Nevermind the Slippery Sidewalks
Stupid things I do, work December 9th, 2009It snowed and sleeted and poured last night and this morning. I was concerned a bit about how well the sidewalks would be cleared around my building at work.
Icy sidewalks can be such a hazard.
But so can perfectly dry indoor steps that are pretty easy to navigate if you just pick your feet up as you ascend.
Not if you’re me. That’s right. I fell up the steps. I do not recall once in my lifetime falling up steps. Down, yes. Up, no. To me, there’s a big difference. The ego hurts more when you fall up.
(Note: Actual Steps of Death pictured above.)
I am currently nursing a very sore shoulder and a pretty ugly kneecap.
There is blood.
I ripped through skin when my knee stopped the fall.
The worst part? I fell in front of a colleague. He was terribly sympathetic and concerned, but if I were him, I’d be laughing all the way to wherever he was going.
I’ll be avoiding him forever.
Also, I’m getting a new husband because this is the email exchange we just had:
Dave,
I hurt myself pretty bad just now. I fell UP the steps in the back stairwell. I’m bleeding on my kneecap. I don’t think I need to get anything checked out, but I will have one hell of a bruise tomorrow.
His response?
Kath,
Way to go.
—-
p.s. Since I started writing this, my knee is now softball-esque. Is that bad?
Stumble it!
December 10th, 2009 at 11:35 am
I’m with your husband. Way to go. That’s way too funny for any other appropriate response.
.-= Unfinished Rambler´s last blog ..Of Jedi Knights, stew and fantasy football =-.
December 10th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Sorry to laugh, but it is funny. I do hope you are all right. Glad it wasn’t a fall down the stairs, then you wouldn’t be writing about it. The husband’s email is classic.
.-= Marg´s last blog ..Do you think the animals talk Christmas Eve??? =-.
December 10th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Maybe I’m a little slow, but could you please explain to me once again how exactly you fell UP the stairs????
This is indeed very talented of you 🙂
And about your colleague – the worse thing at these moments is when the person next to you is nice, sympathetic and understanding! This makes is just more awful and embarrassing!
Anyway, I hope you’re feeling better and the knee is healing. I’m sending you healing energies via the post…
December 10th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I’ve fallen up the stairs plenty of times. I’ve fallen down the stairs plenty of times too. I have even fallen when I was just standing in place.
I seriously think there’s a clumsy gene.
Take care of that knee.
.-= silverneurotic´s last blog ..Land of the Lost =-.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Wiggy — I’m telling you, the more I read these terrible falling stories, I become more and more grateful I didn’t break anything. This time.
Susan — If I worked in your building, I’d be tripping up them constantly. Those have to be the worst steps on campus, inside or out. Yes, I notified Risk Management and filled out the appropriate paperwork.
Ferd — Now THAT would be a sight! No heels for me. Ever. And I got the chocolate thing down. Baking Toll House cookies right now!
Lin — Not to worry. I put weight on it all day. It’s not the knee that hurts anymore. My left arm killed me all day. Sore from the shoulder to the wrist.
Jeff — Yes, we were. And so that’s what you call “jinxing myself.”
Lisa — I think you need a new desk. Yes. It’s the desk’s fault.
Cats Goats Quotes — Yes, I’m OK now, thank you. Knee doesn’t hurt at all anymore, but my arms are very sore. Particularly the left arm, which took a big brunt of the fall when I braced myself.
Unfinished Rambler — Dave’s upset that some people on the blog think he’s a total tool now. Truth is, if I’d called from the ER instead of emailed from my office, he’d have come to my aid. It’s good all I got was a wisecrack. It means I didn’t break anything.
Marg — Yes, I’m doing well, except my arms are sore from when I put down my hands to brace myself. I feel like I did a week’s worth of aerobics with none of the benefit.
????? — OK. I clipped the tip of my right shoe on a step. The shoe stayed back, while Kathy kept going. I still haven’t run into the guy who witnessed my feat, and as God as my witness, I will avoid him forever.
silverneurotic — Ooo, falling in place? That’s a skill! I think.
December 10th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
LOL, I don’t mean to laugh, but this was funny, from the colleague to the husband email, it made my night, because that is something I would do. I also fall going up the stairs. Happened a few times, once because my coat was too long and I tripped over it, knee was hurt as well. I hate tripping in public, ugh, so embarrassing. Anyways, the husband part was funny, because that’s something my boyfriend would say. He’ll say something like, are you gonna be ok? or im sure its nothing. lol. deep inside I know he cares…
Feel better, the swelling will go down, it must get worst before it gets better. 🙂 keep that ice on there.
