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Friday, July 10, 2020

Still Playing Hooky

water bill, cartoon, Stilton's dad, staycation, time off, refrigerator
Another cartoon sketch by my Dad
My "week off to relax and catch up on things" hasn't really played out that way. Life, in its puckish way, has served up a series of minor emergencies and distractions which have left me frazzled and even further behind than I was before!

For example, our refrigerator broke down (in Texas, in July) and so I had to scramble to get a new one without actually venturing out into the world of possible plague-carriers. I finally found a good one online that got delivered today, but I discovered it's a HUGE amount of work (Mrs J was already on the "injured reserve" list) to get all the crap out of one refrigerator and repack it into another before everything rots.

And amazingly, even though I didn't materially help the guys installing the new refrigerator, I still managed to need a weed whip to help make it happen (to uncover the water shutoff to the house), tore the skin off my knuckles (shutting off the water), then later pitched myself wildly and clumsily into the street, ripped my pants and knee open, and sprained a wrist. It's a long story, but the short version is this: I suck at taking time off.

But now I have ice for my well-earned drink.

On the plus side, ripped jeans are stylish - right?
See you in the comments section!

45 comments:

Mike aka Proof said...

Don't post injury pics. It makes you look knee-dy.

Mango said...

That's great cartoon! And that's a knee? Oh my God!

Pat Cummings said...

That's what you get for taking a knee in the street, Stilt!

Mike said...

I just listened to a talk by a local county supervisor. At the county meeting he got the health officer to admit that of the 28 new covid cases we have 15 are not residents of our county but gruesome newsom wants to shut the county down. Also admitted was if you went to the hospital for stitches they would swab you for a covid test. If that test which would be back in three days was positive you would be listed as being hospitalized for covid. Goes right along with rumors I hear about states with suicides and car accident victims on there covid death list. I think old farts like me should be careful. The rest should go back to work.

bogo said...

Yes. I wonder how many COVID-19 cases are are positive were protesting in the last 2 weeks. They weren't wearing masks and they were spitting in front of the cops without social distancing. But I can't sing at church with a mask on and 6 ft distance in all directions! Makes no logical sense.Maybe they think people of faith won't do the right thing as if we are stupid for believing in the God that created us...hmm

mamafrog said...

Yowch!! Not supposed to do that at your age, or any age really. Would you like to compare knee scars? The pavement and I are old, old friends, and embarrassing yourself in public by tripping over, uhm, absolutely anything is my minor. And...it's hereditary! Both my poor girls have the same affliction.

The youngest, who is 34 (good grief, I had to do some mental gymnastics to figure that out), did a horrible injury recently by that method. She actually fell down her front steps. Her ankle is still somewhat disgusting but the knee is looking better. I hate being a grown ass adult who can't walk a simple distance without trying to dance, or something, lol!

M. Mitchell Marmel said...

@Mike: Dangit, beat me to it!

@Stilton: Owie. Also, I can sympathize with the armed fellow in the wet towel.

mrgutzmer said...

Praying for you and your knee, that it heals quickly.
God Bless
Martin

Anonymous said...

That is how it works. Last week, we decided to paint the house fascia and soffit and hired a person to do that. Cut the shrubbery back so allow him to move the ladder unimpeded. Well, cutting caused debris to fall in my eye, which developed into eye infection rubbing the material out as well as sweat. So pink eye ensues. I stay away from work to avoid infecting them. My eye's resemblance to 'The Terminator' was kinda hip though.

Then like you, minor calamities and every day minor tasks are now available. I need a vacation from my vacation. Antibiotic eye drops (Moxifloxacin 0.5% in case you can find) is the material and it is the shizzle. One drop a day for 7 days are the instructions - its working well.

Knee looks painful, got any 'Monkey Blood' (i.e. mercurachrome) ?

Jerome Boyle said...

MERCURACHROME! Or merholiade (sp) Oh, yeah! Had a grade school class mate, who when face with a good doseing of MERCURACHROME, actually tore his own head off... (True story)

Baker52 said...

As my granddad used to say, "You dont get hurt working, you get hurt playing!". Of course this was while we were whining about having to work in the dairy plant instead of being out jumping off the roof, riding our skateboards etc. He was probably right.

Rod said...

Yep, that's the style now; but come on... you were trying to skateboard. Right?

TrickyRicky said...

