo Clinic site said: 

Osgood-Schlatter disease can cause a painful lump below the kneecap in children and adolescents experiencing growth spurts during puberty. Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs most often in children who participate in sports that involve running, jumping and swift changes of direction — such as soccer, basketball, figure skating and ballet.

I'm reading along thinking hmmmm, "Participate in sports that involve running? No. Participate in sports that involve jumping? No. Participate in sports that involve swift changes of direction? HA! YES...at least in a metaphorical sense....yes....many, MANY changes of direction in that boy's head...I just didn't realize it extended to his knees.

That amused the hell out of me for some reason.

and for no reason at all: some risotto with a dollop of kale-pecan pesto. Mixed them together and make risotto cakes the next night...pretty darn good!