Monday, August 20, 2007

Sunday Trippin'

Sunday I had a fun experience involving the kids in my primary. The previous night I had manufactured a fairly awesome mechanism which involved a needle-topped star that rose up a string. It moved according to the quality of the kids' singing. If it got to the top, it would pop a large balloon, which gets the kids' hearts a'racin'. It worked well with one song, with all the kids laughing and shouting. I immediately went into panicky, let's-keep-it-quiet mode and started shushing them while blowing up a new balloon. For some reason, I worry a lot about the kids being loud and provoking wrath from a neighboring meeting, even though I'm the one that usually incites them to irreverence and frivolity.



I was almost out of my allotted time, so I quickly tried to get the new balloon to clip to the top. My apelike grip snapped the heavy duty black clip, but I had brought backups, since I'm well aware of my propensity to break things. I half-skipped over to the piano to get the spare clips, but not before hooking my leg on the easel supporting the display. Everything came down, luckily missing the kids, who were all laughing and pointing. I did a long fall/trip all the way past the podium to the area behind the piano, where Mandi was attempting to duck down even further, so noone would associate her with this mess. Then I got up and announced it was time for Singing Time to end.

That night I decided to relax in the hammock with Oliver. I called him over and got in the hammock. We had bought the support straps online, thinking they were a big improvement over the chains and wires we had used previously to suspend the hammock. I guess that being outside in the rain somehow corroded the straps, because once I got in and laid back, I immediately found myself hitting the railroad tie underneath as hard as you can expect. Yes, the pain was intense. The back of my head was throbbing, and for a a few seconds I couldnt breathe. Oliver came to tell me "gettup daddy" while I tried to assess the damage. I was thinking, "If only Mandi was here, so she could laugh at me and then drive me to the ER" The spine seemed intact. I think I did most of the damage to my internal organs and head. I told Oliver that daddy fell down and he said "Oh, I sorry....Kissit?" Then he kissed my back for me. That and 4 Advil Liquigels soon got me right as rain. I'm glad he wasn't in the hammock with me. Should I sue the hammock strap company?

12 comments:

Sherri said...

Well, you should have come to Lagoon with us.

CARRIE "THE FABULOUS" said...

Paul, my beautiful & bruised friend :), it sounds like u might need a "calgon" moment!!!glad u r ok.

Joel said...

I wish so hard that I was in your primary.

Anonymous said...

I wish so hard I was not in his primary.

It looks like you're wearing clown shoes in the bottom pic.

Montgomery Q said...

I had to draw in the ends of my shoes, cause they got cut off in the picture. And yeah, they look a little clowny. I was in a hurry.

sugarbritches said...

You're the singing leader? That is AWESOME!!!!f I wish you were in my primary!! I love your singing device, I want to copy it and somehow use it for sharingtime! I also loved your falling description. Most humerous (to me anyway). Ask Valerie about breaking hammocks - she's a pro.

Christopher Bigelow said...

I'm wearing a miniature hammock strap right now, and I hope it doesn't break.

Pam and Rand said...

You would be an awesome (though a bit irreverent) primary chorister. I'll bet the kids can't wait for singing time! The visual aid is amazing. Good job! Remember the staps on the teak wood lounge chair - that snapped when you sat in it? Must have been the same manufacturer as the hammock. Glad you're OK!

Anonymous said...

My mom brings up an excellent point. How many chairs have you broken by sitting in them? Methinks...several.

hmmm

Montgomery Q said...

Only two dozen. That's not that many.

It's difficult for manufacturers of chairs to make them support my muscles.

Kent and Leisy said...

my dad made a "holy ghost detector" for sharing time once. he got them to all stand in a circle and hold hands and then he turned on the device and it shocked them.

Jaime said...

Oh my freakin heck Paul. Why are you so prone to accidents? I seriously don't think you try to get hurt... right?