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I just had a freaky-deaky experience. I am not sure which is more at fault, my hurt foot or the rainy conditions, but I was driving home and all of a sudden a truck stopped half in my lane in front of me. I tried to slam on my breaks, and I went into a full spin. I actually wnet entirely around and stopped facing on coming traffic. I am so lucky that I didn't hit anyone and no one hit me. In fact, my heart is still pounding in my chest and when I tried to talk to E my voice was shaking.

On an unrelated note, you must eat at The Original Pancake House! So good! Their flapjacks make me happy.

A Good Day for a Fall
*this entry is dedicated to snoobie*
After an extrememly long week, I was leaving work late last night, looking forward to a really fun weekend, when disaster struck. I was going down this dilapidated stairs, when I stepped on this metal thing and my ankle and foot went in opposite directions. I toppled down the stairs and lay in a pathetic little heap. Unfortunatly, I was the last person in the building, and I lay on the ground for about 5 minutes. I managed to haul myslef up and began to leave. It only took a block of driving to tell me that I had no business in a car. I tracked down the extended care ladies, and hung out there until Eric could come and get me.
It's just a sprain, luckily. I'm sure there is a lesson here somewhere.
Ironically I was just bragging to my sister (yes, "with a sister like amy, what outing couldn't turn into a disaster") that I had been markedly less clumsy as of late. Or perhaps I"m just that considerate, giving the sis who loves falling stories a little gift.
Yes, that's it.

Moo, moo, moo
Bleh. Bleh. Bleh.
It's 11 p.m. and I got home a few minutes ago. When you leave the house at 6:40 a.m. that makes for a long frickin' day.
It's one of those over worked/under appreciated sort of days.
At least I came home to clean laundry. My hubby loves me.

Numb Butt
We are having a numb-butt-a-thon today which requires all 3 extended edition Lord of the Rings movies, lots of snack food, and beer. At least I hope we are doing this because Eric is currently huddled in bed with stomach unpleasantness. I have cordoned myself off in the office in hopes of drawing away the pets and letting him sleep.
Both of us have kinda felt like butt lately. I think this has to do with the fact that we both work 45-50 hours a week and then try to have other obligations and social lives. The current pace really cannot be sustained much longer before we begin to do serious harm to bodies and relationships. What a cheery topic for a beautiful Saturday morning.
It has been so lovely here the past few days--blue skies and 75 degree temperatures. It makes me wish I did things like canoeing or played soccer or something. I shall have to settle for walking the dog I suppose. I harbor this weird delusion that I am an outdoor person, when, in reality, I rarely ever venture outdoors. I would join some sort of club, but that goes back to my previous problems.
I am currently skulking about with Jaspar Fforde's The Well of Lost Plots. Anyone who loves literature and can take a joke about it needs to read this book. I want to give him a big squish. I am not even sure I can describe the plots behind these books, but he has deconstructed the entire book writing and reading process. Jurisfiction: In Words We Trust.
I usually shy away from political commentary here, but the whole Inaguaration has me in a little bit of a funk. On the bright side, as Jon Stewart commented, we have officially reached the half way point of the Bush presidency. So we have that going for us.
Is it any wonder I prefer to lose myself in books?

Color
Okay, something is really wrong with me, because I just read the 3rd Lemony Snicket book after complaining about the first one. It is a sickness. (That word means. . . .)
It is a dark and stormy night here, the kind of night that makes me pick up the phone and order in Chinese. One could do worse than Chinese food, beer, and cheesy television. It's Law and Order night--now more than ever, Jerry. I don't know why I am still moping, but for some reason Jerry Orbach dying has really messed with my entire world order.
I stayed late tonight decorating my classroom which I am told is on display for the next few weeks of open houses and random visits as we prepare to think about enrollment for next year. I hope the school is able to pull it together, because despite a pretty fanstastically crappy budget, wonderful things happen there. I would love to stay there but the current pay scale will not allow that.
The rain is beating against the house, and I will sit and listen to it.
It's that kind of night.

Unfortunate Events
I have thsi horrible habbit that even if I do not particularly like a book, I almost always finish it. I have reached a new low, however, because I did not really like a book but then continued to read its sequeal. I am speaking of the Lemony Snicket books. The problem is that just when I am intrigued by the story, he starts explaining what all of his words mean. I was expecting a delight like Harry Potter, but instead I have someone give me bad definitions of middle school vocab words. Still, there is something to it.
I also just finished Folly by Laurie King which was pretty impresssive. Next I dig into more Margaret Atwood--Oryx and Crake which is supposed to be amazing. I love her, but sometimes the writing is so real that I actually find it physically painful--see Cat's Eye.
I am now teaching Tom Sawyer which I have not read since Mr. Perryman in 6th grade. It makes me think about the time he made "playing scrabble" a euphanism for sex. As 12 year olds, we all thought this was hysterical and risque.
The dishwasher is coming on Saturday, and I wrestle with feelings of guilt and old age. Mainly, though, I dream of its sparkly clean rinse. God help me.
My parent's cat Ebony was stuck for a day and a half in a filing cabinet. This proved traumatic both for the cat and the contents of the file cabinet. Poor ebony. Poor mom who cleaned out the files.

Batty
Going to an Ice Bats game tomorrow night. Gotta love a town that's biggest pride is small flying rats. Gotta love an event that involves men hitting each other with sticks and copious ammounts of beer.
I stayed late to put together another bulliten board at school. We got crazy and did this huge sun with with orange, yellow and gold rays springing off of it. We should be in the bulliten board hall of fame. Got to hang with my coworker who is my constant inspiration.
My creative juices are flowing.

New Year
Walked 10 miles and accidentally pulled Toby into a murky stream. A good day.

I'm getting to a scary stage in my life when I am really excited about getting a new dishwasher. I feel so old and suburban. At the same time, those spots on the silverware drive me nuts.
Also bought awesome coffee tables and such-- beautiful blue and green slate pieces set in iron. Happy 2005 to me.

There has been much champagney goodness and fireworks the past few days. I don't know how I will go back to real life.