Balancing Act

Now, I'm no trapeze artist, but I would consider my ability to balance things, especially things that are not easily balanced, pretty good.  Well, until this morning.

Picture this: It's 6:00 in the morning. I've already been awaken by my alarm, unwillingly, and I've already showered, also unwillingly, and I'm preparing to venture downstairs to prepare for my journey to work, unwillingly.

We have a 90 degree corner in our banister that is perfect for setting things while you are either a.) picking something else up, b.) putting something in your pocket, or c.) eager to practice your balancing skills.  Unfortunately, while balancing (pun intended) a., b., and c.,I learned the hard way that my balancing skills are not up to par in the morning.  Not at all.

I set my make-up bag oh so perfectly on said 90 degree angle with no trouble.  I then set my phone on my make-up bag, also with no trouble, until I accidentally bumped my make-up bag.  Then the whole thing went awry.

My make-up bag fell toward me, a 3' fall.  Nothing was damaged.  My phone, on the other hand, took the one story plunge and landed on the hardwood steps.  This, I thought matter of factly, would have been much better if my phone had fallen the 3' and my make-up bag had fallen down the steps, but what was done was done, and time was a tickin' - I still had to get ready. 

I went downstairs, passed my phone on the steps (we've been through a few pretty rough falls), put my make-up on, ran through my morning routine, and went to grab my phone.  However, my phone had a blank screen.  A plain, black, blank screen, and nothing else would appear.  I took the battery out.  I shook it.  I let it sit in perfect stillness, and still no screen.  I must've knocked every pixel in the screen out of phone because I got nothing, nada, zilch, zero.

12 hours and two stops at the Verizon store later, I had learned that the only thing that could remedy this situation was the purchase of a brand new phone.  [Sigh.]  I had no choice but to bid adieu to my old phone and welcome my new phone.  Which I did.

This was an expensive lesson,  but in that lesson I learned the following:

1. No matter how sturdy the foundation is, never balance your cell phone.  Even if it is balanced over the comfiest, cushioniest pillows in the world.  Just don't do it.

2. 1.5" 90 degree angles in banisters are not the greatest place to put things.  Especially when one side of the banister comes with a one story drop.  (I must remember this for when we have kids.)

3. Noises echo exponentially through the house at 6:00 am, and I swore I woke up Brian, Bun, Jack, and the neighbors with this failure.

4. My balancing skills are not what they used to be, and I'm only 29...