pratfall in Changes and the Same

You find me sat here typing this entry with a few accompanying aches...

Yesterday afternoon I managed to fall over in the street on my way home from the shops. I seem to do this at least once every couple of years - I'm wondering if I ought to employ a stuntman to do it for me instead? ;)

I'm not badly hurt though. It was just one of those things. I can best describe it as my feet stopping but my knees carrying on walking - with the inevitable consequences of such a move. I landed on the pavement in a kind of press-up position (not that I ever do press-ups) with my palms flat on the ground and my wrists and elbows absorbing much of the impact. Surprisingly not so much as a graze on my hands - though my right wrist and left elbow do ache a bit today. I should rub a bit more Deep Heat cream into them tonight - but my bedroom already smells strongly of that particular concoction so I'll probably choke if I get it out again. :D

Actually the most annoying thing about the fall was that I didn't even need to be there really... I was actually returning from my second visit of the day to the city centre. The first time I'd loaded myself up with food to last the week plus wrapping paper, bags and cards for Valentines Day and for my dad's forthcoming birthday. Only when I got home did I remember that I'd also intended to buy a few household items at Wilkinsons... I'd completely forgotten to go to Wilkinsons so I set off back out again.

The most amusing thing about the fall (if there is one... and I think there is) is that the two young men who were passing me on the opposite pavement at the time were the same young couple who I'd almost walked into coming around the corner at the bottom of my street earlier on in the day. They were holding hands at the time and I didn't actually realise that there were two of them until I almost walked into the second man to avoid colliding with the first. I mumbled my apologies (as I often do on that blind corner - regardless of whether on not it's my fault). So later on they must've been thinking "what a clumsy idiot" as they glanced across the road at me as I tried to right myself with as much dignity as possible. If they were thinking that then they'd not be too far wrong. Nobody could ever accuse me of having good co-ordination. :D

When I got home I was at least pleased to see not a mark on my clothes. Aside from the aches it's as if it never happened.

Work has been crazily busy since we got back in January. Well... not so much the first two weeks but everything since then has been the busiest I've ever known for the time of year. That means that they're taking on more workers and that, in turn, means that I'm having to do one of my least favourite things... train someone!!! The poor devil! I do my best but I'm no teacher. All I can do is show him how I do things and answer his questions - and help him out as he tries things himself. But so much of my job I do without really thinking... After almost 9 years it's instinctive. So each time I train someone I have to try and put these instincts and, yes, skills into words. Not easy.

On the positive side though he seems like he's going to take to the work pretty well so I'll soon be able to just let him get on with things. Ideally he needs to be up to standard by the time of my next short holiday from work towards the end of this month. Then I have a longer holiday in March.

Here's a photo of Alban, my nephew, taken just after Christmas. Here he's tucking into his breakfast of porridge and assorted fruit (he also has toast). Of course any photo of him taken even as recently as the turn of the year is somewhat out of date as he's growing and developing apace. He'll be 18 months at the end of February. :D