Monday, January 23, 2006

But I'm USUALLY So Responsible!

I am playing hurt. It's sort of an occupational injury, except it's not my occupation to live on the computer. So I guess I have no work comp claim, and OSHA need not be notified. But I have the dreaded computer related condition:

I have Mouse Elbow.

It's kind of like Tennis Elbow, but less athletic. Actually, I blame it on Shockwave. Somehow I got onto these "search and click" games, where you get a limited amount of time to find items in a picture, or to find differences between pictures. So, as my eyes were busily scanning back and forth the screen, I held the mouse at the ready, to get the fastest response time and beat the game.

Now, I doubt there is anything in human developmental history that requires the constant tensing of the right hand, with the index finger slightly raised, the elbow out to the side. The muscles of the forearm are not designed to spend as much time in that position as the games require.

So, my arm hurts. It's hurt for about a week now. And it's not just that it's sore; I actually have less strength in my right hand. I've had to develop my non-dominant hand for all kinds of things, like unloading the dishwasher, lifting cases of soda, pulling up the covers when making the bed. I've even had to switch my mousing hand. I expect that if I don't aggravate it, it will eventually go away. So, I'm not playing any "search and click" computer games for a while.

Besides, I already won them all.

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