…… week up here in the northeast.

The news is packed with clips of New Yorkers saying how sick (and tired, for all you Bill Cosby fans) they are of the snow. Before this past week I thought they were being a bit silly. I mean, it’s winter in New York, for heaven’s sake. Don’t they expect it to be cold and sometimes snowy?
But I think that’s the key …… the word “sometimes”.
In the past 4 days or so we’ve had 3 snow storms, at least. Right now this winter is ranking up there as one of the “snowiest” ones they’ve had.
So, even though I think they’re leaning towards the dramatic side, I’ll give it to them.

And I’ll just continue to be glad that I don’t have to drive here.

Although, I’ve now discovered that walking isn’t always a piece of cake.
Thursday night, as we were hovering between 2 big snow storms, I decided to walk to a theatre to see this:

If you look closely, beyond the Playbill, you can see the stage. That’s because I was sitting in the first row. Score! I’m on a few email lists that send me discount codes to plays (and all kinds of things here), and this was one. It’s not a very well known show, but it was hysterical.
Which was good, since I didn’t do so well on the walk over. Even though it had snowed all day, the temps had stayed in the mid 30’s so there was water everywhere. When the snow melts here, the streets, specifically the intersections ….. and more specifically the areas around the curbs, become akin to rivers and lakes. No kidding, sometimes you step off of a curb and find yourself calf-high in water. Which is a lovely, invigorating surprise if your shoes/boots don’t go up that high.

Any-whoo, I was wearing a pair of sturdy snow boots, and making my way around the perimeter of Central Park, when about 5 minutes into the walk, I discovered that …… hidden by the water was lots and lots and LOTS of black ice.
Do you know how one discovers that?
One slips and slides.
And tries to avoid falling.

I had just stopped to take this lovely picture ……

…… and had made my way past Columbus Circle, where at least 5 news vans were parked and their various reporters and cameramen were set up and doing the news. I guess that’s a hot spot for weather reporting …
… or maybe for catching people slip-sliding all over the place, because that’s pretty much all that was going on. I had slid several times before reaching that point, and thought, “Gee, it would totally suck to fall right here, and be on the news.”
Especially since Daughter #1 was sitting at home, watching the news, and as I had walked out of the apartment she said, “Be careful. Don’t fall.”
I laughed. You know, the kind of laugh that says, “You are SO silly. Why would I fall?? I’m not 80 you know!”

Well, I did make it past Columbus Circle and all of the news crews.
Thankfully.
Just as I was clearly out of their line of vision …… I slipped. I tried to correct myself, but that wasn’t happening. I went down.
And hard.
But as much as it hurt, what hurt more was the blow to my ego. Because there was a woman behind me and a man coming towards me. I got back up as quickly as I could, just as the woman hurried up to me and asked if I was ok.
You know the answer.
“Yep! I’m good, fine thanks. Great. No worries. But thank you.”
I could’ve had a bone sticking out of my leg and would most likely have said the exact same thing. Why is that? It’s like when someone calls when you’re asleep and they ask if they woke you up. “Oh, no. Nah, I was wide awake ….. doing my taxes (or other such nonsense). No worries!”
What is with that?!

I thanked the very nice woman again and let her go in front of me as I stood there for a moment and took inventory. I had fallen on my left side. I was surprised by how hard I went down. I was also surprised that as I was down, ice cold water had run into my left boot. So I could now feel my wet tights,socks, pants and very cold toes.
I could also feel my left hip starting to throb, and my left knee and elbow burning …… like I had scraped them. Of course I knew that was silly because I was layered. I knew they couldn’t be scraped, but wondered why they felt that way.
Once I knew that nothing was apparently broken, I started back on my walk, only much more cautious and a wee bit shaky.
I slid quite a few more times, uttering not-so-nice-words each time, and I wasn’t the only one. Almost every person who came towards me slipped. And slid. Some fell down. But no one seemed to fall badly.

I made it another, oh, I don’t know …… 3 minutes or so …… and then fell again. But this time, thankfully, I fell downward (left leg again) into a huge pile of snow. I didn’t fall flat, or as hard, so I don’t think anything was hurt again.
Aside from my already bruised ego.

