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Sunday, November 20, 2005

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PZ Myers • 59 Comments (last page)

I had a scary moment today—recent storms have flung icy wet leaves everywhere, so I was up on a ladder clearing out our gutters. The ladder suddenly went flying (icy wet leaves. Everywhere. It was understandable.) I came crashing down about 10 feet, but fortunately my head partially broke my fall by smashing the glass cover on a gas meter about halfway down.

I'll live with no major injuries, but ouch, I'm feeling my age. It was a real bone-rattling fall. I've got an ugly lump rising up on my temple, my left leg is scraped up, my back is aching, and worst of all, I've really done a number on my left wrist. It's packed in ice right now, but it's stiff and throbbing…so no idea what it will be like tomorrow.

I'm going to have to work on writing using only words I can type with my right hand.

Look. Look up. Pony! Loomin', jumpin' pony. Hop, hippo, hop. Joy! Poop. Pumilio. Milk on my yo-yo. Loin, junk, Polk, pin, plink, plonk, hum. Oil, pomp, lumkin.

This better get well soon, or look what the new subject matter of the ol' blog will be.

The doctor thinks I'll be OK. Nothing major is broken (although he's going to have a specialist look closely at the X-rays—my hamate bone looks a little suspicious, I guess), and I'm just going to be wearing a splint for a while.

Meanwhile, check this out: there's a trend, or conspiracy, or a most unlikely set of coincidences going on here. I smell…design.

For those of you who have mentioned karma and justice in the comments, I will simply mention that I am now equipped with the Steel Reinforced Fist of Science, so don't cross me.

Trackback url: http://pharyngula.org/index/trackback/3396/JMkYLBQU/

Comments:

#49920: Ian Gibson — 11/20 at 05:09 PM
But think yourself lucky; if you used the Dvorak keyboard layout, you wouldn't have any vowels!

#49922: — 11/20 at 05:20 PM
With body copy like that, you could always get a gig with OSM Media.

#49923: QrazyQat — 11/20 at 05:29 PM
About 10 years ago I slipped on the top stair and thudded down several steps as I landed flat on my back. I had to lie down, and I felt it for days. (Twenty years before something like that would've been a couple hours worth of soreness -- and as a kid I probably would've done it again just for fun.) It made me think about being a bit more careful (and funny thing is that I've always been fairly careful) especially when I'm alone.

It's one reason I'm glad we don't live somewhere where winter, and especially unshovelled sidewalks, happens. Hope you're gonna be more or less okay, but I'll bet you'll feel that one for a while.

#49925: John Wilkins — 11/20 at 05:40 PM
I think I saw that Simpsons episode, and if you lost the facial growth you do look a little like Homer...

However, I am working up to a much better accident than you - I ride a motorbike. My brother came off his yesterday, and is also feeling a bit the worse for wear.

Haven't you yet worked it out that the entire point of having teenaged or young adult children is to get them to do the work?

Take care. You will be as grumpy as you on the 'net if you shuffle off this mortal coil?

John S. Wilkins : evolvethought.blogspot.com

#49927: — 11/20 at 05:47 PM
On the bright side, you'll still be able to write about the recent discovery of the remains of our eleventh President's sporting mount in a dairy outside of Duluth, which has been tenously connected to the murder of a Franciscan friar and his family:

Polk polo pony in MN milk; monk, ilk kill link?

#49928: — 11/20 at 05:49 PM
I wonder if PZ could make an entire post about some new science discovery or creationist idiocy using only one hand.

#49930: Joel Sax — 11/20 at 05:53 PM
Oh, that ! was done with your left hand. You can't put one over on a real touch typist.

#49932: PZ Myers — 11/20 at 05:55 PM
I can't join OSM. "Islamofascism" is such a left-hand word.

PZ Myers
Division of Science and Math
University of Minnesota, Morris

#49933: ekzept — 11/20 at 06:00 PM
speedy recovery, PZ.

when i still had a house, cleaning the gutters of leaves was one of my least favorite things to do. first of all, a portion of the house room was reasonably steep, and there was no way to do this from a ladder. soooooooo that meant it had to be done from the roof, headfirst down, with collecting bag along the side.

also, i tried to put some of those screens atop the gutters to keep stuff out. previous owner used metal screens. then when that proved a pain, replaced with plastic. plastic would also blow about at times, and the stubs of the metal cut you as you swept crud out of the gutters with your hands.

not fun.

we had conifers about, too, so the gutters had to be washed out to get all the needles out of the tubes, so they wouldn't back up, clog, and freeze in winter. plastic screens kept the leaves out but not the needles.

well, maybe not least favorite: i've often wanted to engage in time travel to eliminate the guy who convinced the British lawns were a nice thing to maintain. often thought you could use all that land for something useful, like crops, or self-limiting meadows and such. AFAIC, could pull it all up and put down nice pretty stones.

this is why i now rent an apartment.

