YakTrax

Note metal ice-grippers.

Anyone who follows this here blog knows yrs trly has recently fallen four times on ice.
The first three times, all on the same walk, last Wednesday, February 13th, 2013, were of little consequence.
But the last time, Friday February 15th, I came up hurting.
I’m 69.
I landed on my left knee, and ended rather pranged.
Obviously I made it sound worse than it was, because it’s healing quickly, but it still hurts to bend that knee.
I was deluged with a torrent of advice, admonitions to ice and not work out. I also received numerous recommendations for Ibuprofen®.
I never got around to Ibuprofen or icing. But I did work out, or rather I attempted, since inactivity seemed to make it hurt more.
Swelling was barely noticeable. You’d have to look hard to see it.
I also got advice for YakTrax®, snap-on ice-walkers as illustrated above.
I had already ordered same before I got the advice. I ordered YakTrax before I wrote and circulated the “Pranged” blog, which precipitated the advice.
I’ve always been leery of ice-walkers; I (we) never had them. I could usually walk around the ice, or gingerly if I couldn’t.
Nothing of any import happened in the past, at least not enough to spring for ice-walkers.
I’m sure I’ve been slammed to the ground, but apparently without consequence.
But this most recent fall was enough to tip the balance; plus I keep getting older.
I ordered YakTrax online from good old Zappos. There were other outlets that had them for less, but add the shipping and they end up more than Zappos. Zappos is free shipping, plus quick.
It was also suggested I try Wal*mart, but that’s a trip to Wal*mart, plus I got sick of being bussed by urine-smelling geezers at the entrance.
So now I have ice-walkers, the YakTrax pictured above.
I give them a B-plus, maybe even an A-minus. They’re not miraculous, but they do make walking in treacherous conditions easier.
That is, I’ve had my feet slide on ice even with YakTrax, but hardly ever.

• RE: “I (we)”......... —My beloved wife of over 44 years died of cancer April 17th, 2012. At the time she was 68. I miss her dearly.