.-= Arie Rich´s last blog ..:30 Seconds with Andy Koehn =-.
December 10th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Falling up the stairs is really painful! Ice-pack and elevation is a must.
.-= Katie´s last blog ..Twilight: New Moon Review =-.
December 10th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Oh I’ve done that sort of thing! I fell down steps in front of my entire year 8 class… that was good. I fell down in front of the school building on an asphalt path and ground me knee down to the bone once, too, oh and the second time I tried ice skating – read last time I tried – I was standing still, then managed to have my feet slide out from under me, and in mid air I managed to turn over, because I landed on my hands and knees facing the opposite way to which I was facing when I was standing up. And that was in front of someone too.
I feel your pain, Kathy, I really do. I’m totally clumsy!
.-= Elisha´s last blog ..So much spam still =-.
December 10th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Ouch. My knee hurts just reading this. I sincerely hope you didn’t do too much damage and you feel better soon!
It appears you’re not alone in your falling, reading everyone’s stories. I have one too! I was walking up the stairs with a co-worker and successfully made it to the top. BUT, we got to the top and the floor and just been mopped. You couldn’t tell it was wet and there was no sign. I went straight to the floor in about a second and landed right on my hip. Luckily no damage other than a nasty bruise on my hip, and also one on my ego.
.-= erin´s last blog ..Contentment and Calmness =-.
December 10th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Youch Kathy, I hope it feels better soon. I’ve falled up stairs more times than I can count and often do that thing where I think I’m stepping onto the landing but really it’s the last step before the landing and miss it and sort of crumple into a heap.
Yesterday, I got my finger pinched in the sliding minivan door. The small boy child pushed the close button, so I reached in through the passenger side door to try and open it before it shut all the way. It has a sensor that’s supposed to stop it from shutting if something if something is in the way, but I guess if you’re reaching in from the other door it doesn’t work. The sad thing is this is the second time I’ve done it and after the first I vowed to only use my key fob to open the door back up. But I forgot. And now my finger hurts.
If it’s still swollen tomorrow after ice and elevation, call the doctor!
.-= Tracy´s last blog ..Somehow peanut cuttlefish wheat balls doesn’t sound right =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:01 am
While my mother and daughter suffer from a double dose of the Klutz Gene, I have my moments (particularly when it comes to wipeouts). One thing I do insist upon, however, is a LARGE audience (you get lots more mileage from your mortification thataway :o)
Hope your knee is better soon!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..The Sarabear Chronicles: Part II =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Okay you need some good Fudge. It will help the hurt feeling. I hate to admit this but I too have had my falls up and down stairs and one flat land. One time just walking to the mailbox I wasn’t looking stumbled over a sign posted in our yard and Broke my foot!LOL. You should get that knee checked, just in case and take the fudge with you..everyone will give you special care:-)
.-= Auntie E´s last blog ..Aloha Friday -Decorating =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 10:51 am
That’s exactly the type of response I’d leave my wife in such a situation.
And that’s why I stay in trouble…
December 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Note to self: If you ever meet Kathy IRL, stay at least an arm’s length away for your own safety.
Hope the knee is better K! At least falling in snow would be softer…
.-= Maureen´s last blog ..The Nightmare Before Christmas =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
That’s hilarious!
.-= Wynn´s last blog ..Funky Friday? =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Ooooh! So very sorry. The publicist falls all the time due to her brain problems. Or from an occasional erm, gentle nudge (?) from a goat.
I am very sorry you have a sore knee and back. Pain is not good. I hope you feel better very soon. It does seem to hurt worse when you do it in front of someone.
.-= Pricilla´s last blog ..AbbyDay: I Can’t Believe It! =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I have fallen UP stairs. Multiple times. In one year.
Let’s see… that year I broke my baby toes about 6 times walking into doorways, table legs and chairs, broke my collar bone twice, broke both bones clean through in my arm jumping over the pummel horse in gym class and fell off the beach wall to the boulders 18 feet below. In front of a bunch of really cute teenaged boys. I only sprained my ankle and my ego on that one. That sprained ankle was only about 5 hours after I got my cast taken off my arm. The emergency room doctor was the same one who took off my cast. It was he who suggested I may need an eye exam. Turns out I wasn’t clumsy… I had NO depth perception and needed glasses for everything. My headaches from reading went away after I got my new glasses, too.
You’re Welcome. bwahahahaha!
