Taking Research to an Extreme

I've always done extensive research for my stories. I've traveled to Rome, Egypt and Greece, hired private guides, spent hours in museums. But this time I've outdone myself!

Hestia, the protagonist in the novel I'm working on, Agathon's Daughter, has a bad foot. In ancient Greece, unwanted babies (especially girls) were left to die by exposure, and sometimes their ankles were chained to a rock. That's what happened to Hestia.

So, yesterday, I managed to mess up my foot quite badly. How? At work, when several of us were pulling an extremely heavy jet stairway away from a plane, the wheel ran over my toes. Yes, it was excrutiating, and I almost severed a toe, which would have put a damper on my future dancing. I got rushed to the hospital, and they did surgery on my foot. So, now I've got pins in my toes for four weeks, and I can't work. I have to wear this uncomfortable boot for three months. Sigh...

The good news: I have four solid weeks to write. Hopefully, I won't be too doped up to concentrate. Also: this is making me closer to Hestia. We both hobble around. :)

I don't recommend this type of research! But, if a stairway runs over your foot, try to make the best of it. Here's a photo: