*facepalm*

[mer]

To set the scene: we've had a winter weather advisory on all day. Things were icy this morning. Not "here come the glaciers!" icy, but there was a definite sheen, like the world had decided to briefly become a six-year-old girl and break out the body glitter even though Mom told her not to.

The aforementioned winter weather advisory caused me to wimp out and cut through the math building on the way to work. The math building has a marble-like step at the entrance, leading down onto about eight concrete steps. Usually, precipitation builds up on the marble-stuff and makes for treacherous walking, but once you're on the concrete, you're ok. Ha. Ha! Haha, say I. I tottered over the marble with nary a slip, muttering, "Oh, this all seems very slippery," to helaaspindakaas's back as he strode confidently down the stairs.

I stepped onto the concrete and went down--twisting at the last minute to land on my left cheek (yes, *that* cheek), as opposed to the delicate tailbone, which I have already sacrificed once to the gods of falling this lifetime. Scraped up the left knee a little in the process, too, but that's minor. Couldn't regain footing at this point--there was literally no ice-free place to put a foot, so I slid down the steps on my bum while helaaspindakaas looked on in disbelief. I managed to scoop quite a load of snow up under my coat as I scooted, as well as catching a bit in my purse as it dragged along after me.

We arrive at the library to find a fire alarm had been pulled, found dsudis in the fray, and headed off to the coffee shop to grab hot chocolates. Got back about three minutes after the building was repopulated. Once inside, my back load of snow melted charmingly into a nice "peed myself" pattern.

The key to a Mertastrophe is that no one gets hurt and someone has to use an inhaler from laughter-induced asthma when confronted with my idiocy. Done and done. Apparently, when helaaspindakaas regaled splash_the_cat with this tale, the second thing happened--and as for the first, I feel fine.

---

Freudian slip of the day: "I'll take that with a grain of assault."

Comments

[helaaspindakaas.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. I have no words.

She was all "Hey, this is pretty slipp-"

And the God of Comedy Set-Ups was all *SMITE!*

I kept walking for a step because I was convinced she just let her bag hit the ground. To be humorous. Really. I turned around, and all I could see of her were the soles of her shoes thrashing around at about eye level.

Me: "Do you need some hel-"

Her: "NOOOO! Just let me - *splat* - slide down - *splat* - the steps."

Me: O.o

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

Really, there's no helping me in these situations.

[roane.livejournal.com]

Truly a classic Mertastrophe. And this? "...like the world had decided to briefly become a six-year-old girl and break out the body glitter even though Mom told them not to." Brilliant. Funny and poetic at the same time.

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

I was not at all basing that thought on recent experiences with the stepdaughter and the vanilla bodysplash.

Nope.

[iuliamentis.livejournal.com]

bwahaha! Um. I mean. Glad you're okay *g*

Classic :)

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

That... thing... in your icon looks like a cross of Ponyta from Pokemon and an evil mangel-wurzel. Qu'est-ce que c'est?

[helaaspindakaas.livejournal.com]

It's "L'il Delirium" from the Sandman series.

[iuliamentis.livejournal.com]

Have you never read the Sandman comics? They are teh awesome. I have all of the trades if you ever need them...

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

I tried reading one once, back when I was going through my "I can't read pictures *and* words phase" (which I may or may not still be going through)...

[razordance.livejournal.com]

*S* Yep, comdey gold, mostly because you are OK ;-) and because of that I am still giggling at helaaspindakaas' description of your thrashing soles.

humm thrashing soles would make a great band name ;-)

Glad you are fine, and though I enjoyed the Pythonesque quality of the scene, don't do that too often!

*s*
RG

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

Spend enough time with me and, statistically speaking, you will witness just such a pratfall.

Like the time I fell out of dannimal's apartment.
Like the time I walked into a telephone guy wire under molnar_salomone's watchful eye.
Like the time I fell *off* the bus in high school and lay in the parking lot like a turtle on my back, unable to regain my feet because of the forty pounds of books in my backpack. (No LJ witnesses to that, alas.)

Oh, yeah. It'll happen.

Uh-oh?

[dannimal.livejournal.com]

The last time you had a hilarious walking catastrophe without self-injury in the presence of a male friend on the way to work....you married him.

Re: Uh-oh?

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

Dork. :)

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I hate those snow-up-your-back moments.

[dendrophilous.livejournal.com]

Hee. Glad you're ok.

Wooooop!

[molnar-salomone.livejournal.com]

I'm having trouble saying "Glad you're OK" through the laughing and side-grabbing. But I, too, have fallen down those steps, which I chose NOT to take as a sign of my prowess around math buildings. :)