See, this girl got in my face so I had to show her what's what...

[sinkwriter]

My aunts are having their living room painted tomorrow, so I thought I'd be helpful and remove all the light switch and vent covers in preparation. Neither of them are tall enough to reach the vents on the upper portion of the walls, so I said I could get them.

All I had to do was reach up, loosen the screws, and pull the vent cover off of the wall. Easy peasy. I didn't even have to stand on tiptoe to do it.

Except that one vent cover was stuck, so I used the screwdriver to pry it from the wall.

If only I'd been standing on a ladder at level height with it.

The vent cover finally popped off and fell... right on my face. Hit me in the mouth.

After about a half-minute of cursing, crying and bleeding, I started laughing.

Because my aunt said, "Tomorrow, when you go to see your counselor, please make sure you tell him that we didn't do this to you."

HAHAHAHAHHAHA

I said, "Oh yeah, this is going to be a fun conversation. 'How'd you get that cut and bruise on your mouth?' Oh, you know, the usual... a vent fell on my face."

Then we all started joking about the various things I could say instead of the embarrassing truth.

"I got into a fist fight."

"I ran into a door."

"I fell."

"My aunt came after me with a vent cover. It's always the quiet ones you have to worry about..."

*******

While I held an ice pack to my lip, I noted, "Wow. It's been years since I've had a fat lip."

To which my aunt pointed out that the last time was probably also when I was visiting them...

When I was a little kid, we used to go sledding on the hill across the street from my grandmother's house. One time I decided to take one last ride, but I borrowed a friend's saucer-shaped sled and went down the hill on my stomach. The thing flew like the wind and had absolutely no way of steering, so I spun out of control and couldn't stop myself from running into the kid who was walking across the field at the bottom of the hill. I ran straight into his wooden toboggan -- face first.

I recall crying then, too (though in my defense this time I think I was much more stoic about my tearing up, LOL). And I remember my mom being all hysterical because her little baby girl had a big fat lip.

Alas, no mommy here to fawn over me this time.

A vent fell on my face.

*facepalm*

Yep, call on me for all your handy household needs.

I think I'll just go sit down with my ice pack and watch the White Collar marathon. Thank you very much, and good night!

Comments

[bardsmaid.livejournal.com]

Ouch! I hope you're feeling better now.

Fwiw, it seems that some of the most awkward things we go through end up making the best stories later. Like the time after M and I had split up and the kids and I had moved back to Camarillo, we went up into the mountains one time to hike... and the car died on us. The kids all laugh when they remember the bunch of us pushing that old Volvo out in the middle of nowhere. Luckily it was downhill and we soon encountered a fire station, where a mechanically-inclined fireman discovered the source of the problem, quickly fixed it and we were on our way again. It was nerve-wracking at the time for me, but the kids thought it was one of the best things ever. :-)

[sinkwriter.livejournal.com]

The lower left corner of my bottom lip is still a little tingly when I poke it (I know, stop poking it! LOL), and it feels a little swollen and sore when I open my mouth, but it's not hurting like it did when it first happened. I am so very smooth, aren't I? *laughs uproariously*

*cringe*

I love your story! And you're so right -- it wasn't funny to me at the time (hitting that kid's wooden sled with my mouth) but it became a funny story much later. My family all still remembers it, so it must have been quite the crash. Heee. I'm glad you made it out of the mountains safely. I imagine that must have been a bit of a scary potentially-panic-filled situation at the time for you as the parent, but yeah, most definitely memorable for the kids. *shakes head, chuckling* Wow. The things we go through... :)

P.S. Krycek says hi and gives you his best badass glare. Just to let you know he's still in the fight, even if appearances say otherwise. What do you mean, his status in the Consortium is dropping rapidly?! You don't know what you're talking about! He's got it all under control! He does! ;D

[bardsmaid.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your Krycek remarks. I'm swamped with stuff to do this week, but last night I got a note from Joy, who I'd nearly forgotten about (it's been months) with a new installment of her K fic to beta. So yay for that! She's got the characters' voices down pat, and that's always both fun and... inspiring! Maybe it will help kick-start me. :-)

[leucocrystal]

Haha, oh man, that sounds like something I would do (if that makes you feel any better).

Also, the mental image I get from your sledding story is basically a RL interpretation of Calvin and Hobbes on their toboggan. (Win.)

[sinkwriter.livejournal.com]

Well, clearly you and I are brilliantly talented in that way. (Heeeee.)

And yes, it makes me feel a little better. *GRIN*

I LOVE Calvin and Hobbes, and now you've got me picturing it too! ♥ So much love. And yes, it was exactly like that. LOL.

[leucocrystal]

I figured it might. ;)

I love them too! At work, there's this massive Calvin & Hobbes box set that sits in the humor section (which happens to be in the direct eyeline of the customer services desk ,where I spend the majority of my shifts). I WANT IT. D:

[sinkwriter.livejournal.com]

Humiliation loves company. ;D

*hugs you*

Oh my gosh, that box set looks AWESOME! So, so pretty. I didn't know they had made such a thing for Calvin & Hobbes. I want it too! I miss that cartoon, I surely do. It was one of my favorites.

Sounds like you have an excellent spot at the desk, great eyeline. Heeeee. I salute you!

How are you doing?

