Toasted by a toast

I was originally going to dedicate this blog strictly to Pete, but because my life seems to overflow with stories that start with "so there I was" I have decided to keep the public happy and share these stories as they occur.  Who knows maybe I'll publish it someday, so nobody steal my title which will be, "So, there I was..."

So........

So there I was... hiking briskly towards the end of Kaena Point, trying to make it there before the sun disappeared for the evening.  It was Friday,  I had carpooled to school with my friend Lindsay because my truck now decided it will only start if it is warm and dry.  Not super reliable when you live in the tropics.  Anyways, I knew we were hiking after school, but I had no idea a full on event had been planned.  Needless to say I was unprepared.  Big surprise.  Turns out we were going out there with a big group and everyone had brought delicious pupus and adult beverages.  Well, all I had to contribute was corner bag of smashed wild rice flax sticks from my lunch, so I decided to buy a bottle of champagne to celebrate the unexpected fiesta.  Lindsay and I arrived to the end just as the sun was creating some lovely oranges and pinks in the sky and the albatross were swooping all around us.  Well,  I happen to have bought a kind of champagne that my friend, whom was about to celebrate a birthday, loved, so I thought I'd text her a picture of me with the bottle and all the loveliness.  I asked Lindsay to take the picture.  Well, due to fact the sun was dropping rapidly,  I guess I felt rushed... well more like "pressured?"   Apparently the bottle felt it too.  Of course I happen to be holding the bottle less than a quarter of an inch from my lip,  looking at Lindsay who was about to snap the photo, and before I could say, "Happy Birthday,"  the cork blasted off right at my face!!!  It hit me with so much force I literally almost fell down.   I stood there for a second, silent, checking to see if I had all of my teeth and both eyes.  Once I realized I was okay Lindsay and I burst into laughter.  Now for those of you who don't know this,  I am actually missing my front tooth.  I were a prosthetic tooth that is attached to a removable retainer.  Remember, I happened to have been amongst about 12 or so people I had literally just met, so I was like Lindsay, roll with this.  So there I was drenched in champagne, bloody lip growing by the second, and now toothless.  Our group started trickling over to us to find out what all the commotion was about.  I was holding the bottle saying, "you guys'll never guess what just happened!"  Wow, the looks were almost worth the hickey mark bruise that is still on my upper lip days later.  I had to tell them eventually as some of them were actually looking for my tooth in the sand! 

Meet Pete

Hello, my name is Pete.  That's me on the right, the funky puffy looking one.  And NO... I was NOT stung by a bee!!! I am one in about 3 million who suffer from a rare form of lymphadema called Klipple Turner Syndrom.  So yes, I guess you could say I'm special.  I mean how many feet have you actually met?  I have spent most of my life in hiding, whether it be under the sand, under my bottom when I sit, or in shoes and socks, I have been basically buried.  I started this blog because I am done hiding and am here to say deformities are awesome!  I have met some really great people through my circumstance and without it I think my life would be, well,  normal, and who wants that?  Okay, so back to my profile.  Although I have the circulation of an 80 year old, I''m 30 years young, single, and ready to mingle, well once I loose a little cankle weight.  I like short walks in the shade, being submerged in water (especially cold water), yoga or anything involving an inversion, compression of any sort, gentle massage, being barefoot, elevation, foods low in sodium, and did I mention inversions?  I don't like being on my feet and I certainly don't like long plane rides.  Oh, and I hate alcohol (much to the dismay of Jake)!  You should see me after a night of drinking and dancing...not pretty.  Who's Jake you may be wondering?  Jake is the handsome devil on the right of me.  He's my fraternal twin and thanks to my pelvis we're fairly "attached."  I've spent most of my life living in the shadows of Jake.  I mean look at him,  wouldn't you be envious?  If I'm special, Jake's supernatural.  He's the jock, the good looks, the social one, basically the opposite of me (well the old me that is).  He takes the club out of foot, the peg out of leg, and the elephant out of titus.  You should see him play hackey sac, I'm basically the anchor, there for support, and he carries us.  He's aggressive, me passive.  I'm not very foot forward, like I said I hide myself almost without knowing it, probably to avoid those looks.  I don't like the lookers.   Maybe that's why I didn't own a pair of open toed shoes until I was in 8th grade and that was only because my best friend Jillian took it upon herself to help me pick out my first pair of sandals(side bar she also named me).  Well, I guess that's about it for me.  I am really excited about  my "coming out" and am officially ready to start putting my LEFT foot forward.