Thanks NurseKris - love the topic
We had an ice storm a month or so back, and I was walking up the steps to work. 3 total steps. And a hand rail. No biggie.
As a side note - I have a pathetic relationship with my cell phone; I am in love with it. It pretends to love me back with lots of information and a realtime worldwide connection.
So it slips out of my hand walking up these steps which are absolutely COVERED in ice, and what is my first reaction? SAVE THE PHONE.
Saving the phone means not saving my grip on the hand rail, my balance, or my dignity. I go down sideways and completely sprawl out in a pathetic heap, landing on knee hip and elbow.
I look up and realize half the building is watching me through the windows. Very fortunately I am completely fine so I make a quick sheepish bow to my coworkers and tiptoe in, totally shaken up but with phone intact. I didn't even catch the thing; it skittered down the sidewalk and landed on the side of its protective case.
Funny how the subconscious works...