Falling Out of the Wrong Side of the Hammock, in Chacala

The big news at htis house is that the government electrical people are here, installing the permanent electrical hookup. Two men are digging the four holes for the two huge cement power poles. They are digging the holes by hand. Two holes are for the guy-wires and two for the actual poles. The holes are about eight feet deep. It's amazing what is done by hand around here. I was very relieved to see them using a crane to lift the poles into the holes. Even so, I had a few scary moments watching the poles dangling and swinging in the air, very close to the house. But, no problem, the poles are in and some of the hardware is attached. Monday is the big day I think, when the actual electricity will arrive.

Spent the morning cleaning house, dusting the window screens, saving a green lizard from Death by Chiquita, and miscellaneious other pleasant and satisfying tasks. All went well until I fell out of the hammock and landed flat on the bottom of my spine/tailbone. Luckily I have quite a bit of padding back there.

Actually, I didn't really fall out. I re-arranged the veranda today, as planned, and moved the hammock to the other end of the shady area. Somehow, one of the metal hanging brackets collapsed, and I fell straight down onto the tile floor. Smack!!! I couldn't tell at first if I had cracked by tailbone or something. I don't think I did, but it's very sore and it's painful to move.

I read and puttered around for about three hours, waiting to see if maybe my tailbone was cracked. Don't think so, but it does hurt. Luckily I have small stash of a strong pain relievers. But I think they are starting to be too old. So I took two. And I can definitely tell they are working. I still hurt, but I feel kind of distant from the pain. I sort of did a mini-whip lash to my neck as I fell, and my neck is sore too. It happened so quick it's sort of hard to remember.

Right before I fell, I was looking up at the metal hangers, making sure they had settled into place on the rafters. And I flashed on my only other hammock-to-tile floor experience, which was in Huatulco. I was in a patio that had very high walls, and a locked door to the outside world, and as I lay on the floor, I thought, oops, I might be here all night, until the maid comes in the morning. But I was fine that time.

And I probably am this time too, but my lower back is pretty uncomfortable. The pain medication feels great though. If I was going to be an addict, I would go for pain pills probably. As it is, I am stuck with Coca Cola. Doesn't do anything for pain, but tastes sooooo good.