Are you ready kids?

Every once in a while, I have an opportunity to use this blog to issue a public service announcement.

Be careful. 

Karma is usually fairly reliable at making things right in the world.  Sometimes Karma is quick-acting and sometimes it takes years, but what goes around comes around.  Occasionally, incidents slip through the cracks and sometimes, Karma lets us off with a warning.  But Karma did not want you to know that!  (Not realizing how important this secret was, I let it slip on facebook, Tuesday). I told the world that Karma was Kind, and let me off with a warning.  Wednesday, I received my reprimand.

Tuesday morning, I said--out loud and in front of the kids--that "we shouldn't all have to drive 20mph on a road that had been plowed."  Stupid.  I never should have said it.  But it was too late, the kids heard and began to chime in with their two cents:  "Yeah!  We lived in Alaska, move people!  Mom, honk your horn!"  I did tell them that was enough and I did not honk my horn but the words were out there, floating around in the universe.
Tuesday afternoon, going faster than 20mph under an overpass (also stupid) I had just enough time to swerve to miss the car in front of me that had just spun entirely around and was now facing me. 
Karma was kind.  By all rights, I should have hit that car.  I am very lucky and grateful but posted on facebook that Karma was Kind and gave me a warning.

Wednesday morning, I was trying to help!  A friend that volunteers at the school library with me was trying to rescue a book that had fallen inside the book bin.  The heavy book bin has a platform/floor that is supported by springs.  (The more books you put in, the more it lowers to allow them to fit.) There is enough space around this "floor" however, for books to occasionally slip through the gap.  The only way to get the books out is to tip the thing all the way over, let the platform fall all the way down and then reach in.  It is heavy.  I told her to wait and I would help.  We found a few books, a sticker, a pencil and a candy wrapper.  She asked if I was ready to help her stand it back up and I reminded her that the platform slams down quickly.  You have to be careful where you put your fingers or it will hurt!  We started lifting it back up, I reminded her again to watch her right hand.  We set it back up and the thing slammed down. It still smashed my finger.

Karma did not like me telling everyone that she has a soft spot.

That was yesterday.  I'm starting to think about getting an x-ray.  In the meantime, my typing style is a bit altered.  I keep thinking of a Spongebob episode* my kids love--Patrick tells Spongebob to lift his pinky when he lifts his teacup to drink.  "It's fancy."  I, of course, am not drinking tea and should not be typing.  Too stubborn to avoid the keyboard , I am trying to type with 9 fingers, holding my left index finger aloft. It's fancy.



*The episode is "Tea at the Treedome" and can be found, somewhere, online if you would like to view it.  I just spent twenty minutes (Yes.  20.  Minutes) trying to find the perfect link for you, all to no avail.  I found the name of the episode, so, there you go. This is the kind of thing I end up doing when I should be getting something, anything done!