I fell on my face helping a tourist

Today, the most coveted of temporary-ex-pat experiences finally happened to me: a pair of tourists asked me for directions, and I knew the answer. And then I fell on my face.

Two old Italian ladies with backpacks and about a thousand different maps approached me at Euston Station wanting to know where they could get the 91 bus to Trafalgar Square. I told them exactly where they could find the nearest stop going in the right direction, and then about ten seconds after they walked away, I briefly thought I'd told them the wrong thing (I hadn't). If they had been obnoxious young people I would have just let them sort themselves out, but as they were nice old ladies, I decided to chase after them and let them know that I'd steered them in the wrong direction (again, I hadn't).

I made it about twenty feet before I tripped over the pavement and bit the dust in a full penguin belly slide, arms out in front like Superman. (It was slick pavement, and I was wearing a slippery coat.) I was completely mortified, but I collected the shattered remains of my dignity, put them in a little bag, and got back up because I am a survivor.

By then the ladies were too far away for me to catch up, so I abandoned the chase. And obviously I wanted everyone to know that falling down at a crowded bus station in such spectacular fashion didn't bother me in the slightest, so I walked confidently back to my bus, head held high, whistling all the way. (Unfortunately, the first song that came to my head was the theme from "Sanford and Sons", but I think I got away with it.)

 It was at that point that I realized I actually had told the ladies the right thing after all, and my concern for my fellow (wo)man had nearly killed me for nothing. I patted myself on the back, climbed onto the bus, claimed my rightful seat at the front of the upper deck, and gave the old ladies a jaunty little salute as I rode past them at their stop. 
Tragic Heroine Risks All for Confused Tourists, Saves Day. 

And now, mostly for the Verus crowd since I haven't updated them in a while, here are some random pics from the last few months. Included is one of the package my mother sent to me for Valentine's day, because everyone at the office should know that she is amazing, and should stop by her desk before the end of the day and tell her so. Congratulations for working with her.