For me, your dad's cartoon pretty much sums up my attitude regarding EVERYTHING about the current state of our union. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. For example, the city of Englewood, Colorado now has mandated mask wearing, with penalties of $2,600 or up to a YEAR IN JAIL for refusing to conform. This is less than an hour away from our residence in my formerly free and conservative home state. Spit!

Sorry about your knee. As long as there is no structural damage, it's a painful reminder that gravity is not necessarily our friend. It looks a lot like my knee, shoulder and face after a nasty bicycle wreck a couple of years ago. All I can say is try Tea Tree oil the first day or two. Then apply Clan as indicated.

CJ of La Quinta said...

1. It appears your dad was quite a character, his cartoons are original and have a bit of an esoteric bent. The spittoon in the one today is interesting.
2. Next you'll be running with scissors! Get back to what you do best, writing your blog.

VideomanSS said...

Agree! That is a Great Cartoon.

EJ said...

You have a bad case of knee-zeles

WM said...

Kamila Harris can probably feel your pain.

Anonymous said...

@WM: You have my vote for today's winner without even seeing the rest of the comments.
But Stilt's knee is cleaner than Kamala's.

CenTexTim said...

Did the pitching yourself "wildly and clumsily into the street" occur before or after Clan MacGregor time...? :-)

Studebaker Hauk said...

The great prince issues commands, founds states, vests families with fiefs. Inferior people should not be employed." Knee'd I say more?

John the Econ said...

And this is why I hesitate to take vacations: The collateral damage and then having to catch up more than negate the benefits of the vacation itself.

Mrs. Econ made me to to the doctor yesterday for a small rash I got my my leg, likely the after-effect of a bug bite. No big deal, but she thought it was ringworm. (It wasn't) Dumb thing is that if I'm going to bring home the Wuhan Flu, it's most likely going to be from the doctors office, and I consider that a bigger threat than the after-effects of whatever might have bitten me. I had to update my "patient profile" form. Lots of new questions and a large section about my sexuality and how I'd like to be addressed, etc. Remember when for legal reasons Prince came up with an unpronounceable symbol to represent his name? As I filled out this form, I seriously considered doing something similar. Quite frankly, I consider the first question, "What was your sex at birth" adequate. I bypassed almost half the form because it was either irrelevant to my health, none of their business, or just simple insanity.

I was surprised that there wasn't a "do you have a gun at home" question I hear that people get asked allot. (I was asked this about 15 years ago at a "doc-in-the-box") But then again, where I live gun ownership is pretty much assumed, so they probably don't bother with the question. Also a good reason why we didn't expect the kind of rioting and vandalism that you see in Progressive towns. Funny how the threat of imminent injury or death makes people more polite.

Hopefully you can get back to your usual work routine next week @Stilton, and be more relaxed.

Bobo said...

One shot of Clan McCleanser to the knee, two shots to the mouth to stifle the ensuing burn from the knee. Think about how good it will feel when it stops hurting.

Rod said...

@John the Econ. Good response for "Gun at home?" question would be: NO; I have it with me.

Dan said...

@JtheE Despite hearing about it for years, I've yet to be asked the "do you have a gun" question. I go to at least four or five providers (a couple of clinics, podiatrist, CPAP doc) and if they ask, I've already decided I'd reply that I don't remember.

Colby Muenster said...

Sorry about the knee, Stilton, but hey, you have ice! Dr. Colby says, put the ice in a glass, fill the glass with whiskey, take a good drink of it, then rest it on the knee between sips. Works every time for me.

@TrickyRicky,
I'm originally from Wyoming, and I remember when Colorado was still a lot like Wyoming, and not a haven for people escaping California's high taxes and crime. It's really too bad the Californians brought their liberal BS with them! Sadder yet to me is, they're taking over Western Wyoming too. Sigh....

Colby Muenster said...

@John the Econ,
I can honestly answer that question, "No, I don't have "A" gun at home."

Shelly said...

Ah yes, I kept the Monkey Blood companies in business when I was a kid. I loved to skate on the sidewalk and fell a lot. No kneepads back then. We just learned the hard way. Although it burned like hell, Monkey Blood was the best treatment for road burns. I hope yours heals quickly and painlessly.

Emmentaler Limburger said...

@CJ of La Quinta: I locked onto that spittoon, too. Made me wonder where that particular water department was located...

