Spring is a dangerous time, I think. The first signs of it and I get all excited and what-not, I start wanting to explore natures doings and see whats happening out and about. Therefore, I have been getting off the bus in Killearn of an evening and walking the two miles home - until Wednesday that is. Wednesday, I met a pot hole just outside of Killearn, which meant I kissed tarmac and broke my glasses, I also have four stitches much to the hilarity of everyone at work. There has been a distinct lack of sympathy at home too, however despite the stitches and the red and yellow and blue brusies to my eye and schnoz it actually doesn't hurt (and I am one class A wimp).
When I finally staggered indoors about 8.00pm after I did it, the offspring were watching TV, Nr.2 swivelled his head and said along the lines of "hmmph, that looks bad" and swivelled back to watching TV. Nr.3 said something along the lines of "hmmmmmm, you've ripped you tee shirt - people will see you" and also swivelled back to the TV and Nr.1 never even twitched. Now as it is on my forehead, foreheads bleed a lot and I was covered in blood so I did look quite a sight. When Gravel-guy got home at 9.00pm he barely registered it, but reluctantly agreed to take me to Stirling A&E for stitches as it was still bleeding and I couldn't quite smoosh it together. I'm glad he didn't know that we would eventually get home at 2.30am as it was pretty busy there that night and he is not a night-owl.
I have to admit I did feel a bit of a pillock wandering in with something that only needed a few stitches (but there is no on-call doctor out our way and we would have been told by NHS24 to go there anyway), but as the A&E was full of students "feeling funny" (but not funny enough to stop them making out with each other) I guess I wasn't draining the time and resources too much - well I hope not anyway. And we were there well before the usual drunks.
But the real nuisance has been my hands are bruised and a bit grazed - which makes knitting uncomfortable, so I have hardly touched the cardigan I was motoring along on (plain, boring old stocking stitch but will be embellished later with a bit of bling). Nor have I been as busy in the garden as I would be - but that hasn't stopped the tulips and things that can carry on regardless - fab eh, isn't nature just genius? This has meant more time dolefully watching more and less time doing, which means I have noticed the neighbourhood cats all like my back garden. And my little garden is full of precious little seeds, and there is a cat next door that likes to leap at our washing when it is hung out to dry and try and pull it off (not the washing in his garden you understand). Now I like cats, so I have fleeced and netted and laid sticks as much as possible but still they are there - it is like a cat queue (especially in front of the guinea pigs), it is like the drunken teenagers in Glasgows city centre of a Saturday night - there are hordes of them.
So I have bought this......
un-flipping-believable, the kids can't believe it - we've never had toy weapons on our property of any kind. Anyone bringing their favourite plastic pistol/toy sword to play was always made to leave it at the garden gate, even if they came with their mummies and their mummies made a fuss - we have always been a no-weapons household and no negotiations. But the neighbourhood cats, now thats a whole 'nother story.
Let battle commence.
I thought students felt funny all the time. I fell flat on my face and broke my glasses once, and grazed my nose and top lip. I got the impression that people didn't ask about it in case it was my husband that did it, even although I don't have a husband. I was travelling at the time and spent the rest of the day in an A&E in Chicago, which was interesting - when I got home, all my friends were far more interested in hearing about the hospital than any of the art galleries and museums I had visited on the trip. Get some calendula cream and put that on the graze and stitches constantly: I usually scar very badly but I didn't after that fall and that's what I put it down to. I was able to claim for new glasses on my insurance; check if you can too.
Is that enough advice to be going on with?
Posted by: Helen | April 28, 2009 at 02:35 PM
Love the water pistol - have shooed my neighboours two dogs off one of my raised beds today so any more transgressions and I might be buying one for myself.
Posted by: Carol Juniper | May 01, 2009 at 03:55 PM
I had to laugh -- I hope it works! And I hope you heal up quickly, it's no fun to have a banged-up face, let alone hands that don't want to knit. :)
Posted by: Jocelyn | May 02, 2009 at 12:36 AM
Blimey - crumbs that was a fall and a half! Hope its healing well :)
Love the story of the water pistol. Did make me laugh. And good for you for not letting your kids & their friends play with guns at yours.
Posted by: RoxyKnits | May 04, 2009 at 04:25 PM
Oh no--I'm so sorry about your fall! Sounds a lot like my fall last spring. I think the sidewalks are starting to fight back--after all those years of being walked all over, they've had enough and they're not going to take it anymore. I think we all need to keep our eyes on them. Seriously, though, I can totally empathize with you! The broken glasses, hurt and bruised face, messed up hands, the works. Heal quickly!
I don't know if you got the same question I keep getting--were you drunk? Um, no.
About the garden--I say good girl! Those cats drive me crazy. I'm tempted to do the same thing after they used my veggie garden as a toilet all winter. I advise putting some cayenne pepper in the water to give them something to remind them of you :)...
Posted by: Jeanne | May 07, 2009 at 04:53 AM
Oh dear. Hope your forehead heals well and that cats stays away
Posted by: Beate | May 10, 2009 at 12:24 PM
I hope you have got over your trauma now and that you are healing fast.
Love the story about the water pistol, must tell mum as she is plagued with cats in her lovely garden.
Sandie
Posted by: Sandie kerensky | May 12, 2009 at 06:24 AM
Well that made me cuss a little. Sorry you had scarce little sympathy. If it had been one of them, I'm sure they'd have played it up with grandiosity.
Anyway! Your tulip pics are beautiful. Hope you heal up all good as new in no time flat.
Posted by: April | May 23, 2009 at 01:37 AM
Sorry I didn't hear about this earlier - hope you are well recovered by now...and holding back until the day one of them comes home with a sad tale of woe - I hope you can manage a "oh dear - too bad" sort of comment and leave it at that! Rotten kids!
Robyn
Posted by: Robyn Peterson | July 16, 2009 at 04:01 AM