Well, well... another odd 24 hours, and I got my first black eye ever

I look like a friggin' racoon or a rowdy. And no, no one hit me. I am your absolute, total klutz. If there is anything that goes one centimeter above the pavement, you can be sure I'm going to find it and trip over it. It's famous among those who know me well, and have often joked, if I had been born a girl, they should have named me 'Grace'. Not. So I was hurrying to get supper before the supermarket closed, tripped on the curbstone because I was hurrying, and fell full out on the sidewalk, splat. My glasses flew, and that was the worst thing about it, because without them I am blind. Scraped my elbow, and three people were all concerned, asking if I were ok, and I said, 'Yes, thank you. Thank you.' And thought to myself, 'you bloody idiot, want to break a hip and die?'

So I thought I got off with just a scrape on the elbow, you see...

This morning, I had a lot of bureaucratic things to do. Among them, the unemployment office. I felt crappy, and just put on my NY City OPERA tee-shirt. Black with white logo. I didn't notice anything when I shaved. Yesterday I found out that the union will provide me with financial help while I am unemployed. So I had to get some bank statements as to what they are paying me, and an official statement from the unemployment office as to since when I have been unemployed. I've paid my dues for over thirty years, so now they do something for me for a change.

Then I checked in with Elke for a couple of minutes, and she was looking at me oddly.

I couldn't figure out why.

Then I went to the pension place, and the guy in the reception ALSO looked at me oddly, but he couldn't reach the guy who would know if the Americans had finally responded.

So then I had my 'date' with my new advisor. She turned out to be very, very cool. I think she likes my sense of humour, and that is really not for everyone. 'So you're waiting.' 'Yes, they told me that the Amis really take their time about it, and I am PURPOSELY leaving out some very negative adjectives.'

Click.

I gave her the reader's digest abridged version of what went down last year, including all the stuff with Peter. She was really disgusted.

With my company, I mean, not with me.

The ice broke, and I have never laughed so much or so hard during a bureaucratic meeting. Out loud, even. At one point I said, well working in my job, you learn things that you didn't even know EXISTED. Or wanted to know, for that matter.... She fell apart.

'So you stayed in Austria because you fell in love, and then he dumped you.' 'It was a lot more than that, but you know men.... basically pigs...'

We laughed so hard....

I have to go back in October, as she is going for a three week rehab wellness thing, and then three weeks up on an Alm, in Carynthia. An Alm is a meadow on a mountanside, way the fuck up there, and there are cow and sheep-herders, and they make milk and cheese. Sounds very nice.

Ladies really try to get in the last word, and normally they do. She said, 'And when it rains we stay inside and I'm gonna tie my guy to the bed, and take my pleasure.'

Spitless.

But I got the exit word, hey. 'You SEE? That is exactly what I never wanted to know!'

We just busted out laughing.

Hey, thirty years ago, if you had anything whatsoever to do with these government people, they were so hostile you kept your bloody Mouf shut. Amazing.

And I walked, and bought some groceries for lunch. And Peter goes all patriarchal on me and wants to know who hit me. Because I have a black eye. So that is why they were all looking at me oddly. It seems to have developed over the morning, instead of last night.

Late last night, I learned of a death in my family that hurt me. But that is for another post. Life goes on, etc.