So I'm at the coffee shop this morning, chop-chop-chopping away at some vegetables. Chop-chop-ch.... Oops.... Well that's no good. I chopped about halfway through my left pinky. My Cub Scout first aid training kicks in and I run it under cold water, then apply pressure with a paper towel. I go find a co-worker: "Um... I just nearly chopped my finger off. Can someone take me to the hospital?"

So she drives me to the hospital. After about 30 minutes of applying pressure, the bleeding had stopped, and the clotted blood had stuck the flap back on the rest of my finger. After another hour, a doctor finally sees me. "Hm.... Looks like that will heal nicely on its own. Let's get you a tetanus shot and a bandage."

Compared to my experience with other hospitals, this one wasn't too bad, actually. Also compared to my experience with other hospitals, this one had much cuter nurses (though just my luck, I didn't get one of them). Maybe I'll go back there sometime. ;-) Though it is kind of interesting what kinds of reactions you get from people (e.g. cute nurses) when you walk into an emergency room wearing a chef uniform and with your finger half falling off....

When we finally get back to the coffee shop (so much for checking out at 9:30), apparently the line had gotten out the door right after we left, so all the troops had been rallied, including my assistant chef, who finished chopping the vegetables for me. I also got this big hug from one of the shop girls because "Ohmygosh, I missed you sooo much last week!" Can't imagine why. (No, it wasn't her. She had moved to a far away place, and last I heard, she was having a lot of fun there.)

¶ 1:00 PM