First Annual Black-and-Blue Thumb Awards

11. Award for 'Worst Free Throw Attempt'
There's only one rule for handling a window air conditioner: Hold on tight. But Patty Collins and her sister lost sight of this as they balanced the unit on the window ledge of Collins's fourth-floor apartment. Each thinking the other had a firm grip, they dropped it out the window, where it landed in the middle of a pickup basketball game on the court below. Hearts pounding, they peered out to see a group of young men standing around the fallen unit. The women didn't relax until they heard one of the players exclaim, "Whoa! Cool."

12. The 'When to Call It a Night' Award
"I've reminded Eric several times that when he gets tired, he should just call it quits," says Laurie Bridges of her husband's round-the-clock renovating schedule. After a long day laying down some way-over-budget Marmo­leum floors in their kitchen, a very excited (but very weary) Eric insisted on getting started on their next project: installing new Cabinets. But before laying the cabinet doors down to drill holes for the handles, Eric needed something to protect the floor. He chose a nice solid piece of...cardboard. "I heard some loud cursing," recalls Laurie, who ran to the kitchen to find a hole in what had been their pristine new floor. "I said, 'What were you thinking, Eric?'" Our bet is, he wasn't.

13. The 'Don't Be a Mow-Ron' Award
There's nothing wrong with cracking open a beer or two after some backbreaking yard work. You deserve it. Just don't get wasted, fire up the John Deere, and go riding off for more. Dondi Bowles was arrested back in May when police found him riding his 20-horsepower lawn mower on the sidewalk about a mile from his home. When questioned, Bowles stood—albeit woozily—by his decision. "I didn't know you could get a DUI on a lawn mower," he said. "If I knew that, I would have walked."

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