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This isn't going to put me in a very good light, and people will call me "soft" or "weak" (or perhaps worse), and it has its gross and hideous elements, but it was pretty much the defining moment of my day, so here goes.
I was sitting in my chair this afternoon, reading the last fifty pages of Scarlet Feather, by Maeve Binchy, my body wracked with great, heaving sobs of emotion. I get that way, but especially at the end of a story with characters that I've known for such a long time. That's the positive side of being such a slow reader; you don't have to give up your attachments as quickly as someone who finishes a book in a day and a half.
The short version (and really, that's where this whole story should begin and end) is that I was sitting around reading this afternoon and got a big, gushing nosebleed, which at first I thought was just more emotional effluent until I saw the stain spreading over one of my favorite shirts.
I'm used to nosebleeds. Anyone whose allergies bring on violent sneezing fits is probably used to the occasional bloody nose. I'm just not used to that much blood at one time. Besides, I thought this was just another sniffle, so when the dam burst I was shocked. As most people probably are when a dam bursts. It's a shocking kind of thing to happen, especially in the middle of your face.
My priorities were (a) to stop the bleeding, and then (2) to rip that shirt off and get cold water on the stain. I managed to do both, and as far as I can tell no permanent damage was done to my bright orange Chateau Souverain T-shirt. As for the nose, I doubt the damage there is permanent either. I'll just have to remember not to stick anything in it for a while. | 
