No Christmas Card pic from us

Dave and I have different views about Christmas Card pics. I think it is fine to send out pics of just your kids. Dave cares less about what his college roommate's children look like, and really wants to see which ones of them are aging poorly.

Anyway, last year's pic was kids only, so this year was going to require a full family pic.

But. . .

This afternoon I went to buy a Christmas Tree so we could decorate it for FHE. I have one of those minivans with automatic everything, and I had pressed the button to open the tailgate. Once it had cleared in I reached in the back to get my coat, then reached up to manually close the tailgate, but the gate had not, apparently, completed its opening cycle. I grabbed the handle and pulled it down, and as I let go (about face level), the motor popped the gate back open, directly into my mouth.

I was the only person at the Christmas Tree Lot at 3 PM in the afternoon, so the guy there was just looking at me as I yelled then walked over. His eyes got kind of wide and I realized I was bleeding. They gave me a napkin and I looked around the lot for 10 minutes or so. When I went over to pay, I had to stop holding my mouth, and the attendant asked me if I knew that my teeth had gone completely through my lip and I had a large hold above my chin.

I did not know that. I might not have so casually gone tree shopping.

I asked him if I needed stitches and he said, "Nahh. I've seen it a million times in bar brawls. It will be fine." I believed every word he said. He then followed it up with:

"At least you weren't being a woman about it and crying and everything."

Thank you for the compliment?

So in summary, I have a huge bloody scab just below my chin, and I can't spread my mouth to talk or chew. And I will likely have a pretty little scar, which will hopefully offset the one about a centimeter over where I bashed by braces through my lip on a ski trip in the 7th grade.