Wrecked

The fully laden handcart jerked to a sudden stop as I was pulling it.  It seemed to happen in low motion, the end of the cart went up, the front end went sideways and down.  I tried to remove my hand from the handle, but couldn't get it free in time.  It was jerked and twisted as the metal handcart made a spectacular crash as it landed on the floor of the loading dock.  The cases of bottled water bounced out, heading for my bad knee, but stopped in time. The chips hung upside down on the middle shelf, waiting for rescue.  Ron was pretty freaked about my welfare. 

At the end of it, as I got everything reloaded, and flicked the broken bit of pallet wood that had caused the whole mess, I realized I was OK.  I have a bad knee (left one), that seldom gives me trouble, but if it's hit the wrong way I'll be limping for a month.  It was fine. 

"Praise God" I told Ron "The cart didn't hit my knees or my feet".  I do a LOT of walking at work. 

My hand, on closer examination, is also fine.  The tendon running from the pinkie side of my wrist is a little annoyed, but not much.  I can move the hand fine, type (clearly!), and all in all, another great save by Jesus. 

That could have been AWFUL.  It does go to prove that safety poster, push the cart, don't pull it.  Pulling a cart puts your rotator cuff at risk.  Pushing it uses your butt and thighs.  If I'd been pushing the cart I would have been completely out of the way when it went down.  Whew. 

So, we got up and went to Walmart.  I'd forgotten underwear on my last trip, which I remedied.  I also got a case (a nice solid purple neoprene) for my tablet.  I got a few, portable, snack foods for myself. 

Then we went to the warehouse club, got the water and some chips (one personal use for Ron, one for work, which I did need).  Got to work, had my "wreck" - that's the closest I will ever come to having a wreck.  The vending machines were down but we did lose power at some point (the food machine shuts itself off).  However, when I took the money out it looked very respectable.  I can certainly get the snack foods I need. 

We worked, got it all done (what we could), and went outside to wait on our ride.  It was pretty cold by our standards, the 40's, and windy, but we were in a somewhat sheltered, sunny spot.  The driver got lost and drove around for half an hour, never thinking to read the notes and "call client for directions". 

I tried to be nice about it, but Ron was a little irked.  Because she was so late, we got stuck in rush hour traffic.  She wasn't a bad person, but I've met this sort of driver before: they think they don't need directions, they're going to go where their logic dictates they should go, and never think to look at the notes for directions. 

I could see that with a driver who had dropped us at the old location dozens of times - I'd expect them to try to go to that spot.  However, I'm always waving - and I've been told you can see me a ways off.  Anyway, we got home alive.  That's all that matters at the end of it.

Oh, a little gossip about the other vendor.  I have seen 5 of his vending machines from his old area, the one he had to vacate (they never did ask us to share).  Apparently he is shoving machines wherever he can.  Only one is plugged in, located in a temporary breakroom (they had to move a table to make room, which I bet was *not popular* with the customers).  The others are just standing around in various locations like dead soldiers.  I hope they are taken away.  It looks terribly unprofessional. 

I could say a few things about the way their snacks are stocked, how they are not going to fall properly, product selection, etc.  I'll leave it to this: I wouldn't do it that way. 

In fact, the other day, a lady was screaming at me about the coffee machine.  Ron told her we don't have one; that's the other vendor.  She was shocked to hear we have 2 vendors.  I explained our area, everything else belongs to the other guy.  She said thank you and asked us to pass on the message.  So we did (we called the other vendor's employee). 

When it's really cold, you have to take good care of the coffee machines; everyone will be using them.