Today's post is brought to you by . . .
Dr. Doctor!*
Way, way back. . . in Tom's grad school days at Colorado State University . . . we were friends with a Japanese couple living in Fort Collins (he was a post-doc, I believe). One night, we were at their house for dinner. . . and Midori (the wife of the couple) asked us for help with one of her English assignments. She needed to come up with examples of American idioms -- and explain how they were used in everyday conversation.
We had a grand time helping her!
Calm before the storm...
Burn your bridges...
Foot the bill...
Get in over your head...
In one ear, out the other...
On the right track...
Play with fire...
Scratch the surface...
Under the table...
Turn on a dime...
Yeah. That one.
Turn on a dime.
According to American Culture Explained, this idiom is used to describe things that change direction very quickly; more or less instantaneously. It's origin? Think high-performance cars, planes, boats. The ability to "turn on a dime" (or other small coin) indicates that you can turn very quickly in a very tight space.
Life turns on a dime.
One second you're. . . oh, say, going for your morning run in the woods. And the next? Covered in mud and headed to the ER with a broken arm.
Life turned that way . . . for Patty. . . on Sunday morning. Broken right humerus **. 3 hours of surgery. Many weeks of recovery. No running. No knitting.
And no Rhinebeck!***
Life turns on a dime, indeed.
(Send Patty your healing wishes here!)
==========
* I totally blame Patty for getting this song stuck in my head. (I'll let her explain why!)
** Fortunately, Patty is left-handed!
*** We were planning on going to Rhinebeck together this year. NEXT year, Patty! Next year!
Best laid plans... well, boo. I'm so sorry your trip to Rhinebeck didn't work out as planned. I'm sending strong wishes of healing so Patty can build that bone!
Posted by: margene | 10/12/2012 at 08:41 AM
Bummer! Hope Patty will heal fast.
We too are trying to get to Rhinebeck ever since we moved to this side of the country but life keep interfering. As you said: next year - and maybe we will meet there! :)
Posted by: Rachel | 10/12/2012 at 11:33 AM
Oh no! Poor Patty. What a terrible thing to have happen and such bad timing. Not that there's ever good timing for that sort of thing, but you know what I mean...
Mind you, it does explain where she went. I'd been wondering and hoping/assuming she was too busy packing and planning to blog.
Oh, and I had to read the 'wife of the couple' bit more than once. I knew what you meant, but that's not how I took it. Shocking, right? *L*
Is it too early to start planning for next year?
xo
Posted by: Cookie | 10/12/2012 at 01:37 PM
Oh nooooo! Poor Patty! And poor you, too. I'm sorry you're plans have changed.
Posted by: Carole | 10/12/2012 at 01:55 PM
Poor Patty! What miserable luck. For both of you...more for her...but you know what I mean.
Posted by: Marilyn | 10/12/2012 at 02:51 PM
Aw, bummer. I don't think it's too early to start planning for Rhinebeck 2013!
Posted by: Vicki | 10/12/2012 at 03:11 PM
Thank you for your wonderful love and support! I think Rhinebeck 2013 is going to be waaaaaaaay better than 2012 ;-) TGIF Kym
Posted by: Patty | 10/12/2012 at 07:40 PM
As a good friend of Miss Patty, I appreciate your post! She sure was worried about letting you down!
But how wonderful that you two can look forward to a great trip next year, right?!
Posted by: Karen Shiebler | 10/13/2012 at 10:05 PM