Well! As our good Jude Emblem suggests that when we have an interesting day we tell about it, I will tell you all what happened yesterday.

The morning was pretty normal. Chilly and a bit damp; I drove the Vespa down to college and as it turned out, my 9 am class was cancelled due to a power-outage, (which was mended by now but we still didn't have class). I did my hour's stint at the front desk of the Community Music School, then practiced; went to choir rehearsal (we are performing Karl Jenkins' L'homme Armée: A Mass for Peace, a very interesting work, just gorgeous in places and a bit weird in others); had a bite of lunch; counterpoint; and a wonderful though somewhat short piano lesson, as my teacher wasn't quite well. Then I headed home, taught a piano lesson, and headed off to Opera Studio rehearsal (the last dress rehearsal before our performance Friday.)

It was misting heavily now, with occasional big drops splashing. I drove slowly, and made it to college without incident; but as I swung into the parking lot of Webster Hall, I found that the motorcycle spots were taken up by cars. How irritating! I turned and headed out, assuming I'd have to park by the music building and walk... and I was late already.

But as I slowly turned the corner of the driveway I met a car coming in... and so sudden was its appearance that, startled, I braked sharply, skidded and went down with a crash. I felt the Vespa come down on my right foot and as I jerked free I thought "Oh, this is not good..." through a blinding flash of pain.

I lay still for a minute, trying to get my breath, until I heard a voice call my name and found that the driver of the car was one of the girls who did our make-up for opera. Coincidences... She and a kindly professor who happened to be there helped me up and we parked the Vespa (unharmed barring some scratches) and waited for Public Safety to show up, since the professor had called them. They took my name and number, made sure I was all right (was I? I don't even know) and then I parked the Vespa properly and went in through the back-stage door which a very repentant make-up girl opened for me. An hour and an ice-pack later I got into my costume and made it through the scene, without shoes and with a throbbing foot; but evidently I can act better than I think, for none of the directors noticed that I was limping. (Stage makeup must make all the difference.) :)

Performance over, I got myself back into my own clothes and shoes and drove the Vespa very carefully over to the Community Music School half a block away, where I sat at the front desk till midnight (oh, work-study!) and then drove home to bind the hurt foot and collapse into bed. Today it still hurts pretty badly but continuous icing is helping and I am sure I will be good as new in a couple of days. Deo gratias, it wasn't any worse.