Well, that is just disgraceful. Three posts in as many weeks?! It’s really high time to update—otherwise you might think that ridiculous things have stopped happening to me! But don’t you worry your pretty little head. They still hunt me down like pigs after truffles.
Like, for instance, the time when I drove into the gas station and then discovered that I did not actually have any way to pay for my gas. Ridiculous.
Or the time that I stuck the takeout container in the microwave, took it out again and wondered why there were little burn marks around the METAL handle in the paper container. Perilously ridiculous.
But by far the most ridiculous episode in my recent history happened a few weeks ago, on a seemingly innocent Wednesday afternoon. My classes were over, so I headed down to one of Gutenberg’s secondary houses to visit some friends.
I was carrying my precious Macbook Pro in my arms, and as I was walking I started thinking things like, “Hmmm, what if someone came running up from behind me and just knocked my computer out of my arms? Or what if they just grabbed it from me and started running? What would I do?!”
These thoughts absorbed me as I approached the front door, warily eyeing strangers passing by on the sidewalk behind me. In fact, I was still thinking about it as I started walking up to the porch—except that by “walking,” I really mean, “taking one step on the muddy stairs and having both of my feet fly out from underneath me.”
It’s funny how, as you are arching rather ungracefully towards the pavement, time seems to stretch out enough to allow you to have coherent thoughts in the space between standing upright and lying splayed on the ground. My coherent thoughts, in this particular instance, were, and I quote: “SAVE THE COMPUTER! SAVE THE COMPUTER! SAVE THE COMMPPPUUUTTTEEEERRRR!!!!!”
I clutched the laptop to my chest. It was not until my face actually connected with the pavement that I realized, “Oh, perhaps I could get hurt as well.”
So much for coherent thoughts.
Amazingly, aside from a couple silly little bumps on my forehead and the bridge of my nose that stuck around for a few days, I was fine. I consider myself very fortunate, as head-on impacts with concrete steps do not always end so well.
The whole incident made me question my priorities—was my computer really more important than my life? Probably not. Although, as I pointed out to one of my classmates, if I had died I wouldn’t have had to worry about my computer being broken. 
In other words, I am still a living reminder of the bittersweet truth that just because one is a college student, one does not necessarily possess any common sense.
Or, as Natalie once put it, “It’s okay, Erin. The world has to have people like you, too!”
:-p
February 8th, 2007 at 8:55 am
I actually would’ve done the exact same thing about the computer, if I was in your place. Whenever I am walking with my laptop, I pray that I don’t fall down in fact!
Wired world.
February 8th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
funny enough, i’d do the same thing as well.
that’s three people… and counting…
February 8th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Phew…….thank goodness the MacBook Pro is OK.
February 8th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Of course you want to save the computer — you’re human, you have emotions and empathy. You think the Mac Pro was trying desperately to interpose itself between you and that hard concrete? Nay. It was shrieking (and in Steve Job’s voice, yet) SAVE THE DATA!! SAVE THE DATA!!!
February 9th, 2007 at 2:04 am
it’s nice to know that even if it were on, at that point the hard drive would have locked and pulled the head away, saving your data from untimely scratches
February 9th, 2007 at 8:21 am
I’ve been lurking around your blog and Flicker account for about a month now.
I’ve really enjoyed both, and have placed your RSS feed where I can see it daily. Of course, as soon as I did, the posts seemed to dry up.
It’s a delight to read each new post, so keep them coming!
February 10th, 2007 at 5:57 am
I have been lurking on your blog all this week, and I have got to say I love what I have found. Anyway, regarding the “save the electronics” movement? I totally agree. Must save computer. Or digital Rebel, in my case.
February 10th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Yes. That could’ve turned out tragically. That macbook would’ve been a terrible loss.
Really, concrete? Someone as dense as you shouldn’t be concerned with being hurt by concrete.
OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Did I just burn you TWICE?! And did I use a terrible double meaning on the second one?!?! YES I DID.
February 11th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Ouch, Methinks you need a Computer backpack maybe?
These Odd little episode that happen to you remind me of a friend.
She filled the kettle with water to make a cup of tea, placed it on the gas hot to boil. Minutes later there’s an awful smell of burning plastic. She had placed her Electric Kettle on the gas hot to boil!
February 17th, 2007 at 8:15 am
Here from Flickr and I’m glad I did because you really have a readable blog.
Natalie is so right and i wish you a wonderful end to your week - all the way from Norway:-)
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I fear that Erin may have protected her computer too zealously at some point in the last two weeks.
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Shawn - Lol.
I know, I know. Don’t worry, a new post is forthcoming. Really!
February 25th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Funny, that once happened to me at the age of nine when I was trying out my brand new pink bicycle. While heading for a concrete wall, KNOWING that either the bike or I was going to get hurt very badly, I couldn’t help myself. Understandably, as I tried to step across the handlebars onto the front wheel (I don’t know what I was thinking), I fell on my face like nobody ever had. It traumatized me for life.
Anyway - haven’t heard from you on here in a while! I hope you’re okay!!
February 28th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
poor Erin, you must be terribly busy… it’s been 3 weeks now, I’m going through withdrawals. just wanted you to know that your posts are missed.
March 8th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I loved this entry about your MBP and your paraniod delusions of gravity’s and society’s covetingly diabolical desire to separate you from it. Wonderful - I could almost see your look of horror as your feet slipped from beneath you; the crease of abject relief on your scratched-up forhead as you realized your Macbook was safe. Too funny! (I’m a big fan of the MBP too!)
March 25th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
[…] There was also the time, only a month or two ago, that I discovered my inability to pay for gas only after I had pulled into the gas station and rolled down my window and begun speaking to the business-like gas station attendant. That was a little humiliating. […]
July 13th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
[…] In case you haven’t been keeping track, I am developing quite a knack for falling down while carrying expensive equipment. And you’ll notice—none of the equipment has been damaged YET. So, to anyone out there who might have been thinking about lending me their expensive camera equipment: BE ENCOURAGED. I will die before it will. […]
July 14th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Once, someone offered to rearrange their laptop cord so that I wouldn’t trip over it. I said something about protecting the computer. (Mind you, this is before the genius magnetic Apple connector.)
She was more concerned about someone tripping over the cord, bless her heart.
However: 1) a computer can’t throw arms out and break its fall. 2) a person can heal.