Funny how sometimes the things you dread and put off don't even bother to live up to how difficult you thought they'd be.

Databases were like that for me, once; I woke up one day and said, "It's time," and cracked open my books and studied up and about two days later, I realized at least three-quarters of my fear and doubt went away the moment I transmuted worry into action.

"Cable knitting? But I don't know how to do cable knitting..." Read the rest »

There's a saying about happy and unhappy families which follows along the lines of "all happy families are alike, but the unhappy ones are all unique." It applies to more than just families. Major life events are like that, as well. After all, what's the fun in retelling the events of a perfectly normal and happy day?

No, we're much more interesting when events both bizarre and unexpected happen; we're at our most unique in the microseconds when we realize that life has just completely and utterly deviated from whatever predetermined plan we thought we were working under.

Most of my friends know that I have broken my right wrist twice, and most of them know that I broke it the first time while trying to fly a kite on a rainy day. Fewer know the story of the second break, despite the fact that it's a much more interesting and amusing story.

ah, tired. The good tired that comes with visitors and much talking and staying up past your bedtime to catch up on stories that are much more reluctantly told over the impersonalizing medium of the 'net.

Andy toddled off to bed just after midnight; good and tired, I would think. He's had more of an interesting day than any of us bargained on. Accidents are, by their nature, unscheduled. As I was driving Kat's car back from the airport, the transmission gave out.

This, of course, is a bad thing to have happen when you're barreling down a highway at 75mph. To look down as the car starts shuddering just in time to see the tachometer spike to nearly 60,000rpm and feel the accelerator fall to the floor is a frightening experience, especially if you've been rear-ended less than three months before.

I walk outside in sock feet and my toes get cold. Nice. It's gone from unseasonably warm to quite chilly. Today's high was around 46, and I have to wonder if that was one of those "daily high reached at midnight" temperatures. It certainly felt like it.

Had a frustrating realization today at about 4:30. I got an email from a client saying, "We're a bit disappointed—we asked you to design us a site with a look and feel similar to the Williams-Sonoma site, and this looks nothing like it."For the first time, though, she included the URL of the site. It took about ten seconds for me to figure out that there are two Williams-Sonoma sites—the kitchen store site and the corporate headquarters site. My design was based off of the store's site and theirs off of the corporate HQ site. Once that discrepancy was resolved, thigns were a lot more chipper over in the design department.

Kat and I went to Birmingham today. I think this was a good thing, although I came back tired. We talked a lot.

I also finally found the bathrobe I've been seeking for a couple of years now. Full-length. White. No funky logos. Soft and absorbent. Dilemma—keep for myself, or make available to guests?

Can I get away with both?

I've been trying to stick with the drug regimen to help my neck and upper back recover from Thursday's crash. I'm not as painfully tender and sore as yesterday. Today I just ache—and I tire easily. Funny how things like that will mess you up.

I took the muscle relaxant pill about thirty minutes ago. As soon as I finish this, I'm going to bed. I'm starting to get a bit fuzzy-headed again. I don't need them for pain during the day (I'm a tough and creaky old bird) but getting some uninterrupted sleep certainly can't be bad for me.

So I went to the clinic after work, right? Everything was fine and dandy until I said the phrase "car accident." At that point, the nurse-on-duty did the quickest backpedaling act I've ever seen. She flatly stated, "We cannot treat you. Go to the ER."

Tonight's thumbs-up comment goes to Lee Cornelius out in the Huntsville ER. Seinfeld-esque bedside manner—while answering my annoying questions to boot. I hate x-rays. I've had way too many of them in my life, and these were the most pain-free ones I've dealt with in a long time. Has more to do with his good cheer, flippant sense of humor, and general tolerance of my mouthiness than anything else.

From an email I sent to most of my friends this morning:

I'm okay.

Got the car looked at this morning. Over $2000 worth of damage. You'd better believe I'm blessing 1) my insurance coverage and 2) the fact that I was hit by a fully insured driver.

The liftgate for the trunk's got to be replaced, as is my back bumper. My driver's side back quarter panel is buckled, and because of that the small window on that side doesn't seal properly, and the door doesn't shut properly. There is the possibility of some frame damage, but we won't know that until the car's actually repaired.

My 'check engine' light is also coming on intermittently. There's probably a damaged sensor in there somewhere.

I'm not sure if I woke the cats up, or vice versa. They crawled in bed with me about thirty minutes ago, all quivering inquisitive (cold, wet!) noses and rusty purrs. Nothing like twenty pounds of kitty coming to rest on your stomach.

(My bladder said hello.)

I started thinking about tonight's wreck and it really does have me rattled. I think that's just my way of dealing with things; a short-term high level of shock, followed by sheer and utter competence. I'll be fine when daylight comes. But the light of reality is harshest at two a.m., when there's no one to talk to and nothing to take your mind off of the events of the day.I suppose I was snoring in bed; I woke up and Jeff wasn't there. I wish he'd been there. (I write this in the full knowledge that he'll see this sometime tomorrow. Sorry, hon, but it's true.)

I got rear-ended on the way home today. My first accident ever. Boo, hiss. I'm lucky, though. I saw the woman coming up behind me and had enough time to brake and swerve, which prevented the accident from being worse.

The feeling of my car lurching out of control was a very sickening one indeed. Especially since I saw what was ahead of me—an embankment built out of concrete blocks. My brakes stopped me about three feet from the embankment. Had they not, things would have been much worse.She hit my car. *sniff sniff sniff*

Dammit. Sigh. Thank goodness for insurance.

Right now I'm going to sit down and eat some dinner. Right after the accident happened I called the wondergeeks—Jess and Kat still had a house key, so they came over and fed the kitties for me. While they were here, they left me food for dinner tonight.