#49937: — 11/20 at 06:05 PM
You should still be able to do some equations though. You have the basic symbols on the right hand side and possibly a dedicated number pad too. So it's no good as an excuse for getting out of filing tax returns either.

Seriously though, try not to fall off any more ladders. The pain is supposed to let you know you did something silly so you can learn not to do it again. Remember those mice. You wouldn't want them to be more advanced than you would you? Or is the alternate fearless strategy part of your plan for world domination?

#49941: Ron Sullivan — 11/20 at 06:19 PM
Ouch. Time and gravity: twin killer bitches.

Get better soon, hey?

#49944: — 11/20 at 06:40 PM
Hope you heal well and quickly. Very scary..

I found that I could hire a guy for $75 bucks to come clean out the gutters and clear off the roof each year - we are now regulars... He does 5-6 houses each Saturday and Sunday for a few weeks in the fall -makes some nice Christmas money.

I will buy a cherry picker (Hi Lift - whatever) before I go up and clean the gutters again. Of course ours are three stories up on the high parts, my fear of heights AND more ladders has saved me...

#49946: — 11/20 at 06:41 PM
Polio. Try writing about polio. And things that are pointy.

Seriously, get better and be more careful. It's amazingly easy to wipe out with accidents like that in middle age. No teasing intended, I've experienced it myself.

#49947: — 11/20 at 06:43 PM
Oh..

BTW - I think Pat Robertson warned you about god's wrath didn't he???

#49949: — 11/20 at 07:14 PM
Can't believe that no one has mentioned Darwin in this thread...

#49950: — 11/20 at 07:23 PM
i've often wanted to engage in time travel to eliminate the guy who convinced the British lawns were a nice thing to maintain. often thought you could use all that land for something useful, like crops, or self-limiting meadows and such.

I always thought the whole point of having a lawn was to show off the fact that you could afford to own land you didn't have to do anything useful with.

#49953: — 11/20 at 07:32 PM
Jeez, PZ, didn't anyone ever tell you to have someone at the bottom of the ladder to steady it -- or to break your fall if you slip?

The last time I was made to feel my age was when I was chatting up a young lady in a pub, and I made the mistake of telling her my actual age when she asked. She looked nonplussed for a moment, then oh-so-casually turned to talk to the young man on her opposite side.

On consideration, you probably hurt more. Rest up, take your pain-killers and don't rush back into any physical activity too soon, eh? Send your daughter up the ladder when she comes home for Thanksgiving.

#49955: Gerry L — 11/20 at 07:39 PM
Glad I didn't read your post until AFTER I had come inside from my chores ... including cleaning the gutters. I make it a point to do it early enough in the day so if I fall off the ladder and am knocked unconscious, there is a better chance a neighbor might find me.

-gfl

#49956: arensb — 11/20 at 07:41 PM
I suppose it'd be easy enough to register the "phynul" domain ("pharyngula" without the left-hand letters), but I think the only right-hand-only TLD is ".mil".

#49957: arensb — 11/20 at 07:43 PM

including cleaning the gutters. I make it a point to do it early enough in the day so if I fall off the ladder and am knocked unconscious, there is a better chance a neighbor might find me.

The last time I did that, I took my cell phone with me onto the roof, then called a friend, explained what I was doing, and asked him to call me back in half an hour.

#49958: ekzept — 11/20 at 07:43 PM

Darwin Hop Drop

5.3 per cent 500ml, Tesco £1.58

This deep blonde has magnificently fresh hop definition (rare in bottled beers) and a vivid, racy, mouth-perfuming hop style. If this doesn’t convert sleepy lager drinkers, nothing will.

there! someone complained Darwin hadn't been mentioned in this thread.

Trackback: An Accident? Tracked on: PhaWRONGula (72.9.234.70) at 2005 11 20 19:43:40
He scoffs at the spins you concoct. Little "accidents" happen. You're shocked? If you sow evilution...

#49959: — 11/20 at 07:45 PM
In lecture, tell the students you beat up 3 of their fellow classmates for trying to egg your house.. you beat em up real good..

-----
"As with all of ID, the important thing is first to have the concept. Production can then follow as a matter of course.” -Dembski

#49961: Pinko Punko — 11/20 at 07:51 PM
haha. I love the pumilio joke. totally geek. you got jnk, pin, pou, and ku too.

#49963: Virge — 11/20 at 08:04 PM
PZ, I don't suppose you heard the high pitched squeaks or tiny pattering feet at the bottom of the ladder.

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