Friday, April 28, 2006

I got BURNED!

I don't know why I do these things to myself. When I say "things" I mean party planning things. I do love to plan parties, but I always get a little bit stressed.
I've been working on the My Little Pony party for Emily this week and I'm pleased to say, I'm almost done! Earlier this week I was assembling the "pony tails" and "pony manes" that each girl will be wearing at the party. I got a great pattern for the manes on a website. It just calls for headbands, yarn and felt. Pretty easy, right? I thought so too...that is before I received 2nd degree burns while using my hot glue gun. Let me give you the blow by blow.
Ok, so I've got my supplies all set up and ready on Jimmy's grandmother's Secretary desk in my front room. I've already pre-cut the "manes" if you will and I'm preparing the headbands with the felt ears. I of course have come up with the brilliant idea to make each girl's pony ensemble a color of the rainbow. And because Emily is the "birthday girl", she will be the "rainbow" pony. Ok...so back to the story. During this particular incident I was working on the "blue pony" ensemble. I had managed to get the white felt ears attached to the headband with know problem. This was the 3rd mane out of 7 that I was to make for the party. In making the first two I had been able to straighten out any kinks that always come with trying to make something from looking at directions from a print-out pattern off the web. I hate it when they just write out the directions and expect you to know exactly what their supposed to mean. Where are the pictures? I need pictures!!! And I mean step-by-step pics, not just the picture of the finished product. How does that help?
Ok, so I guess by the third mane I was getting lazy and distracted. The girls were bugging me...."Mom, can I have a snack?" (guess which one that was)....."Mom, can I help you? I'm really good at cutting stuff." Meanwhile, I don't know how many times I had to tell them, "Don't get close to this glue gun. It will burn you!" I lost track at around time 17. So...to make my point....I was distracted!
I was trying to put on the center of the ear. You know the piece that is usually pink that represents the inside of the ear. Anyway, I was making the blue mane so I was making the blue pony's inside ear blue. Makes perfect sense right? So...here we go...I'm aiming the gun...the "glue" gun...and I squeeze out just enough molten lava glue (that's what it should be called) onto the bottom half of the blue ear piece. This is wear I get lazy! I go to place it carefully (at least I thought "carefully") onto the ear and something's wrong! What is that smell? And what is that excruciating pain I'm feeling on the tip of my right hand index finger? Oh, My God! I have a blue felt ear attached to my finger with "molten lava glue"! I immediately jump up out of my chair, shaking my finger ferociously up and down hoping that the stupid thing will detach itself from my finger. I realize now I must have looked like a "spastic retard" as my sister would say. Finally, after what seemed like 5 minutes (probably only 3 seconds) the blue ear flew off my finger! Whew! What a relief! Wait a minute? Oh, my God....what's "that" smell? Why is my left hand thumb burning! That stupid blue ear had conveniently flown off my right hand index finger only to land on my left hand thumb. The "molten lava glue" was still plenty molten too! What an idiot! And what are the chances?
Meanwhile, Peyton and Emily see the whole thing. I'm sure they were wondering what in the heck "Momma" was doing dancing around flayling her hands every which way. It was an awful experience. I wanted to throw the stupid glue gun out the window! But, I knew I still had 4 more manes to make. Oh, the life of a PARTY PLANNER! It's a dangerous one!
I will refrain from showing you pictures of my wounds....I am afraid they are too horrific and graphic in nature!

5 comments:

Michelle said...

The "pains" we go through for our children!!! The only scar that I have on my right hand came from a very similar incident. Micah always makes fun of me because if there is something hot around, you can bet that I am going to burn myself on it. I hope that it heals fast for you...you are going to need two good hands for that party. Ya'll have fun and tell Emily that we said HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Caci said...

This is hilarious! This past year while getting my classroom ready for the little "angels" I teach I did the same thing....and it was a huge blister for at least a week and then all the skin came off. It was horrible. Glue guns are definitely dangerous! I know Emily will appreciate your efforts come party day, though!

Windy Smith said...

I burn myself everytime I use a glue gun but your s looks like a good powerful one. I just use the cheapy low heat guns so its not to bad.

Patti said...

I have to say I find this story hilariously funny. Not because you got BURNED, but because I have done that very thing more than once. The funniest part, well, the part that I can most relate to, is when that little hot ear attached itself to another finger. I can just picture you shaking it off one finger, only to find it clinging to another. In my experience, those hot little critters can attach and reattach several times before you finally get it to stay away from you.

Anonymous said...

Melissa!! I'm rolling on the floor laughing! I'm sorry you got burned, but what a brilliant account of it. I'm happy to report that my pre-party glue-gun usage last week was burn free.