Hope the knee heals quick-like, Cuz. And now you know better...

Pat H. said...

Both Home Depot and Lowe’s carry a long handled special wrench to shut off the water at the meter.

Or

https://www.amazon.com/PlumBest-M25127R3-2-Inch-27-Inch-Water/dp/B0069QU7Z2/

DougM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DougM said...

Lamest excuse I've ever seen for avoiding being asked to help anyone else.
I'll keep it on file, thanks

Pat Cummings said...

@John the Econ, @Colby Muenster: Chatting with another (younger) vet as he filled out his paperwork for his doctor visit, I noticed a pattern: he'd "hmphf" and then scribble a quick word, over and over. I leaned over to see what he was scribbling. For questions like "Gun at home?" and "Preferred pronoun?" etc., he was answering NOYB. I grinned and he grinned back.

Funnier even than that, when the aide came to get him for his face-to-face with the doctor, she reminded him to bring "all the paperwork with noyb."

M. Mitchell Marmel said...

I got the gun question asked once. I replied, "Yeah! I got a Daisy Red Ryder carbine!"

Doc: "You'll shoot yer eye out, kid."

Doc had a sensayuma.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Readers- Lots of fun stuff above, and I appreciate the good wishes for my knee. I did indeed own the long handle tool for turning the water on and off - but forgot it initially (which is why I ripped my knuckle open using a wrench). Then, when I was putting the lid back on the water shutoff, I lost my balance - cold sober - and fell forward off the curb. I've got aches and pains today, but it could have been worse - if there was a car driving down the street, I could have gotten my noggin run over. Especially if it was Hillary Clinton at the wheel.

I'm genuinely looking forward to getting "back to work" next week so I can relax a little!

JustaJeepGuy said...


@Stilt,

I have always claimed to have only half a sense of balance due to my left Eustachian tube not draining properly when I was a small child. The ensuing earaches surely destroyed the balance organ on that side, so I believe. And if I believe it, it must be true, right? Half a sense of balance is better than none, but not much better.

So I sometimes lose my balance very easily but I have an excuse. What happened to you would have happened to me, too. The thing is, if it had happened to me, Hitlary Clinton WOULD have been driving by at that moment.

LenSatic said...

(Clearing throat) Uh, we have a little shut-off valve like the ones for the toilets on the refrigerator line. Enjoy your staycation.

2ABill said...

If you're going to be working outdoors and possibly falling, these are highly recommended:

https://blackhawk.com/advanced-tactical-knee-pads-v-2/

Joseph ET said...

About 15 years ago I had that "do you have guns at home" question on the Doctors "new" form that were required for the new computers that were required by Obama Care. I figured that if I failed to answer they would assume that I did or they would fill it in for me. Also, my rule of thumb is that I'm allowed to lie when someone asks a question that's NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. So my answer was NO!

Recently a visiting Nurse asked me if I had any weapons in the house. I gave her a tour of my kitchen and garage then showed her my Honorable Discharge from the Army.

Anonymous said...

After three years of retirement, I have some recent experience at taking time off.

Like any skill, it requires constant and focused practice. Don't be discouraged. You will get better at if you keep at it.

Anonymous said...

When having that mild vertigo sensation, practice "three points of contact" until it passes; and one of them should not be an adult beverage.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@LenSatic- I was aware of the convenient and non-life-threatening little water valve behind the refrigerator. Unfortunately, after not being touched for 20 years, it wouldn't shut off fully - so turning off ALL water to the house was the only option. Because it was that kind of damn day. (wry grin)

igor said...

@Stilton - those valves can get calcification buildup on them, and won't seat the first time. The solution is to turn it closed, HARD, then open it up a little ways, close it again, HARD, then repeat a few more times. What you are doing is (hopefully) crushing the calcium buildup on the valve seat and the valve washer (if it has one, most do) and after that the valve will sit down and become a rug and decide to work properly. We have severe water hardness where I live, and this usually does the trick! I try to replace all "seat"-type valves with ball valves for just this reason.

And don't forget to wear the appropriate safety gear, which in your case should probably be full body armor... ;P

Anonymous said...

Serves you right for neglecting your readers and sloughing off for a week.

Let that be a lesson to you.

Stoneager. said...

You are really WOKE pants style.

Stoneager. said...

You are really WOKE pants style.