Today's word is
Wow. So fitting. It's like Dictionary.com is reading my life or something.
Boing. Boing. Boing.
At least, that's what I thought. I always thought peripatetic meant "all over the place," but in an almost frenzied way, or at least implying some level of speed, like one of those balls attached to a paddle by an elastic string. It seems I am wrong, and that while it can and usually does mean going around from place to place, it can be a very calm word since walking is also implied.
Interesting.
*****
Friday, 11:57 p.m.
Oh, this is depressing. Today, the single most important experience of my day was when I badly cut my thumb while opening a winter squash, couldn't wash it well because it was bleeding so much, couldn't find antiseptic ointment or first aid tape even though I am a putative grown-up and should have such things, and spent a good fifteen minutes sobbing over these failures because I am awash in hormones. Good times. The funny part is that as I was trying to open the hard little squash with the big, recently sharpened knife, the mantra going through my head was, "Please don't amputate fingers. Please don't amputate fingers." That worked out pretty well, wouldn't you say? We'll see if I get an infection or not before we answer that one, shall we?
Ugh. Some days are sheer poetry. Some days are bathetic haikus.
peripatetic,
hopeless, pathetic -- my search
for bacitracin
I believe you're supposed to visualize "whole, dextrous fingers" not "amputate" - the mind is so literal. Nice haiku!
Posted by: leslee | November 11, 2006 at 10:57 AM
Squash are dangerous. I've gotten to where I search out the pre-chopped ones if at all possible, although that tends to limit you to butternut.
Posted by: leslee | November 11, 2006 at 10:59 AM
My friend, Jonna, just did the same thing - not on a squash, but cleaning her pruners. She's a pediatrician and said she knew it needed a stitch, but didn't have the time. I don't think she found the bacitracin or even got a haiku out of the experience.
Posted by: Cathy | November 11, 2006 at 06:02 PM
Oh, Leslee -- you are so right about the whole visualization thing. My friend the Gautama Elizabeth (which is my name for her) is always telling me I get that backward, and look: perfect illustration. Maybe now I'll remember.
I cannot limit myself to butternut. But you are also right that squash can be dangerous, especially, apparently, the "sweet dumpling" variety. Who would ever guess?
Cathy, I cannot tell you how much better it makes me feel to hear that my home first aid supply stocking skills are not necessarily worse than a medical professional's. Thank you for that. Really.
I freakin' hate stitches. That's what the tape I didn't have would have been for. Instead I ended up getting extremely forceful with our last two antibiotic-primed bandaids which, incidentally, I know I didn't buy and suspect I won't remember to replace.
My thumb hasn't turned any lurid colors or fallen off yet. I am visualizing it healing cleanly and staying on.
Posted by: Sara | November 11, 2006 at 10:46 PM