Clumsiness. It's not just for elbows anymore.

So I had Christmas lunch with a friend on Thursday. At the mall at the Nordstrom's Cafe, because we are both hopelessly addicted to their food. At lunch we swapped gifts, and I received a lovely set of Christmas plates with snowflakes and snowmen (thank you again T!)

For those who aren't in MD, it poured down rain on Thursday.

As I was walking out of the store to get to my car, I had the box of plates tucked tightly under my arm. I stepped right into a puddle on the ceramic tile floors and my feet started to skid.

First thought to run through my head was surprisingly NOT a curse word. It was "Don't drop the plates!! They'll break!!"

As I skidded and slipped people around me started saying "oh oh oh!" Why didn't they just catch me? I know I must've looked like some sort of movie clip from the Keystone Cops.

I finally stopped once I got both feet on the rubber mats in front of the doors, but somewhere along the line my ankle twisted and my shoe didn't.

A nice man came running up and asked if I was ok. I thought so until I put weight on my left foot. He helped me out the doors into the parking lot. I managed from there.

I got home and started to tell Andy about it, including the hot sick feeling I had when my ankle twisted. But I had to stop part way through since it made him feel "yucky." I don't blame him. It made me feel yucky too.


5 Days Later and the bruising finally stopped
Originally uploaded by lglendinning.

The plates are fine.

Perhaps somebody stumbled?

Andy and I stumbled across this website.

Blog This

I was reading The Washington Post Style section this past Sunday, and they always have an article on some fun new kicky thing to do. At least it's always fun new and kicky to me. This past week was about creating a blog. And just for once I felt like I was cool and trendy. I already know about blogs. I've already had one for a couple of years. And then I read a little further and there were quotes from Rebecca Blood. And I get to that part and think "But I've met her!!!" We Andy and I went out to San Franciso she was at a dinner with her husband. Unfortunately, that's not a great shot of Rebecca but a nice one of her husband and of me and Andy looking completely sunburned. Picture courtesy of Photo Matt.

So now I feel slightly smug and vaguely famous as I now know someone who was quoted in the paper. Ok don't really KNOW her, but I met her and she was very very nice.

Another person quoted in the article however suggested that you blog as often as you eat. Meaning three times a day and twice a day for snacks.

I don't know about you people, but I don't have that kind of time!

The check is in the dog

Remember a few posts ago when I mentioned the fear that the dog was eating the checks?

It has become so.

Ok well, not really eating them. Just ripping one. In half. It was a referral bonus because my company hired someone I told them to. I was cooking dinner and the retarded smoke detector in our hallway is incredibly sensitive and also linked to our alarm system. It persisted in going off when there was NO SMOKE. So I threw open the door to the deck to let in fresh air, even though as I mentioned there was NO SMOKE. Apparently a breeze blew in and the check floated off the counter. And while I was busy trying to pry the smoke detector from the ceiling because it was going off even though there was still NO SMOKE and the house was now a lovely 32 degrees, the dog found the check on the floor and commenced ripping.

My dog has been expensive before with his eating habit, including x-rays to the tune of about $400. I never thought though that he would cost me more than $1000 in one sitting.

I got the check away from him before actually ate part of it. And I know I really shouldn't tell him he can have a cookie when he's destroying something because he'll just learn to keep doing it that way. But please tell me what I'm to do when he's tearing up a check and not a dish towel or a piece of trash???

Today I tried to take the check to the bank. I've been dreading this because I knew they'd look at me and laugh and then I would have to spend hours on the phone with the people in my payroll department trying to explain why I let my dog treat a check like a chew toy.

The good news? The bank took the check. They said because no pieces were missing and all the numbers and everything were still legible that they would just tape it and hand process it instead of shooting it through the check machine thingy.

All I can say is that I love my bank. And I came perilously close to kissing my teller. And the dog? Well, he got his cookie didn't he?

Why did God invent elbows?

I've never quite been at one with my body, elbows in particular. They always seemed to go opposite directions from the way they're meant to. Or the direction I want them to. I've managed to break quite a few things with them. Including a countless number of glasses, plates, bowls, and, on one of my more fantastic days, a Waterford cut crystal vase that was given to my grandmother on her retirement from the telephone company. Yes, THE telephone company. Back before it split 9 ways to Sunday.

This morning I met a friend for breakfast coffee. I got there a little early, ordered my double latte (hey! would you really want to see the results of me on espresso??) and took it over to the condiment counter to add my sugar (yes, my loads of sugar if you recall from an earlier post). I'd just got it all fixed the way I like it, sat the cup on the table, and with famous elbows akimbo (yes, I just used the word 'akimbo')managed to strike the side of it. Lid flipped off, cup overturned, coffee splattered all over the table, the seat across from me, and the floor.

It not being one of my more fantastic days, it did manage to avoid me, my coat and the other patrons.

My friend arrived moments after the last drop of coffee was wiped away. I told her she'd already missed the morning floor show and not to expect a repeat performance.

I'm quite grateful to the staff at Mad City Coffee, for tolerating me, and providing me with a second cup of latte on the house this morning. I'm also ashamed to say that I don't think the tip I left in your jar was nearly large enough.

London Bridge

London Bridge
Originally uploaded by lglendinning.

Trying things out again. Another picture from Australia. This time of me and Andy in front of London Bridge. A rock formation along the Great Ocean Road between Adelaide and Melbourne.

Mt. Connor

Testing testing


Mt. Connor
Originally uploaded by lglendinning.

Just testing this out. This is a picture I took when we were in Australia in the spring. I'm trying out Flickr, got inspired by Newton's Kumquat. Thanks for the idea :)