Matt broke his knee, but who cares?  Jet Set Zero has a new cast member.  Say hi to Nick.

Well, this one didn’t get done exactly when I thought it would, but here it is none the less!  Thanks for being patient, I think these episodes are often worth the wait and this one is no exception.  Not much to say about Starting on the Right Foot other than “enjoy;” I had fun making it (and naming it) so I hope you have fun watching it.

I was lucky enough to work near an orthopedic clinic famous for working on professional baseball players.  So they don’t mess around.

Another favorite is the massive machine they call “The Biodex.”

Me knee gets strapped into a rotating metal arm which automatically bends and unbends my knee. 

It’s quite intimidating to have your injured leg moved by contraption bigger than you powered by enough lbs/sq.ft. that there’s no way I could manually stop it.  So, bit by bit, the ligaments in my knee are stretched to a more normal shape and size.

All things considered, my knee is healing fast.  The clinic is excellent and I trust the rehabilitation regimen they have me on.  I’m off crutches, I can walk up stairs using both legs, and I no longer have an obvious limp.  At this point, the biggest barrier between me and the adventures of Seoul is no longer my leg but my job…but that’s a story for another time.

However, I have started a new physical therapy regimen…This kind of therapy was mistakenly translated as “radioactive therapy,” which was an unfortunate mistake.  I had a brief fantasy that it was causing my knee to hyper-regenerate, but instead it’s just pulsing sound waves to encourage circulation…and hopefully hyper-regeneration.

Please, oh gods of orthopedic healing, please heal my knee!  Also, it would be great if you could speedily remove the all the hideous bruises before I’m forced to wear shorts.  Go ahead, keep reading, you know you want to see a picture…

My knee needs to heal, because Seoul is starting come alive beneath our feet.  As spring rouses itself, all the mountains welcome hikers to their trails.  Nightclubs and parties are proving more common.  The weather almost demands that I go outside and play some sports. 

Instead, I missed the last train connection on Saturday night, huffing and puffing my way through the transfer tunnel as all the old Korean men scurried past me.  I’ve also slipped on a manhole and would have fallen, cursing in pain, had I not steadied myself with my injured leg, cursing in pain.  When the sun comes out, at least I can stand outside like a potted plant, steadied by my crutches, which I still use when traveling long distances.  I just wish my knee could photosynthesize its way to recovery.