Yes, I had a terrific birthday weekend — thanks to all who’ve asked! — but it was nothing short of a miracle, given what happened Friday.

It started out as a great day at work. Karen Barkstrom made a tasty “lemon surprise” for me, and Dan Hammock gave me an incredibly cool gift from his personal collection: a couple of framed cels from two of my favorite 1990s Nicktoons.

A little after noon, with nothing more than a slice of lemon surprise under my belt, I decided to get some lunch at the tiny Korean cafe a couple of blocks from the office. I only made it halfway there. When I reached out to push the button to get a “walk” signal to cross Heron Street, I stepped on the edge of the curb and lost my balance. I tried to grab the power pole, but it was futile: I fell backward into the grass, and my head hit the ground full force.

I lay there for a minute or two, self-assessing and trying not to panic. Finally, I sat up. My head spun. So I stayed put for a couple more minutes, waiting for it to pass. It didn’t, but it did die down enough for me to gather up the stuff that had flown out of my bag and try standing up. More dizziness; more waiting.

I thought maybe I’d just walk into the convenience store on that corner and get a fountain drink, then head back to the office to recuperate. (No, I was not functioning rationally.) But once I wobbled over to the edge of the parking lot and looked out over the expanse of concrete, I changed my mind. I needed a new plan.

It never occurred to me to call for aid on my cellphone; my addled brain simply decided I had to get back to the office. So I set out on the arduous one-block journey.

I’m sure I looked like a drunkard or a druggie as I staggered along. Several cars passed and a few people watched me from the convenience store lot, but it doesn’t surprise me one bit that no one tried to help. How could they have known?

I somehow managed to get back across Alder to the corner where The Daily World’s offices are. I recall leaning against a power pole and closing my eyes to gather myself. When I opened them, I was sitting on the pavement, and Dan was calling my name and asking what was wrong. I knew I’d be OK at that point.

He called 911, and after some TLC from two EMTs, I got the second ambulance ride of my life. My editor, Doug Barker, followed and sat with me at Grays Harbor Community Hospital for a bit to make sure all was well. Just two hours later, I’d had a CAT scan and been diagnosed with a mild concussion. It had been a harrowing afternoon, but I was going to be just fine.

Dan gave me a lift home, stopping on the way so I could pick up a late lunch. I sat on my back porch for a while with my dog, Rose, and then went to bed early.

The next morning, my head was clear and my back was just a little achy from the fall. I took Rose to the Art Walk, and we both enjoyed ourselves. And Sunday, I took a road trip to Cape Disappointment and had a fantastic dinner in nearby Seaview, as planned.

No random act of klutziness was going to interfere with my birthday fun, by golly — especially with such great friends and excellent service providers having my back. I’m grateful to them all.

Kat Bryant is lifestyle editor of The Daily World. Reach her at kbryant@thedailyworld.com or on Facebook at Kat Bryant-DailyWorld.