Dear Diary (Journal),

 I will tell you why I think comedy writers should follow me for a day.

The day was Friday, my very favorite day of the week. The scene was set as I walked into my (technology) office past a line of servers and monitors and to my desk. That many machines produces heat - but there is air conditioning. Except Friday, there was no air. "They" had to turn off the air to the building in which I work, to install air in a new building on campus.  I didn't know this in advance or I would have dressed in cooler clothes.

I walked to the thermostat and it read 83 degrees.  I was pretty sure that was too warm for me in a windowless room.

I decided to dig out a little fan I had seen in the storeroom.  Fifty drips of perspiration sweat later, I found it and returned to my desk. On the edge of my huge desk is was an electric ceramic cup warmer that I sort of knocked off between the wall and my desk trying to plug in my only source of oxygen air - the fan. The warmer broke... in several jagged pieces. I put shoved my hand between the desk and the wall to grab the broken pieces. But, I must have pushed my luck too far because a very jagged pointed piece stabbed my palm, near where the rat chewed my hand. (Haven't heard that story?) Immediately, blood spurts like a little geyser only red. We have no running water in our office -bad decision making when the office was created. 

I headed back to the storeroom to grab a plastic bag compliments of the school's nurse (and very good friend) containing some kind of cloth thingy, bandaids and alcohol wipes. Techman (the "other" tech) had arrived and ran walked after me asking if he could do anything. By then I was cupping the blood in my hand. What else could I do with it? I couldn't open the package with one hand; he opened it for me. I put pressure on the wound and sat down. At some point he said, "that's a lot of blood".  I felt I should do something more before putting on a bandage. So, I opened the alcohol wipe and...wiped. OUCH.

So I sat there for the next few hours with a sore hand - wanting to end it all and pass out from the heat. That would show "them".

200th Post Prizes
Now, I need to announce the winner of the bird pillow and the winner is Corra McFeydon, historical fiction writer. After you are finished with me, travel over to Corra's beautiful blog where she shares her journey as a writer.

Now please don't hate me because I didn't tell you this previously, but I am giving away a second pillow. And the winner is Gail from At the Farm. You should go see what she is up to on her farm. If you love animals or if you want to see beautiful photos of nature, visit Gail.  Recently, I found out she is also an artist.

Congratulations to the winners.  Ladies, please email me your addresses.

The final prize is a Barnes and Noble $10 gift card; a little something to help you buy a book. The contest expires Saturday, at midnight. Comment on any post this week and you have an entry. Comment on every post and you will have that many entries.


Did you know that The Ruralhood is my blog about growing up in a rural area.  I talk about my childhood through young adulthood.  I plan on later, when I am 90 years old, to talk about this present day on my rural blog if I can find reader glasses strong enough to see -that is. You can find what I affectionately call my rat story there. Click on the link Articles and choose Article 1. The Ruralhood blog is where I put cherished stories for you and my family to read and then I usually add my two cents on how I think it is significant to me and how those experiences influenced who I am today. I post once a week on Saturday. I do it that day because it seems to me there is less to read on Saturdays. This week's article is titled Bubblegum and Tar

Next week, on Monday, I hope to interview my very interesting dad.

That's all I've got for youins.  So, what are you thinking?

Comments

Unknown said…
Congrats, guys, on those pillows. And JW, I'm sorry about your hand. I hope your feeling better. It ought to be illegal not to have water in your office. It's been 100+ degrees here in Mexico and my car's AC is acting up...

CD
Clarissa, I will think of you when I complain of the 85-90 degree weather here and maybe do it a little less. Tell your car this is no time to be acting up (Air). :)
Mason Canyon said…
Congratulations to the winners.

Teresa, hope your hand is better and that the AC is working in your office. I know we both love warm weather but we still like it a little comfortable. :)

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Naqvee said…
haha.. im so sorry for all that bloody mess.. i know alcohol wipes are horrible, once when i was hurt, a girl in the college carrying a deodorant spray, sprayed it over my wound!!! it was the worst OUCH anybody could ever hear it in their lifetime, i was for many months known as the OUCH GIRL.

