Crick in my neck

I woke up this morning with a horrible crick in my neck.  It has affected just about anything and everything I do today.  I can't turn my head very quickly or it literally feels like knives are stabbing my upper right shoulder and back and the intense pain actually radiates down my arm and to my hand.  I don't recall the last time I had a stiff neck this bad but maybe it's because I haven't had one this bad while taking care of, entertaining, and running after a 17 month old.  It hurts to pick her up or play with  her and I couldn't even bend enough to help her get the toy that rolled under the entertainment center, poor kid.  I try to make the best of things most of the time but I just don't see the ability to do that with this.  It has, however, made me grateful that I'm healthy and feel good almost every day, and can do the things I need to without any discomforts to speak of. 

Last Thursday my neighborhood responded to a crick in it's neck and made it fun. 

There was a car accident a mile or two away where a car ran into a power generator.  The power was out around it for miles and miles, homes, restaurants, and stores were affected.  It only last 3 or 4 hours but I love the way our neighborhood responded.  We all scooped up our kids, dogs, etc, and set up "camp" in a neighbors driveway.  Some of us knew each other well, others it was a first meeting.  We shared laughs and swapped stories.  As the sun went down, the citronella candles and tiki torches came out as the rest of the neighborhood remained pitch black.  A little while later we heard the buzzing as lights flickered back on, yet people stayed just as they were.  No one rushed home to the comforts of electricity, they stayed around the warmth of neighbors.  Eventually the party broke up, but the next day an older neighbor of ours waved to me from across the street and said, "I hope the power goes out again soon."  I smiled and nodded.  I do too.