I wake up to the slight pulsing of my left big toe -- like the vibrations of a car with the bass up way too high. I clumsily dropped my skate onto the toe yesterdayblade down. I throw my covers off and swing my legs up into the air while still lying down so I can examine the toe. "Looks normal," I think. It's fine. I slide my legs off the bed and stand up. I walk groggily into the bathroom. With each step, my left ankle clicks and a sharp pain runs up my leg. I ignore it and continue on. You learn to adjust to the pain.