I have read your rat story and by now almost every story which u have written there.. they are so real ... i still at times somebody said it right .. FACTS ARE STRANGER THAN FICTION.
Mason, thanks, it's much better today. The AC came back on right before we left Friday.

Naqvee, Thank you for reading my stories. I agree about facts. Sometimes you couldn't "write" any better than the way it actually happens.
Oh, that hurt me just reading it! OUCH. I'm a real baby when it comes to blood...so sorry you had to go through it! You really managed to keep your sense of humor, which is probably key.:)
Joanne said…
Sorry about your hand, but what a comedy sketch your words drew! Life is the best source of ideas, isn't it? Hope your hand is healing well!
Mary Aalgaard said…
Teresa, you had a very sucky Friday. Comedy saves us. I hate the phrase, "We'll laugh about this later," but we usually do!
What a crappy Friday! Sometimes the AC in our office doesn't work and it soars into the 80's as well.
JeMA said…
Sorry about your hand. Hoping today is much better and cooler! I have been trying to keep my kids entertained as it rains here EVERY stupid day!
Anonymous said…
Congrats to the winner! And boo on your Friday at work! My goodness, what a calamity. Why would putting air in ANOTHER building necessitate yours getting turned off? Admittedly I have no idea how these things work, but it would seem to me that each building should have it's own system. I hope your hand feels better AND that the air is back up to snuff. :)
Anonymous said…
Wow, thank you so much for the bird pillow, Teresa! I'm honored and humbled by the gesture - and I'll email my address. What a place is this blogging world. Friends to be had everywhere. :-)

I agree with another commenter: the lack of water within a wondowless office should be illegal. I abhor being hot.

Great to visit this lovely blog, Teresa. :-)

- Corra

the victorian heroine
Some days spiral out of control and there’s nothing we can do about it except try to survive!) Hope your evening was better than your day. Also hope your hand heals quickly. I know that’s got t be a really tender spot.
Anonymous said…
Wow, I can't believe you cut your hand like that. I hope it wasn't that deep. I remember cutting my hand last summer with a knife that went through a piece of cloth, which I was using to dry the knife with. I turned so pale...anyway, thank God that you're okay now. I will try and check out your Ruralhood blog, too.

Anyway, congrats on the pillows and write on!

P.S. I'm a new follower and if you can, stop on by, and check out my blog. Thank you! :D
~Sia McKye~ said…
Oh poor you! Gads, I'm thinking I'd have gone home earlier.

Hey, you're from my neck of the woods--of course Missouri isn't exactly tine, lol!
Tana said…
Ouch indeed! There should be a law against applying alcohol to a cut. ;)
Anonymous said…
We are constantly getting power outtages... 50 degrees with 80% humidity and no AC lead to very sweaty colleagues!!

Looking forward to the interview with your Dad :)
Deb Shucka said…
Sorry to hear about your hand, but it was a great story to read. Looking forward to the interview with your dad.
Gail said…
Cobwebs have been used to clot blood. I always have an abundance of them but have not tried that...just something to keep in mind.

I am doing the happy grateful dance, not as beautiful as the waltz but more joyful.

This has enforced the idea that I have been trying to tell myself...I am not a loser!

Thanks for the kind and wonderful comments. I shall look forward to my treasure's arrival.

Thank you, double thank you.
Hi Teresa .. sounds kinda troublesome to put it mildly . one of those days!! I hope the hand is healing .. and I hope bad Fridays have gone away for a long time .. and good feel Fridays come back.

No air conditioning is terrible .. faint making .. Hope it's fixed .. and hope you're feeling better by now -

Relax and have a great weekend .. Hilary
Unknown said…
It should be against the law to have an office without water and the alcohol must have stung! So sorry about your day. I've had them and am grateful when they don't melt one into another. :-) You've heard of Murphy's law; I used to say I was married to Murphy!

Feel better.

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