Hang Nine

I went to the beach this weekend to enjoy the final stretch of Summer and to gain some relief from this very hot Summer. At the beach, I exposed myself. I hung nine toes as I walked around the beach in modified shoes to accommodate the loss of my big toe that resulted from one of about 400,000 outdoor power equipment accidents that took place in 2003 (the year of the Rescue Rick accident). It was an interesting day to watch people who watched me (wearing my cape as well) - only to discover that I hung nine. There were several kids who came over and started counting my toes (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 - where is 10?). My tenth little piggy went to the market and never came back; he was sliced by a lawn mower blade. The highlight of my day was meeting a few teenage boys and girls who welcomed me into their group of surfers. I made reference to hanging nine a few times, and I was offered the use of a surfboard. I never surfed before, and I was concerned about my balance (not to mention the importance of the big toe in everyday balance). After falling several times, I was determined to hang nine and catch a wave. Finally, I made several adjustments to accommodate my disability, and I found my groove. I learned from this day at the beach that people were shocked to learn of so many lawn mower accidents each year. Also, the surfers that I met accepted a new style of surfing - HANG NINE. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man (sm) surfs on DUDE! Think before you cut. It hurts. (tm)

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man (sm)