Fall into Winter

Batten down the hatches.  Stock up on food and drinks.  It's coming.  ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW!!!  Are you prepared?

I had to turn off the radio this morning as this first snowfall of the year, which is still a day away, is all anyone can seem to talk about.  This is Michigan.  It is nearing the end of November.  Guess what folks.  We get snow!

All the hype drives me up the wall.  What is more important to me is knowing how to deal with the snow and ice once it gets here.

I have not blogged much about my falls.  Two of them to be precise.  Both falls resulted in broken legs.  And because this is the time of year when falls are more likely to occur because of the weather and because this is supposed to be a blog about retirement, i.e. older folks might read it, I thought I would reminisce about the falls.  In winter.

(BTW.  Speaking of 'falls' in winter, if you want to see something astonishing, go to Niagara Falls in winter.  Among all my old photos is one of me back in January 1970 standing in front of the Falls.)

Back to the task at hand.  My first fall was in March, 1968.  I was walking to the bus stop to change buses on my way to my internship at the old Detroit General Hospital.  I managed to step on one of the last pieces of ice in the entire city and fell down.  I got up, waited for the bus, got on and rode downtown.

When I tried to stand to get off the bus, the pain was incredible.  I finally disembarked and proceeded to immediately hail a taxi.  When I told the driver where I wanted to go he looked at me and said 'Miss, it is two blocks away'.

I told him that I knew that but that I thought that I may have broken my leg.  When we arrived at the emergency entrance, I told him to go inside, make a right into the Blood Bank, and tell them Denise was outside and needed a wheelchair.

I actually worked from the wheelchair until an ER doctor was able to see me.  They were able to get the boot off easily enough.  The x-ray showed a clean break of the fibula.  I was in a cast for four weeks, but was horrible on crutches.  It's a wonder I didn't fall and break something else.  Near the end of the recovery I even managed to be a bridesmaid.  Thank goodness for long dresses.

Ever since that fall I have been terrified of walking on slippery surfaces.  Ice, wet floors, waxed floors.  Gives me the creeps.

But this was the 'easy' fall in winter.  Stay tuned for part two and the fall that prompted me to decide to retire.

UPDATE:  Now they are saying 5 to 8 inches of snow.  It will be interesting to see what we actually get.