.-= Barb – WillThink4Wine´s last blog ..Corner Shelves. Check. =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I fall up the steps more than I fall down the steps. I think it has to do with me forgetting where my toes end and they get caught under the tread. Luckily I do it on my carpeted steps so no real injuries.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..I Slept with Tiger =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I was away and this is the first chance I have had to catch-up on blogs. I came here to check in on you and see that you have taken lessons from me by osmosis!! I fall up stairs all the time, I even had a spot on the door near said set of stairs that has a whole in it from my head hitting it. I think there should be danger warnings on every set of stairs. I hope you get well soon.
December 11th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Arie Rich — Long coats. Only thing you can do is hike ’em up. I have a very long winter coat. I never forget to hike since the time I almost fell up steps wearing it. Yes, the hubs cares. He would have gotten me to the ER if he thought it was a break. The swelling is down, but the knee is still sensitive today. Also, it didn’t help when I bumped it against my car’s gear shift this morning. Wanted to cry.
Katie — Done and done!
Elisha — Good Lord! I’m blown away by all the stories of falling that you guys are sharing. Many of you had it far worse than I did. So did the ice skating judges give you a 10 for technique?
erin — Wet floors will kill us all. While regaling coworkers with my mishap, I found out another woman in the building sprained her ankle pretty badly slipping on a spilled drink near our deli. Not fun.
Tracy — Oh, man. A pinched finger doesn’t seem so bad, when you consider how little a finger is compared to say, a hip. But the pain! The pain! So sorry.
Jen — You’re brave if you want an audience. Though I suppose getting those shock horror looks is something to see. People don’t really know what to do with fallers after helping them up. Like, do you laugh if they’re not hurt? I know they want to.
Auntie E — I had choc. chip cookies for breakfast. Will that do? Broken foot trumps swollen knee.
The Hawg! – Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without my husband. He keeps me in stitches.
Maureen — I’ll wear a sensor that goes off when you get too close, OK? “Object may be hazardous to your health.”
Wynn — Indeed!
Pricilla — Now you know I’d be on the ground the entire time if I was anywhere near a goat farm. My entire body would have a bullseye on it. I feel pretty good today. Knee’s fine, though sensitive, but my arms are still in pain. Mostly the left one, which broke the fall in addition to my knee.
Barb — Why does the beach accident sound familiar to me? I have a feeling you commented about that before. I cannot believe you sprained your ankle only hours after having a cast removed. You do realize you must be the subject of a story that doctor has been telling people ever since. “You wouldn’t believe this one girl….” Thank God for glasses. It didn’t sound like you had much left to bust up.
Jen — Yep, that’ll do it. How I wish I’d fallen on two inch pile. No such luck.
The Mind of a Mom — I’m feeling really good knowing that I’m not the only klutz around here, but geez. Sorry about your poor head! I suspect there are thousands of visits to the ER from step falls. Just glad I wasn’t one of them.
December 11th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
If you saw the picture of my eye on my blog, then you read that I fell while walking on a flat surface. Swollen knee? ICE IT as often as possible.
.-= Suzy´s last blog ..It’s Everyone Can Bite Me Friday! =-.
December 11th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I am the Queen of falling up the stairs, but it looks like its like Miss America, where I give up my crown at the end of the year. I will have to put it on your head, while some creepy older gentleman who had tons of plastic surgery but would look better without gives you flowers larger than your forearm. Then everybody cries because its such an achievement and stepping stone in one’s career.
.-= Chris@TheSnackHound´s last blog ..The Mail Bag: Doxie Salt and Pepper =-.
December 12th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Actually I usually end up laughing like a loon, only because I know how stupid I must really look. Understand that it’s not that I want an audience – far from it! – just my misfortune to always hit the skids in public.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..The Sarabear Chronicles: Part II =-.
December 12th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I don’t think I’ve commented on my beach wall accident before… perhaps you know that doctor? 😛
.-= Barb – WillThink4Wine´s last blog ..Corner Shelves. Check. =-.
December 12th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Oh dear so glad your alright you can really get hurt on steps and I’m glad you didn’t hit your head…
Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com
.-= Dorothy Stahlnecker´s last blog ..A mother and daughter miss Daniel =-.
December 12th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Kathy Honey, you need to get some Arnica Gel NOW! Your local health food store or chiropractor should have it. Boiron is the best one and you can get it cheap at vitacost.com where I buy all of my health food needs. It works like a miracle. I fell, hard, on concrete on my knee a few days ago. Looked like a baseball. I put the arnica gel on it immediately and several times a day. Clear, not sticky, a homeopathic miracle. Almost no pain or bruising. Seriously, you should try it. Most of the people I know feel it is essential to have at all times. I usually buy 4 tubes at once.
