And The Winner in the Sucks-To-Be-You Category Is...

...the guy that this story is about. Apparently he did not fully assimilate one of the most oft-repeated parental injunctions to children; namely, "Tie your shoes." And for once, the corollary to said injunction ("Because if you don't, you could trip and hurt yourself"), proved all too true.

This unfortunate man actually did trip on an untied shoelace (I can see all the parents shaking their heads right now; you all want to tell him, "I told you so," don't you, even though you are not his parent), and while I don't think he hurt himself so much, still the consequences in his case were rather dire--he stumbled down a stairway in a museum, eventually crashing into (and shattering) three Qing vases whose value remains undisclosed, but I think we can safely assume you wouldn't be able to pick them up at, say, Target (even if you do pronounce it Tar-jhay).

Talk about your embarrassing moments. I've had my share, but this one blows (nearly) every single one of mine out of the water, including the time I tripped and fell down a staircase myself, in my house as guests were arriving for a Christmas party. I ended up at the bottom of the steps with one of my high-heeled shoes still at the top (yes, the shoes were slightly to blame for the fall) and my skirt flipped up to somewhere around my neck.

Thank God the guests went into the dining room first and did not, in fact, pass the staircase. But I think someone commented on the noise ("What was that, an earthquake?").

So there's a little humorous tidbit for your Monday, unless by some amazing chance you are the very guy who tripped and broke the vases and you have somehow stumbled upon (ha, sorry) this blog, in which case it is probably a horrifying tidbit that you wish you could forget about, but most likely you won't. You will also never, ever live it down. Those are the breaks, kid--er, no pun intended. Or maybe it was. I just hope you don't have to pay for the damages, because that's an awfully expensive price to pay for your fifteen minutes of fame. But hey, at least you win a prestigious frogg's category award. It's not everyone who can say that.

Anyway, for the rest of you, thank you for your support as I continue to work on my MFA applications; it may interest you to know that the first set is being sent out tomorrow! That would be ONE WHOLE DAY AHEAD of the due date. Yes! Oh wait, I probably should have warned those of you with a weak heart condition before I said that; I know it's rather shocking, given my proclivity for procrastination. Well, just take a few deep breaths and don't worry: I am still a procrastinator where it counts--in my heart.

Shouldn't be long before I'm back. Stay tuned!