Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Of Hiking and Manhole Covers ... Yep, That's My Life!!

From Millan.NetFirst things first ... I am NOT getting old(er) ... (-ish) ... at least in my MIND I like to think that I'm not!! However, today IS my birthday (yes, it's true ... I'm 27 ... again)! I feel like I am more adventurous and willing to try fun, new things than I have EVER been (activities, food, music, friends!)! Heck, how can ANYone who goes to a restaurant and tells the server to "surprise me" NOT be considered adventurous??? But ... sometimes ... I seem to get myself into a pickle ... but, I digress ... I'll come back to that and the reference to manhole covers in a minute ... READER WARNING ... this is loooonnng ... and EPIC ... and SOOO totally TRUE!! None of the names/events have been changed to protect the innocent ...

Scrapbooking myself is something I just don't do ... pretty much EVER!! However, having had to create a myriad of things in this past year for Stampin' Up has often pushed me out of my comfort zone (something ELSE to which I have easily adapted ... most of the time ... which ALSO proves I am NOT too old, right??). Anywho ... I did this layout to highlight a hiking adventure I went on with my family this past June. We did the West Rim Trail at Zions National Park. It is a beautiful and scenic 17-mile undertaking, which I was MORE than happy to tackle. I LOVE being outdoors ... I LOVE hiking ... and I LOVE my family, so it was a winning combination all around. (Not to mention the fact that I LOVELOVELOVE my Woodstock "Happy Camper" shirt!!)



Stamps:  Hello Lovely, Gorgeous Grunge
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Natural Composition DSP, Neutrals Patterned DSP, Brights Patterned DSP
Ink:  Pacific Point, Pear Pizzazz, Daffodil Delight
Accessories:  1/2" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Square Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, Brights Candy Dots, Sewing Machine

From Millan.Net

What on EARTH does ANY of this have to do with manholes, you ask? Well ... it seems that, lately (as in the past couple of months) I have apparently misplaced some small mount of finesse that I would like to think I HAVE had up until this point in my life. I run ... I run pretty much every day (and the odd fact is that I really don't LIKE to run ... but I DO love that I live in a place where I can be in a lovely canyon within minutes of my front door ... and the scenery distracts me from the fact that running is not always the MOST fun thing!). Many of my SU buddies KNOW that I run. And many of my SU buddies have asked if they could run WITH me while they were here for Convention in July!! No PROBLEM!! GREAT!! FANTASTIC!! What's NOT to love about having some of your BFF's along to run with ya?? Seriously, right?? So, at 4:45 AM (yes, you read that right!!) I went and picked up several of my stampin' buddies at their hotels to come and share my run with me (that's Mindy Backes, Marla Reed, ME and Bree Renwick in the photo). It was dark, but we watched the light come up over the mountains. AND ... just as we were coming out of the canyon something TOTALLY unexpected happened (while I was with my friendies ... of course ... because this has NEVER happened to me when I was ALONE!) ... I fell.flat.on.my.face!! SPLAT!! Have absolutely NO clue what happened there!! One of those instances where you try to just "jump up" and pretend nothing happened ... and that you are TOTALLY fine and IN CONTROL (even though your hair is screaming and you've ripped the freckles CLEAN off about half of your arm!)!! "Yeah ... I MEANT to do that!" I needed a better story, though ... telling people I have the grace of a hippopotamus is kinda embarrassing. So my daughter's BFF (hey, Tiffy!) told me that I should just tell people when they asked (because my arm looked THAT pitiful that people WERE asking!) that I had saved a baby ... I was kinda thinking something along the lines of a Zombie Apocalypse ... so my story was that I had saved a baby FROM the Zombie Apocalypse ...

It's a long story, I know ... but I AM getting to the manhole cover!! Just the other day (barely more than a MONTH from my baby-savin'-Zombie-Apocalypse experience) I was walking about a BLOCK from our business to our church in order to attend the funeral of my brother-in-law's father. It was particularly windy and I decided that I needed to avoid walking through the sprinklers at the corner ... the wind was blowing the water SIDEways into a big, wet ol' misty cloud ... and of COURSE I didn't wanna get my dry-clean-only skirt wet, right??

