rough weekend

Saturdays are my full day to do whatever I want and that's usually sleeping in til 10 or 11. Yes, that's sleeping in. After GF left around 8 am for weekly volunteering, I fell back asleep as usual. I woke up with my phone ringing at about 8:45. I sleepily grabbed my phone and saw GF's name on the screen, although when I answered the phone, a man started speaking. The next hour flew by. I was told GF had an "accident" and was being sent to the ER. I had to ask several times where the hospital was where she was being sent, since there are at least 5 that come to mind in the area. Once I raced to the hospital, parked my car in the appropriate lot, I spent about 10 minutes running around the huge complex because I couldn't figure out where the entrance to the ER was. I walk in, see GF bent over holding her face. As I approach she looked up to me with teary eyes (note: in the almost 7 years together I can count the times I've seen her cry on 1 hand) and told me what happened as she tried to keep herself from crying.

While riding in a golf cart the driver ran into a tree. Let me repeat, the driver drove into a TREE! Really?! Apparently he wasn't looking and since GF was in the back holding up a towel to keep from getting wet from all the rain the night before, she didn't see the tree either. Her face when right into a metal bar on the golf cart, specifically her nose.

After an exam and x-rays, it was confirmed that she broke her nose. She was given instructions and a doctor to call for a follow up and we left. As we left we realized this hospital really sucked. Not once did they ask or check into the fact that she could have had a head injury. She didn't present with any head injury symptoms, but still, if you're coming into the ER I expect they would check things like that.

So we woke up every hour last night to ensure she was okay, just in case she DID have a head injury.

Luckily she's in little pain and is mainly upset about the medical bills and the possibility of having her nose crooked. She states that her nose is her favorite feature and it will look terrible if it's crooked. Even when she called her mom, one of the first things said was "but you're nose is so cute." The swelling has gone down and her eyes are blackening. She really wants to get "raccoon eyes," she says that "if you're going to break your nose, you better get raccoon eyes, it's the only thing that makes it worth it."

Yeah, that's my GF for you.

All seriousness, this was terrifying. It really scared me and I kept it together until long after we got home from the hospital. Yes, it was just a "tragic cart accident" as she calls it, but I never want to get a call like that again.

better safe than sorry

Last weekend I had a night out on the town with some (straight) friends. We had good times, good drinks, good laughs, and good conversation. One convo revolved around the discussion of a previous night out.

On this night a friend and I were out drinking and dancing with some of her friends when a group of (very nice) men came in celebrating a 21st birthday. My friend is very outgoing so of course we ended up talking to them, buying the birthday boy some drinks, just having a good time. Well, the birthday boy decided to take a liking to me even though it was mentioned that I had a "significant other", we danced and talked and when it was obvious that he was going to continue to hit on me I made my way to having a conversation elsewhere.

Back to last weekend, I was asked why I didn't just tell the birthday boy that I was a big lesbian. I responded very seriously that I didn't want myself or anyone else getting physically hurt. My friends thought this was ridiculous and there would be no way someone would freak out about someone being gay so much they would become violent.  I disagree. I currently live in the south where the gays aren't super loved (one can be fired based on sexual orientation in this state with no legal repercussions), and although I live in a "city" which is more likely to be liberal than a rural community and a college town, I still do not think it's safe to tell a complete stranger that I'm gay, especially in a drinking environment.

You just never know how people may react. Just this past New Year's in Buffalo, NY a woman was stabbed in the eye outside a gay club while her and her friends were called horrible names. And that was in a city in a liberal state.

Do you think I'm being too cautious? I'm sure in some occasions I would maybe feel comfortable telling a stranger this information, but if I'm not comfortable, why should I risk it? I think it's better to be safe than sorry.