At this point I was wondering if I’d be able to make it to the theatre in time for the show.
Or if the show was even going to be worth all of this.
Thankfully, I did. And it was.
Mostly.
(I may or may not have gone to the theatre bar to bolt down a stiff drink to get a wee bit calmer before the show started. And suddenly understood why the gun slingers in western movies always hit the bar for a shot before they went out to shoot someone. Not that I’m comparing going to a Broadway show to being at the OK Corral. Much.)

I ended up walking back home (I know. Don’t ask me why …… I just did.) But I made it in much less time than the walk to the theatre.
And much more uneventfully.

I didn’t really walk, so much as kind of skated. Well, skated without skates, which basically means that I didn’t pick up my feet. At all.
It turns out that “skating” takes totally different muscles than walking.
But I was good with that …… as long as it kept me from falling.
And it did.

This is turning out to be a much longer post than I had anticipated. Sorry.

By the time I got home I knew that I was going to have a whopper of a bruise on my hip. And I did/do.
It was already pretty ugly after only a little over 2 hours. And it has progressed to a whole ‘nother level of ugly.
Yay for cold weather and long pants.

The next morning I was drying my hair, when I suddenly caught sight of my left elbow/arm. And had to turn off the hair dryer because oh. my. word.
Here’s what it looks like today:

Pretty, isn’t it? The bruise has been growing every day, like it has a life of its own. And it’s still swollen. But it doesn’t hurt all that much.
Unless of course I touch it.
Or bump it.
Or look at it.
Thank goodness for cold weather and long sleeved shirts.

My left knee looked fine, although it hurts like the dickens if I kneel on it or bump it.
Today I noticed that a bruise is starting to form there, too.
Thank goodness for …… wait, I already did that one.
Thank goodness for a right side with no bruises.
For now, anyway.

Onward.
And hopefully, upright.

Friday night Daughter #1 and I went to see Janeane Garofalo at a comedy club. While I was waiting for D1 to arrive, I stood outside and read some emails. I glanced up at one point and was surprised when I saw this:

That’s the Stillwater Bar, the meeting and cheering place of all of the OSU alums and supporters. It’s a great place to hang, if you went to OSU.
And I’ve been there at least 3 times. But didn’t recognize where I was going while I was going there. Until I looked up and there it was.
I’d be a terrific witness to a crime.
For the criminal.

Also on Friday, I picked up 2 packages downstairs.
One was a box of flowers.
Not for me.
The other was a package with a cheapo shoulder bag/slash fanny pack.
For me.
From AARP.
Happy freakin’ Valentine’s Day.

Yesterday it snowed pretty much all day. Again.
I enjoyed staring out the window and watching it swirl all around.
So did Oliver.

I also got this package last week:

It was MUCH better than the fanny pack.
I ordered it here …… and it was free. Go check out the link …… the artist who made it is doing a really nice thing. And anyone can order one.
For free.
🙂

Yesterday I also received something else that I spent a lot of time staring at (please ignore the preposition ending that sentence).
My lovely sister-in-law sent me this wonderful, wonderful picture:

T.A.N.W.
Except …… Oh. Wow.
I’m loving it …… and the way it makes me smile every single time I see it.
So I put it on my computer desktop.
As the back ground picture.
I’m smiling a lot.
🙂

In between all of that stuff, Daughter #1 and I have been watching the Olympics. At all hours.
Go USA!
(Daughter #3 has flown the coop to spend a week in the warmth of Texas. That’s because up here the schools have a week of for what’s known as “mid-winter break” (in addition to the week they’ll have off for spring break). Pansies.
Down south we get one week of for spring break, and we’re happy to get it!
Sheesh.

I will now leave you with this (again, my profound apologies for the length of this novel post).
I walked around quite a bit this afternoon, running several errands. While out I took this picture, which shows why it’s important to NOT park on the wrong side of the street when we have a snow storm:

This is because the snow plows come along and always shove the snow to that side of the road.
Always.

Ummmm, hopefully all of those car owners aren’t needing to go anywhere.
In the next month.
If you look closely, beyond those snowy mounds, you can see a car parked by a more intelligent owner.
I’ll help you.

🙂

That’s it.
Finally.
I hope you’re still awake.
Or still reading.
I’m sure I lost several of you about 20 minutes ago.

I hope you all have a great week!

Happy Sunday.
🙂