random thoughts – Day 1,438 – (Friday) – working it

Today there was another volunteer opportunity for a chunk of the day. Several of us convened at Anton’s Cleaners to finish unpacking the rest of the shoes for the Bell of the Ball event in April. Five of us spent 3.5 hours unpacking all manner of sparkly thong sandals, ballet flats, and sky-high heels of all manner of strappy-ness and colors.

A small section the shoe project.

It was going great at my little work station which consisted of a couple cartons stacked for a work surface for additional cartons set on top to be unpacked. I was a model of efficiency, tearing through the process of unpacking, zip-tying, and shoe placements like I was Mummu when she worked at the yarn factory and being paid piece-work. At least that is what I imagined. 

It was going swimmingly until the last few minutes of the shift. I was opening a carton with a pair of scissors and I am not even sure how it happened, but my finger and the scissor blade had an intimate encounter. My finger was sliced. Right (dominant) hand, middle finger, at an angle into the fleshy part of the finger pad above the joint. 

It bled. It gushed. It dripped in surprising and glorious abundance. It overflowed a bandage, then a second one. A colleague helped me with a doubled over gauze pad covered with a larger bandage and I kept it elevated for a couple minutes and that took care of it enough so I could finish the carton I was working on.

After Anton’s there was a quick stop across the street to Market Basket because I had forgotten to grab some lunch before I left the house and MB was in the prime location to offer the best solution. The prepared meals section yielded a two-pack of egg salad rolls. Best fast food ever. I also got some iced oatmeal cookies and a box of bandages for home.

The afternoon was spent in the office, running through the to-do list and checking on statuses. Next week’s list was set up, and then it was time to leave. The best part about leaving was having plans for a drink at Warp & Weft with a colleague. We had a nice chat and shared some sweet potato fries and a flatbread before heading to our respective homes.

Back at home, Kiki had eaten some of her food and was back in the box spring. I peeked in, said hello, and left her a treat offering before stopping at the puzzle for a few minutes.

For a short week it’s been very tiring, and I'm glad it's over and I can’t wait to go to bed. Sometime after I am in bed, Kiki will have a wander about the house and do whatever it is she quietly does. She’s not a mischief maker, and nothing is out of order in the morning when I get up. She doesn’t seem to have discovered her toys, which are always on the rug, exactly where I tossed them days ago.