As many of you may know, the Discovery Channel's annual "event" Shark Week just ended. It (rather conveniently) coincided with Ryan Seacrest getting bitten on the toe by a sandshark. Little did I think that Ryan Seacrest and I would ever have anything in common, but we do now!
This past weekend I took a little girls' weekend time for a trip to Cape Cod with Tara and Melissa prior to Tara leaving us for Indiana and business school. What does this have to do with Shark Week you ask? Well you see, the timing of our trip to Cape Cod during Shark Week was rather fitting, seeing as when I was 5 I was bitten by a shark* while wading out to a sandbar at a beach in Chatham with my mother. Though Dad's Cousin Bobby is oft heard saying "Where was the supervision?" in regards to the lack thereof while he and my dad were growing up, it doesn't apply in this case. Mom was with me the whole time and, when I started crying, she said "Don't worry, you just stepped on a shell." Silly Mommy!
Luckily the shark wasn't too interested in me b/c otherwise I could've lost my right arm which would've been problematic. I was taken to the local emergency care since apparently Cape Cod didn't really believe in hospitals way back in the 80s but I couldn't get stitches b/c the hole was pretty big where I was bitten on the elbow. Fun Fact: Chatham is the "elbow" of Cape Cod!
And then I got Peaches and Cream Barbie. (best Barbie ever)
Dad had to change the bandages for many weeks (he still likes to remind me how disgusting it was every now and then). I remember still having them on when kindergarten started in September and being embarassed. The scars never totally went away, so now I have a big gash and teeth marks on my right elbow.
Bad ass right?
*Shark was what the doctor who examined me post-attack called it. Most likely a sandshark he said. The local paper called it a bluefish** I guess b/c when you're a seaside tourist economy you don't like the words "shark" and "attack" being bandied about (See: Jaws). Personally I don't think calling it a bluefish is that much better than calling it a shark considering bluefish are "voracious and predatory" and "cannibalistic." WTF Bluefish?? Wiki
**They're also called "Pomatomus saltatrix." What socks am I currently knitting? Pomatomus by Cookie A. of course! I told you there'd be knitting content!
