The Lyorn's Den

Went indoor bouldering today, slipped off a volume at 30 cm height, and spent the next hour sitting with a cold pack and my leg elevated. Only a bruise, and not even a spectacular one (thanks to the cold pack) but I went home after that.

I am sure I could have done that problem if I had paid a bit more attention to my footing. Oh, well. Next time.

2016 really hates me.

I was driving home in soft sleet that ate up all light and gave nothing back, through the suburbs at 8 p.m. after a very pleasant advent tea-cookies-and-a-movie get-together at N___'s place.

A bus stopped before me. So did I. The car behind me, a large one by the height of the lights, was a little too close for comfort, but nothing to be done about it. Bus started driving. I followed and noted pretty late that the bus has crossed a traffic light which was right before me now and showed yellow. I braked with a little force and brought the car to a stop a foot or so before the stop line.

The guy behind me didn't. I had time to think "uh-oh", before I heard the breaks of the other car engaging too late, and than it rear-ended me and shoved me three feet forward. Fortunately, there were not pedestrians crossing in front of me.

Mellowed by lots of cookies I though, "Oh, damn", activated the warning lights, turned off the engine, and got out. A young woman on the sidewalk said that she had seen it all and would testify if needed.

The other car was a big silver SUV, about twice the weight of my car. My number plate was dented, that was all the visible damage. As we were all fine and there we nothing dangerous on the street, we agreed not to call the police, but exchanged addresses and went our separate ways before we were all soaking wet.

I got home fine, scrounged a cup of tea off Ceridwen and then set to call silver SUV guy's insurance, which was calm and helpful. As I was standing at a red traffic light when that car rear-ended me, I expect no trouble out of it, but I have to go to the garage tomorrow and have the damage evaluated.

I sprained my ankle bouldering (indoors -- there's a limit to my taste for adventure, and especially to my current degree of skill) last Sunday. Fell out of an overhang too high to land easily, but too low so sort myself out before making ground contact. So now my foot looks as if I were wearing a thick black-purple-and-blue sock under the light orthosis, I'm sick off work, and can sleep (with the help of some ibuprofen) or sit on the sofa as much as I want, but unfortuantely, I cannot do anything else. Not even cook, or go to the pool, or declutter some drawers, or sit at my desk and do overdue paperwork.

At least my cats are happy to have their human available and un-busy all day.

Robots killed the Hugo Award Lifestream (via Neil Gaiman's Blog.)

First thing this year (after leaving the house for the first time), my car's windshield wipers' transmission broke down and is ridiculously expensive to replace.

Second thing, I wanted to donate money to Wikipedia, and the page requested an additional security on my credit card, but wasn't willing to show me the contract data. Cynical and paranoid me suspects that this "additional security" mostly secures the credit card company's claims that any theft or scam using stolen card number is none of their faults, so like hell I am going to sign up for it without reading the small print. So, no available small print, no donation. Sorry, Wikipedia.

ETA to Second thing: And I'll sure as all fucking hell will not send a donation via PayPal, because I will not put a penny into those rabid iconoclastic philistine Visigoths' pockets. (Trigger warning on the link. I mean it. If you like music or antiques, and are not ready for tears of fiery rage, do not click. [via MakingLight sidelights].)