Rome and home with a black eye

As we were walking around yesterday to take more pictures of the festivities, I didn't see a curb and I tripped over it, and fell flat on my face.  It was Adelle redux.  The good news was I fell on my cheek not my mouth.  The bad news is that I fell on my glasses.  The good news is my glasses didn't break.  The bad news is I have a shiner this morning that looks like I have been beaten to an inch of my life caused by my glasses.  Ugh. I have been tripping all my life...unfortunately I mean that literally.  I think it has to do with weak ankles which I am working on. I have tried to be really careful here, and the Stoic One usually catches me, but...

So after I fell, I knew to get ice on it right away.  We went back to the apartment, and I couldn't believe my cheek literally had a huge goose egg on it.  I have never seen or experienced anything like this before. The Stoic One looked at me and said, "Oh, good.  Your body is doing what it is supposed to be doing.  Your cheek is swollen to protect your eye.  Get some ice on it."  Can you believe it?  Because of Adelle, we had ice packs in the freezer.  I was sure I had a broken cheek.  The Stoic One said even if I had a broken cheek, there was nothing they could do for it.  He's a guy and seems to know these things.  I said, when boxers have swollen faces they use a razor to cut the goose egg.  I have seen this on TV.  He looked at me closely to see if I had a concussion.  He said they do that if the guy gets hit in the eye so he can see.  I said, you don't think you should take a razor to my cheek.  He didn't answer.  I said look up broken cheeks on the web.  He did and said, even if you have a broken cheek you are supposed to put ice on it.  I knew going to "Pronto Soccorso" would not be pronto or soccorso, so we spent our last day here in the apartment with ice packs on my face.  I went to sleep worrying about me and Natasha Richardson meeting up in heaven somewhere.

Happily, I am still alive this morning.  The Stoic One is wandering around trying to decide what to pack.  Going back to Oakland feels like I am leaving an 18th century novel and being dropped into Silicon Valley at rush hour.  I don't know if that is how it will feel once I get there, I'll let you know.

I will probably post two more times. This is my first experience with blogging and it has been a very rewarding one.  I appreciate all of my readers and comments.

Before I leave the Piazza, I will share one more photo.  This is right next to our apartment building.  These flowers are legal!