Something Different

So, I really wanted to talk about something different lately. For a couple of reasons,
1. We finished the house and moved in, and as excited as I am that I finally get to live in a place where the 'great room' is the size of the last ENTIRE house we were staying in, I don't feel like talking about it anymore. I will eventually, but right now, Im too busy unpacking.
2. My mother-in-law is still in the hospital from breaking her hip two weeks ago. She will be released a week from today. I have mixed feelings about that, but, still I don't want to talk about it.
So, instead, I thought it would be funny to take a few days and share some of my favorite personal stories. Usually, I love telling these in person because I get very animated and my hands are flying in every which direction, and well, I've never actually seen my face when Im talking, but I can see the faces of the people watching me, and they seem amused. Maybe I was inspired by Liz's photo walk down memory lane. Either way, here are some silly stories about myself!

I have always had stick-straight hair. Not the silky smooth, long straight hair, just the boring-not-curly hair. And I've always hated it. Sometime during college, I got ahold of a 1/2 inch curling iron. It made the cutest little ringlets ever. Sometimes I would section off my hair and do these ringlets all over, using lots and lots of hairspray! It was cute. I still think it was cute. But it took me hours to do. On this particular day, I had done that to my hair, then pulled it back, into a cute tuft of curls piled on top of my head.

I drove a Honda Civic at the time and on the way to school, I stopped to get gas. After filling up (for a mere $10) I turned to walk inside. Now, I must pause and tell you that I am clumsy. Not stub-my-toe clumsy, but more like trip-UP-a-flight-of-stairs clumsy. So, knowing this, I look down at the curb around the gas pump, I didn't want to fall. So, as I am looking down, I'm obviously not looking up, which is where I should have been looking. On the other side of the pump, a guy has pulled his truck to the front pump, and his trailer is blocking the back pump. And for some strange reason, he has this very odd thing built on his trailer. From back corner to back corner there are metal poles that stick up, but turn in (imagine a triangle with the point at the top) same thing at the front. And running the length of the trailer (and sticking off the end a good 4 feet) is what I can best describe as a metal 2 by 4. And I walked smooth into it. Didn't see it. Not one little bit.
My head went backwards from the impact. I swung around and double over in blinding pain. My hand instinctively went to the point of impact. There was already a golf ball sized protrusion growing out of my head.
"Are you OK?" The guy asked, laughing.
"No." I manage to spit out.
"Did you not see that?" He asked.
Of course I saw it, I just thought it would be fun to walk into it. Of course, I couldnt very well explain that I didnt see it because I was looking at my clumsy feet. "Why don't you have a flag?" I mutter as I stumble inside.
I run into the gas station, past the attendant, who yelled after me, "Are you OK? I saw that on the video." Great, photographic evidence.
I rip open the door to the bathroom. And there, in the mirror staring back at me is a girl (with very cute hair) and a HUGE lump that was already starting to change colors.
I walk over and grab a soda because I was definitely going to need to take some tylenol. I carry it over to the counter. "This and the gas."
"OK, that will be $23.45." she said.
"Wha?"
"The soda and the gas. $23.45."
I know I had just hit my head, but the gas was not that expensive! "How much is the soda?!?" I ask, doubled over in pain.
She stares at the register for a few seconds, "Oh, sorry, that was his gas! OK, um $11.75." She laughs. I do not.
I scribble the amount on a check and thrust it in her direction and run out the door.
"Watch out for that!" the guy yells at me laughing. I consider flipping him off but don't know if I can manage. My head was pounding so much!
After gulping three extra strength tylenols, I went to school. Where I acquired the nickname "knot head." It stuck around for WAY longer than it should have.