The Parboiled Foot

Last Wednesday I parboiled my foot.

This is not the beginning of a surrealist short story, but rather the account of a kitchen accident I suffered while making spaghetti. As I was carrying the pot to the sink in order to pour off the steaming water, I bobbled the lid, over-corrected spectacularly, and doused my right foot with about a cup of boiling water. Considerable yelling and hopping ensued.

Parboiling, a cooking technique useful in loosening potato skins, is similarly effective when applied to the human foot. The skin loosens from the foot and puffs up in a broad blister. (In cannibal circles, the foot would now be considered ready for a dash of tarragon and a turn on the grill.)

As a result of my injury, my program for Memorial Day weekend has included lots of sitting, interspersed for variety's sake with short periods of limping.