Ouch! Whoops! Oh no!

A lack of coordination is one of the rarely discussed side effects of migraines. It’s almost as if the brain is so busy dealing with the onslaught of throbbing pain that it simply cannot set aside the required effort to deal with a paltry matter like remaining balanced.

On Friday, a storm pushed through the area and gifted me with a 19-hour migraine. I was able to sleep through some of it, for which I was grateful, but during my waking hours, I became an utter klutz.

My sweater pocket caught on a drawer handle and nearly gave me whiplash when I attempted to step away.

Then, I tried to refill the bird feeder. In the process, my elbow brushed against the seed container and the whole thing toppled off the table. The impact caused the top of the container to pop open, spilling avian food everywhere. Oh, and did I mention that bird seed rolls on hardwood floors? I will surely be sweeping seed for years to come.

But the worst act of gracelessness occurred as I put the finishing touches on dessert. At M’s request, I had baked a Victoria sandwich, a treat often discussed on “The Great British Baking Show.” Despite feeling like a bungling buffoon, my version ended up looking as pretty as the one featured in the magazine where I found the recipe. And in my hubris, I decided to take a photograph of the dessert to mark the occasion.

As I proudly carried the treat into the dining room, the cake slid off the tray, did a back flip and landed with an inelegant splat on the ground. The tender confection crumbled apart. Whipped cream and powdered sugar exploded all over my shoes and clothes. And raspberry jam painted the ground and walls with seeded blood stains.

I had killed the cake.

Needless to say, my husband was very understanding. And my cat, Dany, took great joy in licking the spilled cream before we could clean up the mess. Yet it was clear I would be useless until my equilibrium returned.

Time to head back to bed.

–Photo by Gordon Plant.