The upside of extended couch time

Breaking my leg has forced me to be much more sedentary than I have ever been. I mean, even for your typical astronomer. After the surgery, I was told not to put any weight whatsoever on my leg for a minimum of six weeks, at which point I would get an x-ray to see if I could try walking again. In my fourth-floor flat (no lift), I have only breathed free air twice in that period, so I welcome this next painful stage happily. 

That's not to say this has been an entirely unfruitful six weeks. I am by nature quite a busy body, so I need something more stimulating than television to keep me from going crazy. Given my limitations, I think I did alright:

• I'm reading much, much more intensely, at levels normally only attainable while on holiday, rather than just half an hour before bed.
• I've learned to knit! I have never even tried it before, and if you want to start, I can heartily recommend this book (and a very patient friend who knits) to get you going.
• I've mastered giving myself injections! Ok, maybe less exciting for you... TMI?
• You may have also noticed, I'm blogging again!

Noticeably absent from this list is "getting lots of work/writing done," which has declined if anything. Something about having to be in a reclined position at all times basically makes research impossible. Trust me on that one.

Apart from this, this time has taught me a new level of patience with myself. Everything takes ten times longer than it normally does, and that's a bigger hurdle than I expected it to be. Not to mention how one can really begin to appreciate how little Europe has embraced disabled access to anything at all. 

Hopefully in the coming weeks I can venture out of the house a little more, though I will struggle to restrain myself from beating the life out of the very spatially unaware Germans that tend to wander down the Hauptstraße. Wish me luck.