Take care sweetie,
Maitri
.-= Maitri´s last blog ..I Am Afraid… =-.
December 13th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Ouch, sorry Kathy. You give that Dave you know what!
December 13th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
If it makes you feel any better Kathy, I fell on my butt right outside my gym this morning, in front of many people. I laughed and they laughed. But it still hurt my pride a teeny bit.
.-= Chris Casey´s last blog ..Ethel Mae Teresa Casey 6/26/96 – 12/12/09 Rest in Peace =-.
December 14th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Oh no! That’s terrible. 🙁 I hate slipping and falling, especially in front of other people. Hopefully your co-worker will forget the incident quickly. (Although, I probably wouldn’t.)
Your husband’s response is so funny, although, I’m sure it wasn’t very comforting!
.-= Little Scarf Girl´s last blog ..Kids, Ages, and Devotion =-.
December 14th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Hi Kathy,
I hope you’re not too badly hurt, except for your ego. Coincidentally, this past Saturday night, I took my son to see Planet 51 at our local movie theater. To make a long story short, I was sitting in a seat at the aisle. I stood up so someone else could get into our row. The house lights were still on in the theater as we were there early. I moved to my right and tripped on a step and fell on top off the next step–going up! After my popcorn landed all over me, my son offered to help me up; and then I sat back down, red-faced, and annoyed at myself for being so clumsy.
As for your husband Dave’s response to your fall, be nice to him. My wife laughed–hard–and was disappointed that she was not there to witness me tumbling down–I mean up– a flight of stairs. So, you’re not the only person to accomplish this feat. Once again, I hope you’re okay. Oh, and one more thing–way to go, Kathy! lol. -Mike.
.-= Michael J. Kannengieser´s last blog ..Seasons Of Living =-.
December 14th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
hi kathy, i hope your knee is getting better! stop by, i have my own story of falling today.
hugs,
puglette
:o)
.-= puglette´s last blog ..Another True Tale =-.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I have done that…a few times. That makes me a bigger fool than you!
December 14th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Kathy,
I am so glad that I am not the other one who suffers from falling up stairs. Never down, always up! Don’t worry, my daughter is afflicted with the disease also!
And, you may want to get that softball (er, I mean knee) looked at. I could see a bruise and a little swelling…..but softball?
By the way, men are jerks….
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..A Touching Story…and Huggermugger’s Winner! =-.
December 14th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Suzy — Oh my freaking God! Your eye looks disgusting and PAINFUL! Is it bad that you made me feel better?
Chris at TheSnackHound — Hey, wear that crown proudly. You deserve it. And I don’t want that creepy guy anywhere near me.
Jen — That’s the best way to handle a fall, provided you are not bleeding or have a bone sticking straight out of your skin.
Barb — I swear to God, I read about a beach falling accident. Don’t make me look it up.
Dorothy Stahlnecker — Me too! I need that head, full of air as it is.
Maitri — Thank you for the recommendation. I’m slightly concerned that I still have a minor bulge there. It’s sensitive when I press on it and I’m strangely disappointed I don’t have a bruise there. It should be black as night by now.
Data Entry Services – I did. Slap up the head, right?
Chris Casey — Awesome. Are you still going to go back to that gym, because you KNOW they’ll remember it forever.
Little Scarf Girl — Um, no. I can guarantee he won’t forget. But it’s weird that I haven’t talked to him since. Is he avoiding me or am I avoiding him?
Mike — OMG. I’m so sorry. I’m laughing at what that must have looked like. I’m most sorry you lost what was probably $12 popcorn. OUCH!
publette — OK, I’m headed over. There can’t be enough falling stories in the blogosphere, I always say.
Momo Fali — And your story today makes you a better person than me. I’ve never had hives and I never want to now, the way you described and survived that. I was in such pain reading your post. Better yet?
Lisa — We faller-uppers must stick together. I still have a bulge on the knee, which concerns me a wee bit. But every day it gets better and better, thank God.
December 25th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
oops! i wish you will get well soon in fact very soon! i was a kid when i had a very very bad accident i just remember this! but one thing i know the accident was very bad really!
.-= Zubair khan´s last blog ..Infernal Hell’s Vengeance Sees the Light of Day in the Land of the Rising Sun =-.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Oh dear, I hope you recovered well! Unfortunately, this has happened to me more than I care to remember. I blame it on having steep stairs.