The beauty of accidents

Now I know what you’re thinking: accidents – beautiful – not in my world.

But I am talking about a very minor accident: a waitress who spilled water.

It beaded on the black table sets and made a very pretty pattern.

 

No, not all accidents cause beauty, it’s enough that this one did.

 

 

Housework is good exercise…

If it doesn’t kill you!

Having finally finished a photo album yesterday and having a few hours at my disposition before enjoying a weekend in the mountains, I thought that I’d catch up on a few tasks:

• Wash the car finally – I do this when my fingers start getting too dirty opening up the trunk to store things, or if I am going to have friends in the car – whichever comes first and usually only three or four times a year.  Nothing happened other than pinching a finger with the vacuum hose, getting my hair even fluffier (and totally not the look I like) with the spray of the water, and almost tripping over the vacuum cleaner at home finishing the car, never mind banging my head whilst coming back out of the car. I survived that

• Empty out the dish washer, which I had finally run after about a week: fairly innocuous as only banged another finger

• Clean up the stair well leading down to the cellar: my biggest danger zone as can manage to tangle feet, hands, arms and any other loose body parts in any part of the vacuum cleaner (fortunately my hair can be tied back or that would probably end up being sucked into the tube as well!) and cause myself to trip: surviving that was the highlight of the cleaning frenzy! 

• Dusting desk and other areas where the cats have settled as they are shedding big time at the moment: thank goodness that I was so allergic in my childhood that I needed medical treatment – otherwise that might have done me in.

Now, I know that I promised the boys that I would no longer get up on a ladder, nor a counter, etc. if no one was in the house – a promise that still holds as I know someone who broke both wrists recently getting up on her counter, slipping and falling.  However I didn’t think of those simple household chores as laying in wait for my clumsiness (nothing to do with age – I have always tripped, stumbled and otherwise been an accident waiting to happen – luckily I also have a better than average sense of balance and 99 times out of 100 I am able to catch myself. It’s that 100^th time.

So, although I am sure that the bending, squatting and otherwise turning were good for my body, dying in a stupid household accident wouldn’t improve my health: new vow – give up housekeeping in the interest of my longevity!

pixshark.com

Accidents – Act III

Ah, almost welcome this one, as now that we have three, things will be fine again (superstitious – who me?).

Now we know that all accidents are dumb, if only one could figure out what dumb things were going to lead to accidents, the world would be a safer place.

And they always hinge on a series of decisions, those famous “what if?”; “if only I had/hadn’t”.  In this case a call to a friend to see if I could have lunch with her as I was returning from the mountains. The original answer was “oh, I wish I could, but I already have another friend coming for lunch”, which a day later changed to “my friend just called to cancel, are you still free?”, which led to my going around via the freeway instead of through France, which led to…

We had a lovely lunch, getting caught up on various and sundry in both of our lives (we enjoy meeting with our other friends as well, but sometimes just two allows one to delve further into the small problems and joys, those that might not concern anyone else).

Being on that side meant that I could also stop first at Ikea to see if there was anything interesting in the “bon fillon” (read rejects, unpacked objects, things that have been returned, etc.) – no.

The real goal was to look into the Nike outlet mall and see if I couldn’t replace my walking shoes. Hate to name names, but sometimes it’s just appropriate (Nike Outlet in Aubonne in case anyone needs to know). Interesting – everything is white and fluo pink, green, yellow or weird shades of lavender, blue, orange. Guess they don’t expect persons of my generation to be interested in a decent coloured walking shoe. Nevertheless did try on a couple whereupon a salesman rushed over to see if he could be of use. I duly inquired as to why they didn’t have anything in beige/black etc. as the lavender and hot pink weren’t going to work with my khaki walking clothes (didn’t bother to explain that they also weren’t going to work with my black trousers and sky-blue shirt), never mind that white gets dirty so quickly when I am walking in the mud! I jokingly asked if there were any more less in-your-eye ones in the men’s section, then actually thought hmmm… maybe not a bad idea since the women’s section also was missing anything at all in size 9 - the ideal size for me.  He disappeared (and must have been collared by another client as I didn’t see him again until after the accident when I went looking for him to report the incident) and I, with one new shoe on my left foot and my normal shoe on the right foot, two cartoons in my arms and my purse, toddled over to the men’s sector. OUCH, right foot came down on something sharp and in a reflex motion in order to not stick whatever it was in further I lifted up that foot and tried to look at the sole (fairly thick let it be noted): not a good idea as since the left shoe was untied and not my normal one, I slightly lost my center of gravity; started to put the right foot down again, but that was too painful so re-balance and down I went.

almost actual size!

Turns out it was the tack part of those huge security tags (the next time they take one off of something you buy, take a look at the size of those things – at least 1 centimetre long if not more!). No one in sight in that isle… took off shoe, pinched to get a drop of blood then looked for the salesman and explained. Got some antiseptic and a bandage: didn’t buy any shoes.

Fortunately nothing else hurt and – as predicted after my last loss in a restaurant – the price was right – i. e. O. Just mad that it ruined my perfect record for the year of no falls (o.k. slightly bruised inside of the left elbow – must have been the boxes in that arm). Going to be entertaining to explain this one on my osteoporosis study report (have to turn in a monthly report for a year about any falls  - one would have thought that at least it could have been a “genuine” one on a mountain trail or something).

So I should be mishap free for at least a bit.

Here’s hoping that none of you ever have any either.

It’s been a right old week, not one to be repeated!

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One of those that comes unexpectedly (preparing for disaster isn’t something I keep at the front of my mind) and that, once ended, one sighs with relief – everyone alive and accounted for!

They always start out innocuously…

I was thinking of fixing my noon meal up in my mountain retreat 5 days ago when I starting getting text messages from housemate D-L's fiancé... “en route to hospital with D-L – she fell and hit her head”... “ in the ambulance on way to the hospital”...etc. By the time I had eaten lunch and fielded a few more text messages, I decided that I had best get back to Geneva. Only stopped at the house long enough to dump my stuff before continuing on to emergency. Scans showed no reason for the fall (fortunately) but she did have several fractures around her eye: no blowing her nose for several months and sneezing only with her mouth open. They kept her for observation that night and we came home around 10 p.m. stopping for a beer on the way to decompress. Up early the next morning, but we weren't able to get any news or visit until 10 a.m.  Once there we learned that she would be released, but they set up another meeting with the facial surgeons for that afternoon so D-L and R decided to stay until then.

I ran several errands, then on the way home got a text message from another friend saying that she would be flying overseas the next day as her daughter had been programmed for a C-section early Saturday morning. Had a quick coffee with her until D-L and R called around 5 p.m. that they were ready to come home. We celebrated as best as possible the publication of her 8th novel, which was officially released that very day.

Thursday was re-trench, take stock and recuperate: R spent the whole day raking leaves, pulling weeds and re-designing my front yard – D-L rested. I finally got back to some of my office tasks.

Friday I helped my older son get a few replacement items for his flat: due to his “bad back” (a herniated disc back in December), it was mother picking up boxes and loading the car whilst apparently healthy son looked on (good thing there weren’t too many people around and it certainly gives me more perspective on what problems others might have who look healthy because their “handicap” isn’t readily visible).

But fortunately time never stands still and positive usually follows negative.

Last night R threw a surprise party for D-L to celebrate the publication of Murder in Paris with several of her friends and out she went, swollen face and all – a very summery night, a table on the outdoor patio, great company – all worth it.

This morning I received news that baby E had been born and that “mother and child” are doing fine.

It has been a zoo. Anyway, certainly not bored, but no time to blog either!
Next week will be calmer (my prayer to the gods that be).