Caftan Woman vs. Garbage Truck

"Take That!" by Janet C. Hall

November got off to a flying start. My lingering cold had progressed from the "cuddled under a quilt on the couch with chicken soup watching Bend of the River" phase to the "need more moisture laden tissue and pizzazz in my life" phase. I can think of no better way to add pizzazz than to mix club soda with orange-tangerine juice (it's pizzazz on a budget). The grocery store is only two and a half blocks from home, but who knows what else I might pick up so I took my cart aka bundle buggy to pick up the necessaries.

Middle-aged women who take a cart to pick up two items at the store are notoriously cautious pedestrians. I had finished the first half block on the return home south on Royal York Road and stopped at Van Every noting the garbage truck stopped at the crosswalk and the worker loading garbage. The truck was stopped. I assumed the driver had seen me because isn't being aware of your surroundings part of the driver's job? I calmly started through the crosswalk. I was in front of the truck when I realized it had started and was moving!! Moving!! I shouted. I started to run in a loop out into the street. Middle-aged women who take a cart to pick up two items at the grocery store are not noted for their swiftness. I don't believe I have ever been more frightened. I think I heard people on the street shouting. I'm not certain what alerted the driver, but as the truck struck my back it stopped. I went flying and tried to dig a hole in Royal York Road with my face. I didn't lose consciousness. I was crying. I was bleeding. My cart was totaled. I hate to think that that would have been me if I hadn't brought the cart along, but I can't stop thinking about it.

Good Samaritans abounded. One fellow got napkins from the nearby (Gavin's favourite) pizza restaurant for the blood. My new friend Crystal turned her car to stop oncoming traffic and phoned my daughter Janet, two blocks away blithely working on her art. (Janet will be attending the art program at Sheridan College in January. Her goal is animation.)

The police arrived to take the accident report. The Emergency Medical Services arrived with the ambulance.

EMS guy: "So, how straight was your nose this morning?"
Me: "What the Hell?!"

The Emergency Room at St. Joseph's Hospital was very crowded. Nothing but patients in neck braces on boards as far as the eye could see.

Me: "Is it like this every garbage day?"

Our admitting nurse was competent and funny. Hubby thinks she's cute.

Janet: "You have Stephen Fry's nose."
Me: "What's he breathing with?"

CT scan. Full body x-ray. Only issues are slight fracture of the nose and abrasions on the forehead that did not need stitches after all. I had been looking forward to the Frankenstein look. I have a dressing on my forehead, two blackened and bruised eyes - and it's tough to have a cold when your nose has a slight fracture, even if you do have moisture laden tissue.

My friends, in the words of Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on Hill Street Blues: "Be careful out there".

Caftan Woman aka The Luckiest Gal in the World