Family News *Saturday*

Nothing of any real interest to our readers occurred during the previous week, but Saturday provided some newsworthy material for the Kadey Bunch. As you may remember, Erin spent the first week in her cast hobbling around on crutches. After falling four times in seven days, she determined that it was necessary for her own safety to rent a knee walker/scooter so she could make the trip from the sofa to the bedroom to the kitchen without further injuring herself. Despite the fact that it was difficult to maneuver the bulky scooter over and through the obstacle course of towels, hairbrushes, stuffed animals, and puzzle pieces set up by her family members, Erin was happy to have found a form of transportation that did not chafe her armpits or require much coordination. But she became overly confident in her abilities on the scooter. Some might even say....downright cocky. She would fly down the hallway of her home with one hand on the scooter and the other raised high in a victory sign. She would soon be brought low by the inevitable humiliation that always accompanies false security.

It was the morning of the Terry/Taylor Garage Sale - a yearly event in which residents of several adjoining streets come together to transfer their junk into the hands of those who come to buy things that they never thought they needed until they saw it priced at $1.00. Erin was one of those junk-seekers. She woke up early to be there right at the 8:00 a.m. opening bell. Her husband valiantly agreed to accompany her despite the fact that he wasn't sure he wanted to run into multiple clients and introduce his wife as the lady with the broken leg on the scooter who was so desperate to get out of the house that she insisted on fighting the hordes of people who were crowding the sidewalks with strollers, wagons, and rolling suitcases. In the end, the pull of the elephant ear stand was stronger than his pride.

Erin made it for two straight hours, carefully navigating each crack in the sidewalk, each driveway, and each curb. In fact, her husband was often left in the dust behind her as she passed people left and right. As she was on the final stretch back to the car, she attempted to pass some oblivious people who were blocking her path, ran into the curb, popped a wheelie, and catapulted to the ground. Immediately the crowds of people around her came to a standstill, horrified looks on their faces. No one knew quite what to do. I mean, the lady was already in a cast. How could they help her to her feet (or foot)? So Erin dragged herself slowly and painfully back onto the scooter amidst murmurs and shouts of "Is she o.k.?", "Are you hurt?", and "Dude, did you see that!?" from those on both sides of the street. And where was Erin's knight in shining armor? Two houses behind her trying to escape from some guy trying to sell him a professional volleyball net. Roger ran up just as Erin had gotten herself back on the scooter of death, having been alerted by the sudden change in the previously festive air. He asked, "What happened?", to which Erin responded, "Just get me the &%$#* out of here." Five minutes of rolling along as fast as she could on a now skinned-up kneecap and she was back at the car.

Her ego was bruised, her leg was throbbing, she was sweaty and sore. She felt like she had just finished running a marathon with only her right leg. But she had done it. She had gotten out of the house and she had survived. And what did she have to show for the 50+ houses she had visited? A single candle holder she didn't know she needed until she saw it was priced at $1.00.