humpty dumpty redux

And so it begins.

Today is the day I board an Alaska flight out of the Manzanillo Airport for a two-night stand in Los Angeles. Then the true adventure begins Monday afternoon when I do my round-the-world stunt to Tokyo then to Dubai and back to Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon. If all goes as planned, there will be a number of problems that will develop to make the adventure a bit more interesting.

Or maybe not. Maybe I have already had my share of unexpected pleasures.

My friend Julio was scheduled to stop by at 2:00 this afternoon to take me to the airport. Because I was ready a little early, I stepped out the front door of my house to see if anything needed to be tidied up befolre I left. It did. A few weeds had started poking their insolent heads through the gravel.

So, I started my own version of planticide against the young before they became pesky adults. As I bent over to start the slaughter, I heard one of those stomach-twisting sounds that herald the occurrence of A Stupid Mistake.

The sound was my front door slamming. I did not even bother looking for my keys. I knew where they were. On my bed with the rest of the contents of my pants pockets.

Julio drove up just as I was asking my neighbor for the use of a ladder. You do not need all of the details, but I managed to climb to the top of a 10-foot wall from which I gracefully abseiled to my upper terrace.

But I didn't. My descent was far more Humpty Dumpty than Wallendaesque. I am becoming accustomed to the wet laundry sound my body makes against hard surfaces.

All Julio heard was the crash of the ladder and then the distinctive plop. Followed by my laughter.

Yes. Yes. I know it is not a laughing matter. Old men falling off of walls usually have worse endings. I was not unscathed. The scrapes on my right arm caused by my last two falls contributed a bit of blood to the tale. Then there is the broken sconce that preceded me hitting the ground. But I think I escaped any further rib damage.

Here is the laugh line material. When I looked in my bedroom, three were no keys on the bed. Nor were they in my backpack. 

They were where they had been all along. In my left pocket. I was fortunate enough not to have fallen on them.

Now, that incident could be a bad sign or a good sign. It might be a bad sign that this is just the first of a series of mishaps in waiting over the next few days. Or it could be a sign that I got all of the mishaps out of the way before driving to the airport.

I am personally putting my pesos on a third option. It is simply a good story to share with you before I am on my way.

I usually travel with two suitcases -- even on my brief journeys north. After all, I may find something to cart back home. Not on this trip.

I have stripped to the essentials. A small carry-on bag that attaches to my computer backpack. It should be sufficient for the next seven days passing through four countries.

If the internet gods smile on us, I will have some traveling missives for you.

For now, I am simply happy the rest of my shell is not cracked.