Flemish Flake

For years I’ve scanned the nearest berths at the marina for rope circles.  Some people always stow their ropes in neat coils, while others wrap the ends around the dock cleats until they look like beehives.  On the internet there was a picture listed under knots that labeled such a rope coil the Flemish Flake.  Several years ago I began counting the circles as I walked toward the boat ramp at high tide.  There were never more than 9 or 10.  A few days ago there were 16.  I wondered if the neatnicks had shamed the lazies into curling up.  Evidently the circling habit has a powerful force far beyond the pier.  After I fell under its influence, I took a picture of my computer in the office where I had stowed the printer cable neatly out of the way.  Yes, I had succumbed to pier pressure.

 

Poisoning at 2:17

I must never again start an action in the middle of the night before my brain is engaged.  Evidently, the shift from night to morning comes between 2 and 3 for me.  I made a mistake that could only happen while in a late night, zombie state.  The error was compounded by the fact that I shifted things on the bathroom counter the day before.  Although I always brush my teeth before going to bed, my mouth felt stale.  It would be refreshing to swish with a zingy mouthwash.  I picked up a bottle of blue/green liquid and didn’t stop to wonder why it had a flip top instead of a screw cap.  I tell myself to check out all medications carefully, but this wasn’t in that category.

 Yuck!!!  Spit came before swish.  What was this awful stuff?  My eyes were wide open then and read “Astringent Skin Cleanser; Deep Cleans and Refreshes.”  Deep cleans, yes.  I thought it had reached my toes and come back on a roller coaster.  Refreshes?  No way!!  I don’t know how many times I rinsed with water before I found the mouthwash in the drawer.  The next morning I looked at the label and found the instructions to contact a poison control center immediately in case of accidental ingestion.  Well, mine seemed quite deliberate at the time, but at least I didn’t swallow.  I’m sure I didn’t swallow for a full five minutes.  There was also a warning to keep out of the reach of children.  Obviously, they should add warnings about sleepy adults, too.