Dangerous Liaisons in Squirrel Hill

I seem pretty good lately at assaulting myself.  I don't know why I've become extra clumsy these past two weeks, but it feels like my body, and sharp, roughened, or heavy objects, yearn to be together and will do whatever it takes, however painful, to achieve the union.

Part of the injuries are the inevitable result of trying to pack up an apartment in a small, increasingly crowding space.  Those instances are how I bruised both sides of my right knee (on two different days),  my hip, and scratched my leg.

The rest have just been 1) brain absenteeism, however, which I put down to the heat and to the act of packing being so boring that I can't bear to be mentally there while it's happening; and 2) an overestimation of how much brawn I've picked up at the gym lifting my 5 lb. weights.

Here's a running inventory of my injuries thus far:

• bruised knees
• bruised hip
• bruises and individual burst blood vessels on the insides of both arms from carrying, and occasionally dropping, boxes
• raw skin on fingers from trying to scrape double-sided tape off the wall with an old PetSmart reward card
• red rash and sore throat muscles where the edge of a flatscreen TV tried to decapitate me; I, however, remain alive--you fail, TV!

My goal for the moment is just to avoid battering myself to the point of incurring a hospital copay.  Because I need that money to pay for the moving van.