Trip Toe Through The Two Lips

Summary

The author recounts a series of clumsy accidents and mishaps, including a recent incident where they injured themselves while working on a tractor shed and motorcycle, attributing these events to a case of "trip toe" and the challenges of aging.

Abstract

The article titled "Trip Toe Through The Two Lips" details the author's experiences with a series of unfortunate events, ranging from unexplained cuts and bruises to more comical accidents, such as hitting their head on a board they had just nailed. The author reflects on the physical toll of these incidents, including a cut and bruise on the forehead and the inconvenience of forgetting to drain oil from a motorcycle before removing its clutch cover. These mishaps are humorously attributed to a condition referred to as "trip toe," which seems to be a playful term for clumsiness or bad luck. The narrative also touches on the mental frustration that comes with aging, as the author describes a pattern of dropping things, forgetfulness, and a dwindling patience. Amidst these challenges, the author finds a silver lining in stumbling upon a useful quantum storage box discarded in the street, which they use to organize parts from an engine swap. The article concludes with a personal note expressing gratitude for reader support via Ko-fi, which supplements the author's monthly Social Security check.

Opinions

The author seems to maintain a sense of humor despite the physical injuries and frustrations caused by their accidents.
There is a hint of self-deprecation as the author laughs at their own misfortunes, such as hitting their head with a hammered board.
The author acknowledges the impact of aging on their coordination and memory, suggesting a level of acceptance of the aging process.
The discovery of the quantum storage box is seen as a stroke of luck amidst a series of unlucky events, indicating a positive outlook.
The author values reader support and expresses appreciation for contributions that help supplement their income.

Trip Toe Through The Two Lips

It has been many years since I suffered a case of trip toe but lately I seem to find myself covered in cuts and bruises I simply can’t explain. Plus a few I can explain like when just a few days ago, while helping my 92 year old uncle set a 16' post in the ground as part of an addition to his tractor shed.

While getting the post ready for cement we nailed boards to it to use as temporary braces while waiting for the concrete to set up firm. After nailing a board to the post I turned around, laid my hammer down, turned back around, and banged my head on the very board I had just nailed up. “Oh wackemall!” I shouted.

Go ahead and laugh — I did. I now have a cut and a huge bruise on my forehead but I’ll be find in just a few days, and I certainly wasn’t hurt enough to stop me from working to pull the engine from my old motorcycle today. Sadly I forgot to drain the oil before I removed the clutch cover.

They say bad things come in threes, but in my case it is more like 300.

I drop things all the time, forget what I’m doing, then go do something else. I guess it is just a part of getting older, but it really wears on me, and my patience.

As I worked on my bike I carefully removed every part, screwed all the nuts and bolts back together, removed the parts necessary to do an engine swap, and placed them all in a heavy duty plastic storage box I found while walking this morning. The box, much like this quantum storage box sold by Northern Tool (not an affiliate link) was in perfect condition, and laying in the street. I guess someone else had a trip toe moment as well.

As this story is outside of the pay wall I get paid nothing for writing it, relying entirely on readers like you who tip me via Ko-fi to supplement my Social Security check of $1098.oo each month. Thank you for your generous support. -Billy