the squirrell, the tulip, the sidewalk

It's been a crazy day, and it's only, what, 10 am? I got up this morning and headed out for a run. I like to run on the street rather than the sidewalk because it's a little gentler on the joints, although it's not a huge difference. So I was cruising down my street, when a school bus turned the corner. Now, there are parked cars on the side of the street and this huge bus bearing down on me, so I cut over to the side walk, just to be safe... I continued past the bus, but before I got to the corner I tripped on some jagged sidewalk and fell. Spectacularly fell. Landed hard on my arthritis knee, scraped knee & elbow, knocked the wind out of me, ripped my jacket, jammed my shoulder... fell. Ouch.

I picked myself up off the ground and limped home. Thankfully only a block instead of 3 miles away. Got home, showered, and crawled back into bed and cried for my aching body. I decided to call in sick to work (life has been so stressful lately, call it "mental health" day or "hurt knee" day, I wasn't about to go anywhere today in this condition).

Also decided to drive Sweet P to the library so that he wouldn't have to pay for parking today. And as we were leaving the house, I turned the corner and saw a surprised squirrel running with something red in its mouth. As it scampered, it dropped the red thing, and proceeded up the tree. I approached the red thing and saw it was one of our tulips!! The little rodent was stealing our tulips!!


This is the pretty tulip in one of my water glasses. The stem is outside looking naked. There are 3 naked stems altogether and about 6 other tulips still standing under the lilac bush. The little thieves!! I should probably crop the picture, but that's really a job for Sweet P. Computer stuff is not my forte.

And I'll spare you the gorey details, but here is my bandaged knee. No running for me for a couple days. Thank God for ice packs, vacation/sick days, and a nice comfy sofa to sink into. I just might survive this calamity. Live to tell the story.

P.S. Dig those polka dot socks from the public market?! woo hoo!