Soooo ... I stepped onto the grass adjacent to the curb .... and proceeded to walk around THIS fire hydrant ... took just a few steps and my whole perspective on the world changed ... I suddenly found myself dangling with one leg down inside that freakin' manhole!! My very FIRST thought was, "Sinkhole??? Are ya KIDDIN' me??" Then I looked down and realized that this little manhole had tried to EAT ME!!! The dumb lid had NOT been secure and it flipped up when I stepped on it! And I was now doing a semi-split ... in a skirt ... in the mud ... and my SHOE had fallen off down into the abyss of the manhole. Sooooo ... as I dragged my bruised, bloody and muddy leg outta that dumb hole I was feeling kinda NON-FINESSE filled. Here I only had ONE shoe and I was a hot mess!! And the funeral was starting in about FIVE MINUTES!! One of the neighbors who lived close to the fire hydrant saw the whole event in all it's spectacular glory. She seemed VERY concerned and wanted me to knock on the door of her surgeon-neighbor's house. I declined, reassuring her that I was FINE (despite my somewhat pitiful - there's that word again! - appearance). I hobbled over to the church ... shoe in hand ... and somehow managed to get a bit cleaned up and sneak into the service without too much fanfare. The fanfare??? Oh yes!! There WAS fanfare! As soon as the services were over we all took our turns exiting the building. As I was hobbling out one of the funeral directors looked at me and my one pitiful shoe in hand ... and the mud on my skirt ... and the ROAD RASH and LUMPS on my leg and blurted out, "Oh!! Are YOU the woman who fell into the MANHOLE??" What.the.HECK??? Has THIS been on the NEWS already??? Holy COW!! Apparently, the woman who saw me fall in was a bit concerned and called 911 ... which prompted a FIRE TRUCK and AMBULANCE to show up at the funeral (unbeknownst to me!). They came into the back of the chapel and peered around looking for the (again) pitiful soul who needed help!! I HONESTLY would not EVEN have had ANY idea that they were there for ME even if I HAD seen them! And I canNOT believe I MISSED the opportunity to have HOT FIREMEN giving me their undivided attention!! Dang!!! (But they did, thankfully, rescue my shoe!) I need to call the city AGAIN and have them send someone over there to secure that dang thing ... it's still kinda skeewompus! And I would HATE to think that there is another non-finesse-filled pitiful soul who may wander into its path!! (Not to worry ... I will make sure ... TODAY ... that that thing is made safe for all the world!)

Sooo ... today I am going to spend my day in Disneyland with my BFF and sister-in-law, Diann!! And HOPEFULLY I will not save a single baby ... or encounter a SINGLE zombie ... and I will do my UTMOST BESTEST to avoid ALL manhole covers!!
 photo blogFALL2013signature_zps52ff99ee.png

15 comments:

brrenwick said...

First off...Happy Birthday friend! Second...I'm seriously happy you were not hurt in either of these episodes any worse than you were ~ SCARY!!! And lastly...I love this page that is all about YOU! I love the colors, the arrows and the fun little candy dots :-)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
stampinjul said...

Happy birthday, girlie! I am so glad you were not swallowed up by that stupid manhole! I would've helped pick you up--after I stopped laughing my butt off!! Too bad you didn't get rescued by the hot firemen!

Karen said...

I feel so bad when I laugh at other's misfortunes or when they get hurt, but . . . bwahahahahahaha! You created such great pictures with your words my friend. Really, I'm trying to not even smile while I say, "I'm so glad you weren't seriously hurt!" See, exercise will kill ya!

Tanya said...

Thank you, I needed that laugh today before work! :) I laughed so hard because this is totally like me. *I am the one who falls over nothing, all the time, in public, whatever.
Also, I totally love this page and the happy colors and arrows, and happy birthday! :)

Karen B said...

Wow, so glad you weren't hurt worse than what you were! Guess people don't ask what's new" they ask " how'd that happen?"
You've got a great sense of humor about it :)
Thanks for sharing your story and your creativity too!

xrciznuts said...

Oh my word Wendy! You tell a GREAT story! You should be a story teller at Timpanogos Story Telling Festival! I'm at work, reading your story, and trying HARD to NOT laugh out loud! (Don't want to disturb my fellow workers.) ROFLOL! I am so grateful you were not seriously hurt. However, being treated by the HOT firemen would be worth the effort wouldn't it? As always I love your scrapbook page. You have more creativity in one little finger than I do all over. Happy Birthday! Have a good time at Disney Land. And please be safe!
Lots of hugs!
Kim Smith

Judy McMullen said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WENDY! Wishing you many blessings and a year full of SAFE AND INJURY FREE adventures!!

Nancy B said...

Wendy,
Happy Birthday! You sure know how to celebrate. I am still laughing, even if it is at your expense. What stories. I wish you had pictures. Oh, my, I do so love your blog -- and your work. Glad you weren't hurt. This has to go down as one of your best posts. You know how to make memories! Have a Great Day! Nancy B

MarvA1ix said...

Stay young at heart, and always laugh at yourself first. Happy Birthday! Thanks for the entertaining story start to my day. Oh, and I LOVE the scrapbook page. Makes me want to make one myself.

Carol Carriveau said...

OMG....what a story, and sorry to you but I'm still giggling..but in total sympathy...I think many of us have had similar experiences...but the manhole and hot ambulance/fire fighters would have made most of it worth while...glad you got your shoe back...! I know you are having a fabulous time at Disneyland and hoping that your dear friends are keeping a close eye on you! Can't wait to hear about your exploits! Belated Happy Birthday wishes!

Cathy Caines said...

Oh Wendy!! In the kindest sense, what a disaster that was!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY... and for goodness sakes... do not step on anymore manholes!

mamia (me and mine in Alabama) said...

Happy birthday! Your story made me laugh, reallllly laugh. I had a similar story while walking on the beach a couple weeks ago. I had seen these kids digging a big hole the day before but we had a lot of wind that night and it must of covered the hole with a layer of sand. here I am just strolling along and all of a sudden one leg seems to disappear and I am lying face down in the sand. Seriously, that hole was very deep but the worst injury I had was to my pride.

Judi said...

Happy Birthday Wendy and the tears are running down my face from laughing so hard (sorry). You relay a great story. Hope you are not black/blue for your Disney rides. Love your blog and your great personaility!!!

Patti MacLeith said...

LOL. You are so funny. I'm glad you are okay. I loved your story and that scrapbook page is awesome!!