Everyone has had “one of those days.”
It’s usually a Monday and every way you turn there is something you don’t want to see. For me, that day was Monday, Jan. 20.
I would like to preface this column with the fact that I am aware that most of the unfortunate events in this column are due to my own clumsiness, something I have come to grips with since I was a gangly pre-teen. I also realize how truly lucky I am and know these are all just minor blimps in a wonderful life I am blessed to have.
The day started off with me going to see my grandmother in Foothills Hospital in Calgary. Although it is sad that my grandmother is in the hospital, she is 94 years old and I have no doubt she is getting the best care she can right now.
However, when I arrived to see her on Monday morning, she was asleep and the nurse asked me to let her rest because she had been awake in the night. The nurse also let me know she wasn’t doing well and had a number of complications doctors were concerned about. So I sat with her for about 40 minutes and then took my leave.
In the parking lot, as I was backing out of the spot, I saw that the person in the stall across from me had their reverse lights on as well so I honked my horn loudly a number of times to warn them I was there. When they kept backing up, I put my car in drive to get out of their way. However, the driver kept backing up, right into my car.
There was little damage and because we were in a parking lot and moving so slowly there were thankfully no injuries, so we exchanged insurance information and went on our ways. However, if the driver had: A) been paying attention; B) heard my honking (I’m not sure how she didn’t) C) not backed straight out of a stall when she should have turned her wheel, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.
After gathering my thoughts and taking some deep breaths, I proceeded out of the parking lot – paying for parking on my way out of course. To recap before 9 a.m., I had received bad news about a loved one’s medical condition, driven to Calgary but not spoken to the person I was there to see, my car was backed into and I had paid for parking.
However, I counted myself lucky that grandma was in good hands, there was no real damage to my vehicle and no one was hurt in the minor traffic incident.
On to work, the work day went fairly quickly with the help of a cinnamon dolce latte from Starbucks (I felt I earned that).
When I got home, it was time to make dinner. As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I have an evil cat and a lovable dog. As I was grating some cheese to go with our fajitas (nothing cheers you up on a bad day like some spicy food), my two pets decided to play with each other, in the kitchen, under my feet, causing my hand to slip and grate a large piece of skin off my knuckles with our new (very sharp) cheese grater.
Ok, I bandaged that up and carried on making a delicious meal for my husband and I. Once the dishes were cleaned, it was time to take the dog out to the backyard to do her business.
In the fall, we put down some turf on the side of our house so she can use that as a bathroom and not destroy our backyard. Because she is still getting used to the turf, we take her out on a leash to use it.
Unfortunately, because of the recent freeze/thaw/freeze cycle, my backyard is the equivalent of an ice rink, except more dangerous, because the ice is patchy and uneven.
So, of course, I slip and fall on the ice, hitting my hip, side, arm and head in the process and landing on the cell phone I recently had fixed after it was broken for two months (I told you I was clumsy).
This is the point when I realize this day needs to end and I should not go outside again. So up to bed to watch TV and read for a bit. I’m finally tucked in safe and sound right? Nope, as I’m settling in, I hit my head (already a little sore from the fall) on the headboard… yep that was the last straw. Despite it being before 10 p.m. I turned of the light and called in a no good, very bad day.