P.S. Did you get to see the Emmys? I know you said you wouldn't be able to watch in real time, but I'm assuming you heard about who won and tracked down some clips at the very least? There are at least two I know you probably were thrilled to see. ;) I was totally thinking about you when I watched it. (See me trying not to give anything away if you haven't yet seen it or if you've been living under a rock for the past week? LOL)

[leucocrystal]

*hugs back*

It is very, very pretty. But if I really want it (most of my paperback collections have either not survived two moves, or were "borrowed" and never returned, heh), I'm going to have to wait until around Christmastime, which is when Employee Appreciation Week comes around (bringing with it our best discount on books and whatnot). Meanwhile, it will continue to tempt me, heh.

I am pretty good! Frustrated by fruitless job hunting, but thankful I at least have A job (my mom was looking for months, and still she only has a temp position), working fairly often, not up to much apart from that. Had a good day in L.A. for MJ's birthday last week, and hopefully will head up again for a little Breaking Bad panel on the 18th, followed shortly after by my birthday. No clue, as usual, what I really want to do for that, though... I've always felt pretty oddly about birthdays, especially now that BFF is always away at school when it comes around.

But yes, I was thrilled for Aaron Paul (and Bryan again, of course). My friend who lives up that way actually texted me while I was driving around (that was the day I was in L.A.) to let me know Aaron had won and I squealed a little, haha. Bless you.

[lifeasanamazon.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeeeen

At least you can laugh through your pain!

[sinkwriter.livejournal.com]

I know! I tell you, I am brilliant that way.

Thank you for laughing with me. Heeeeee. :D

Lovely to hear from you. How are you?? Better, I hope.

[lifeasanamazon.livejournal.com]

Much better thanks - as is your mouth, I hope!

[dacian-goddess.livejournal.com]

Ouch, ouch, ouch. But *smooches* you for being able to laugh with it — and, apparently, poke away. ;)

It's always the easy stuff that gets ya... FFS I once sliced the pads of two fingers — deep — from washing the little drain sieve of the kitchen sink. Minding own business + unexpected sharp bits = (literal) bloody ow.

But I agree with the above — in retrospect, all these moments do make for the best stories. (Not the one I shared, clearly, unless we're talking stories to bait vamps, but generally. *g* )

[sinkwriter.livejournal.com]

*smooches back very carefully, minding the lip* LOL.

It's better today, but I definitely still notice it when doing certain things, like this morning when I had cereal, or brushed my teeth, or when I was in my car and went to whistle along with a part of a song... It feels a bit tender when I do stuff like that, but otherwise, it's fine. Could be much worse. *GRIN*

Like yours, for example! OUCHHHHHH. That sounds painful. Your poor fingers.

all these moments do make for the best stories. (Not the one I shared, clearly, unless we're talking stories to bait vamps, but generally. *g* )

HAHAHHAHAHAH

Hilarious.

Is that one of your goals, to bait vamps? Anyone in particular? ;D

A friend's got me watching a show called Being Human. Have you seen that one? It sounds like the start of a joke -- a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost share a house together -- but it's actually quite interesting. All about the three of them trying to keep their humanity, any shred of it, and trying to live like humans do. Though in their attempts sometimes they find that the humans can be the real monsters of the world. It's a thought-provoking premise.

[dacian-goddess.livejournal.com]

LOL!

Can't say that I've any particular desire to bait vamps, actually. (True, immortality would be bitchin', but I could do without the need to drain people, such as it is. —And notice my presumption that I'd be turned, anyway! ;P )

Ah, you know, I keep meaning to watch it, since seeing a couple of snippets charmed me well enough... Yet I keep forgetting.

Hope today you're feeling even better!

[siapom.livejournal.com]

You poor thing! Good luck explaining to the doctor.

Hopefully it goes as well as me explaining to the vet why my puppy was drunk before his first puppy visit. *rolls eyes* It's a long story. lol

[sinkwriter.livejournal.com]

The swelling went down since last night, and I covered up the rest with light makeup and lipstick, so thankfully he didn't really notice.

But you have to tell me about this drunken puppy story! Heeeeee.

P.S. I love your White Collar icon! :D

[siapom.livejournal.com]

Yay that it was a non-event! :)

Okay. Drunken puppy story. When my best friend bought Junior *points to icon* and brought him home, we set up the first vet visit for the next day. Well, DJ decided to make dinner and, in the midst of that, poured himself a glass of wine. As he was waiting for the potatoes to boil - he was making mashed potatoes - he took the glass to the living room to watch something on TV. When the potatoes were ready he, of course, went to the kitchen to finish dinner. Then, as he went to eat, he went to grab his glass of wine of the end table, but it was empty. Well, he swore up and down he didn't drink it, but decided he must have forgotten because who else would have? *sigh* The who else was the little one. Turns out that he has a fondness for alcohol. OMG the funny of watching that dog try to stand on his hind legs and just kind of melt down because he couldn't balance. Oy. So, anyway, DJ had to call the vet to find out if he could still take Junior in, and the vet was fine with it. In fact, she said, "My dog likes whiskey. And the better the whiskey the better he likes it!" LOL

Oooh. Pretty icon!

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

Ouch! Glad you could see the funny side :)

[lorelei633.livejournal.com]

Awwwwwww! I don't know whether to LOL or hug the stuffing out of you. How about both? *g*

Ouch. Not Do It Yourself so much as...Do It To Yourself. :P Still, I'm glad you're okay and not too much worse for wear. Hang in there! *hugs*