I partook of the Fancy Coffee aboard the Carnival Liberty.
Last week Friday I’d returned home after getting my bi-weekly massage and headed out to the barn to take care of the Happy Chickens, slipped on the icy path and nearly undid all the hard work that Matt, my CMT, had put into releasing the tension in my back. (I’m sorry, Matt.) When I came back to the house, I mentioned to Mr. Muse about my slip-and-not-fall to which he replied, “Well, why didn’t you have your Yak-Trax on your boots?”
Good question!
I’m not typically a person that saves too much “stuff”. I don’t like clutter. My Mom tells me that I make her feel guilty about her own house when she visits mine because I rarely have “stuff” about. I don’t like “stuff” lying about (disclaimer: you wouldn’t know that right now… post-vacation chaos); so, most of the time everything is in it’s place and there is a place for everything. Except when I have the brilliant idea to store useful “stuff” somewhere I won’t forget.
Note: I usually forget.
Such was the case with my Yak-Trax. In Wisconsin, in late winter when we’ve had at least a thaw or two and the snow has melted into puddles of ice, Yak-Trax are useful items to have. They prevent people from falling down on said puddles of ice and breaking bones or skinning knees. Mr. Muse in his infinite wisdom decided to give me a pair of these useful rubber-net-and-metal-coil footwear accessories for Christmas a few years ago and in my infinite wisdom, I wore them for the remainder of that winter, stored them for the summer and forgot I had them. Until last week.
One week later, I’m blissfully fall-free between the house and the barn and I’ve only had one chiropractic adjustment (because Matt told me I needed to make an appointment since he felt something was “off” – thanks Matt!). Surprisingly, my Yak-Trax are not full of dirty pine shavings and chicken poop. Sadly, I’m nearly out of Chicken Poop. However, I did manage to happen upon another item of useful nature recently: my earflap winter hat. It’s fleece, it covers my ears, it ties under my chin and stays on in the wind. Now THAT it useful!
Musings of the Amusing Muse 
Muse, First, sorry to hear of your fall but happy you weren’t more seriously injured. As for the gist of your post: living in Boston and having owned a second home in Calais Maine I thought we were experienced winter weather survivors. But hearing the accoutrements necessary to comfortably endure Wisconsin winters I could only picture young Randy Parker of Jean Shepherd’s “Christmas Story”. Leaving for school all bundled by his mother in his snow suit, mittens, scarf, snow hat (with the ear flaps that tied under his chin) and galoshes on his feet (no Yak-Trax available in the 50s). Then falling and unable to get up due to all the protective garb she made him wear. The good news for all of us is the weekend brings the beginning of March so this snow, ice and cold is doomed. Hopefully the idiom, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” will hold true this year
You know, there are many days in winter months that I feel like Randy Parker, even without the snowsuit. Thankfully I didn’t fall, just slipped a little bit – enough to cause a little twinge in the just-massaged back. I am hoping for March weather to improve SOON! I know it’s not even March… not yet.