Monday, March 08, 2010

Reasons to Lounge About on the Sofa, no.32

As I lie here, on my sofa, cup of tea in hand, laptop on lap, sun shining through the window, and the smaller girl playing happily beside me, you'd think life couldn't get much better. Then you might notice the long metal things beside me... So, Leigh, exactly why are you lying around on a Monday morning, when your house craves attention? Eh?

Ahem. Quick change of subject.

Walking in the mountains is potentially dangerous: a slip could mean death - not because of cliff edges, necessarily, or anything dramatic like that - but because a twisted ankle will leave you lying around, cold and probably wet, for a long time waiting to be rescued, or even to summon help. People die of hypothermia in the Scottish mountains in June. Now, I've been mocked for all the kit I carry - enough to survive immobility for 24h in freezing conditions (i.e. all year round in the Cairngorms) - but I carry it nonetheless. Peace of mind, and all that.

So, it's comical (not to mention embarrassing) that it was a two-foot high bank in the garden that proved my downfall. Thirty seconds after warning the smaller girl to take care in the frost I slipped, and one God-almighty crack later, down I went. And not a Kendal Mint Cake in sight.

Nothing broken though, just ligament damage, and I hope to be off the crutches within a couple of weeks.

Have you ever done anything as dumb?

The Gold Star Award goes to the Smaller Girl (who'll be three tomorrow) who fetched: the telephone to summon help; hiking poles to get me into the house; frozen sweetcorn to put on the swelling; iPod for going to hospital; and unlocked the door when help arrived. She stopped several times to have a little wail, and point out interesting aeroplanes, but I'd have been lost without her.

19 comments:

Queenie said...

I ruptured my Achilles tendon, once, picking up a piece of paper from the living-room floor. That required two months on crutches. I felt like a prize plonker, so you have my sympathy. Thank goodness for the Smaller Girl. Hope your ligaments mend in double-quick time, and well done for not breaking anything.

Sherri said...

Oh, you poor thing! Hope you're all mended soon.

The stoopidest thing I did (so far!)was opening a bottle of nail polish remover with my teeth, chipping my front tooth in the process and then drinking pernod and black all night. The chipped part was stained purple for weeks!
It was a long time ago, I hasten to add. I never do anything silly at all now.
(The word verification is whaterle, which is perilously close to what a lie!)

Lane Mathias said...

Oh the irony, you poor thing. Hope you're being well looked after and can lounge in comfort until you're all mended.

I fell off the pavement and busted my ankle many years ago. Felt an idiot too, especially as I had young children with me and it was a complete circus being taken to hospital.

Denise said...

Ouch! Hope you heal soon. I'm also currently lying about on the sofa after getting a slipped disc by, well, doing nothing I know about! Apparently these things just happen, reassuring...

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Ouch, that sounds so painful, but big pat on the back for the Smaller Girl for being such a star in your emergency.

Hope you're back on your feet and free of pain soon.

I've had two horses rear up and go backwards with me on their backs. Thankfully I slipped of their bums (you'd think I'd learn the first time) and so missed being hurt.

Kath McGurl said...

Your little one deserves all sorts of pink and fluffy presents, as soon as you are able to hop to the toy shop (actually, that's now, speed you were going at on Saturday!) Get well soon, and stay out of that dangerous garden.

Jenny Beattie said...

Oh no... how awful. What a star the smaller girl was.

Many years ago when I needed my girl to climb in through a window to open the front door for me (keys inside) she wailed and howled and flatly refused.

Leigh Forbes said...

Queenie - Picking up a piece of paper? That's a good one! Ha ha! Two months on crutches can't have been fun, though... (Sorry, still grinning!)

Bernadette - My dad was always going on at me about not using my teeth, and I always ignored him. Now, I'm always going on at my own kids about the same thing! (And they ignore me!) It'll be a while before they're on the Pernod, though (I hope)!

Lane - That's not uncommon, I believe. It doesn't take much to floor the poor human. No fun with kids, though, I can understand that!!!

Denise - Oooh, slipped disks are nasty. Take it easy. Hope it gets better as quickly as it can.

Debs - My neighbour broke her pelvis in an identical accident just before Christmas. Very nasty. Glad you weren't hurt. Will pass on bum-slipping tip!!

Womag - It's the small girl's birthday today (she's three), so her rewards are being more than doubled! Pink fluffy things abound!

JJ - Kids are so fickle, aren't they? The next day, you can be sure she'd have done it happily!

Anonymous said...

I like your label at the bottom of the post, muppetry! I'm a total muppet so I won't laugh!

Poor you, hope it gets better very soon. I imagine it's rather painful.

CJ xx

Jen said...

Oh, goodness, gold stars to the smaller girl.

Feats of idiocy are one of my few areas of expertise; I do feel for you though, it all sounds very ouchy indeed.

Mend soon! X

Anonymous said...

I hope you recover soon and are cavorting in the Cairngorms once more.

Leigh Forbes said...

Crystal Jigsaw - Muppetry was a tag I used to save for bad drivers (mostly on the M6 & M25 where they abound), but more it more it applies to me in everyday life!

Spiral- Very sore, though improving daily. Am looking forward to hearing more about your feats of idiocy!

Captain - Thank you! I have a trip planned for the spring, so am taking great care not to overdo things, and let it all heal in its own time.

Cheryl said...

The Smaller Girl sounds amazing. I don't think I could be that useful in an emergency. I hope you make a speedy recovery.
Can't say I managed anything like that, just falling off shelving at work (due to climbing them) leaving me with a bruised ankle.
Enjoy the couch while you can!

HelenMWalters said...

I do dumb things all the time. Most recent was putting back my recovery from gall bladder removal surgery by two weeks by leaning very heavily on the operation site. It wasn't even an accident as I was stupid enough to do it on purpose!

Troy said...

Phew! For one moment, until you thoughtfully reassured us, I thought that God-almighty crack was you falling on, and breaking your Kendal Mint Cake.

Karen said...

Oh dear, poor you I hope you're on the mend.

I once bought a mini-trampoline to get fit, bounced on it once and got my ankle stuck in the gap at the side, twisting it badly. I never used it again!

Leigh Forbes said...

Lily - Oooh, another shelf climber! Welcome to the clan!

Helen - Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I'm wincing for you.

Troy - If only it had been; then I'd have had to eat it!

Karen - Oh dear! I can understand that the vibes wouldn't have been so good after that, and you need good vibes to get fit.

Carol said...

ouch...I did the same stepping off a pavement at night not realising that there was a slight dip in the road!!! I went flying.

I hope you ankle heals soon hon

C x

Leigh Forbes said...

Carol - Kerb-related injuries are disturbingly common, it seems. Hope yours healed quickly. Mine's making progress. Thank you!