oh, those kahles ...: Just because...

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I am four whole days away from starting school. Going back to work. Yes, the summer is over for me. The weather hasn't changed, but summer is over.

Let's see... this summer Rick went to the ER for hives, Elizabeth went to the ER for Dysmenorrhea... and not to be outdone... I decided to take a little trip there myself! Yes I did. Just 'cause.

We decided that we were about done with our piano. I inherited an old piano from my aunt in California in 2003 and the only one who has ever played it is Elizabeth... She took lessons and she hated every minute of it. But for some reason, I just would not let go of that piano. Not yet, anyway. You know, there just might come a time when I might want to learn to play. Someday.

But moving to a new house and seeing that there is just NO PLACE for it caused me to reevaluate it. And I broke down and listed it on Craig's List. For $250.

$250.00 for a 42 year old piano that plays by itself. Yes, it is a player piano.

Rick loves to compare it to an episode of The Three Stooges. That alone made me want to sell it.

$250 was a decent price, however, I thought that it should bring in a bit more... but since no one plays "real" pianos anymore, that's the price Rick and I settled on. Complete with 64 piano rolls.

And we had lots of calls on said piano. And we sold it to the first person who could produce the cash. That man was Larry. And Larry was strong.

Larry came with a little ol' pick up truck and handed me the cash... and hoisted that big ol' piano up onto a dolly and off he went. Out our front door. The only catch was that it ALMOST didn't fit through the door. And the dolly caught on the baseboard leading out to the front yard.

Of course, I knew just what to do. I raced to his aid, placed my hands on the backside of the piano and helped lift that heavy ol' piano up and over the baseboard. Yes I did. 'Cuz I'm nice.

Well, that's what I had intended to do anyway.

Instead I placed my left hand on the back wall of the piano, between the piano and the front door. And Larry tugged. And I pushed. And the piano shot forward... at an angle... pinning my hand between.

Oh how I yelped. Oh how I yanked. I felt better yelping. I did not feel better yanking.

Larry felt bad. I felt worse.

When the dust settled, I ran and got some ice and began to de-swell my hand. And then together we continued to move that ol' piano out to his truck.

And off Larry went.

And off Rick and I went to the ER.

Yes, you heard me right. I wanted a turn at the ER, too!

And once inside the ER, I headed to the front desk to sign in.

You know it's bad when there's a room full of people in the waiting room but the girl at the front desk yells, "Nurse to Triage! Stat!". I honestly felt like a celebrity... being rushed inside and all.

Ain't it pretty?

And thus began the poking and pulling.

And the waiting.

Believe me, this man did NOT want to be there.

And as the afternoon wore on, he began to get a taste of what Liz and I go through for him ALL THE TIME!

Didn't matter though... because he had things to do! Places to be, people to see. And he did not like sitting still for this long.

Here was the culprit. Yes, this here ring did some damage to me, too. It tried to choke off all of my circulation. But it didn't. And a little tube of lubricating gel worked wonders in getting that ring off of my swollen digit.

It did manage to cut me though. How, I don't know...

About two hours, four x-rays and a gallon of ice later, my hand began to calm down and look more human again.

And I got some fancy bandaging.

Seriously guys? Just a bandaid? No one will ever believe what I've been through! How I almost died! How the piano just wouldn't have gotten moved without me! How the Red Sea would never have parted! Please! I've got to have better bandaging! How else am I going to get any sympathy?

But, the bandaid stayed.