Don't slip

Yesterday was an interesting day.  For the first time in my life, I had my deposition taken.  I'll be honest.  It was pretty awful.  Hopefully, I don't fall apart on the stand on Monday.  Only time will tell, I guess.  My sister told me to get out my man-panties and pretend that I'm my other sister:  the emotionless robot who won't let other people get to her.  No guarantees, but I'll certainly try. 

I also got to listen to another deposition be taken.  It was interesting, in a C-SPAN w/o video sort of way.  I will admit that after the experiences of the last few months, I have come to the conclusion that I could be a lawyer.  And if I were a lawyer, I'd do a % of my cases pro bono.  Because this sh!t's expensive.  Excuse my language. 

To cheer me up today, my sister (the one who gave me the pep talk) sent me a little instructional .pdf on how to walk safely in the winter time.  I can't seem to get it to upload, so I'll copy and paste it.  Here: 

How to Walk on Ice
By Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Loss Prevention

Thousands of people die each year from falls. Many of them happen during the winter when snow and ice cover walkways and make getting around hazardous. Snow and ice buildup is a hazard we all live with. Taking some simple precautions will make walking on ice easier and less dangerous.

At the end of the day, the goal is to have everyone leave and go home in the same condition that they arrived in the morning. The following short steps can help us all accomplish this goal.

Instructions

                        Wear boots or sturdy shoes with non-skid soles. Don't try walking on ice in shoes that have no traction. Do not wear leather soled shoes, high heels or shoes that do not have rubber soled bottoms.

                        Take your time. Getting in a hurry increases your chances of a fall because you're not paying attention. Don’t take shortcuts. Stay on areas that have been cleared, salted and maintained.

                        Pay attentive to ice that can be covered with snow. When you think you're in the clear you could still hit a patch and fall.

                        Balance yourself with your arms. Get your hands out of your pockets and distribute the weight of packages evenly to give you better balance. Use luggage with rollers whenever possible.

                        Take short shuffling steps and avoid an erect posture. Walk as flat footed as possible.

                        Get help from someone who is wearing appropriate shoes or is more confident than you. Never be ashamed to ask for someone's arm to help you across a patch of ice.

Tips & Warnings

                        Get snow cleared away from walkways and driveways as soon as possible. Melting and refreezing of layered snow can cause heavy patches of ice.

                        Notify school if there are dangerous areas that need to be addressed with salt, sand, shoveling etc.

                        If you feel yourself beginning to fall try to relax and roll as much as possible. This will help lesson the impact and may keep you from breaking a bone. Protect your head if at all possible by trying to keep it up and away from impact with the ice.

Some of the notable tips were to relax and roll around while keeping your head up and off the concrete if you do find yourself falling, find someone more confident than yourself to hold onto, and avoiding an erect posture.  Really?  Also, "Getting in a hurry increases your chance of a fall..."  How about "BEING in a hurry.  Or HURRYING.  I'm not sure I've ever "gotten" into a hurry, but that might just be me.