Ice, ERs and the Clap

Yesterday I went to my neighbor's house to make sugar cookies. You know, that Christmas tradition that's supposed to bring joy to the hearts of children everywhere? Well, the day started off with these two fighting between each other as to who got to cut more cookies out than the other. Then there was some crying and some throwing of things and stomping off upstairs. I said to the kids, "OK, here's the deal: it's not cry-time, it's cookie-time." 

During this time, I got a text from a colleague with whom I'm shooting a project at Children's Hospital, telling me that Friday's 6am shoot was cancelled due to weather, etc. As I clapped my phone shut, I said to my neighbor, "Hey, great. Now I don't have to worry about trying to get to Children's in all this ice." 

And that was what jinxed us. 

About two hours later, I was 4-wheeling my neighbor and her daughter with a newly-broken elbow to first Northwest Hospital's ER, and then Children's ER for more specialized tests. While we were sitting in Children's, waiting for X-rays, Renee said to me, "Hey you should call your coworker and tell him you're here after all." 

Merry Christmas to them! They get to deal with splints and casts and orthopedic specialists this merry season!

Also in Christmas news: there is a great science store at 65th and Roosevelt that I went to to find presents for my niece and nephew. After selecting a slinky, a hatchable dinosaur egg and a "wiggly worm", I was standing at the checkout and noticed a bin full of "Giant Microbes". Now, I love Giant Microbes. I have E. Coli, myself. But I noticed a few more, and one in particular caught my eye. I said to the clerk, "Boy, nothing brings joy to the hearts of children everywhere quite like a plush The Clap." 

He laughed and said, "Nothing does."