The jimmyCASE Durability Test

I have these stairs that stretch from the carport up to a landing for three little apartments, one of which is mine. It's not like a whole bunch of stairs. They take less than 7 seconds to climb. The thing is, I'm lazy.

If I've got a whole bunch of stuff to carry from the car, I'll try to take it all in one ungainly trip. Like yesterday, when I tried to carry three grocery bags, a box with a pair of new shoes in it, my water bottle and my phone up the stairs. I didn't have my phone in my pocket because I was also trying to – get this – read a friend's Facebook update while I was going up the stairs.

That didn't work out so well.

Somewhere between the 5th- and the 2nd-to-last stair, my keys fell out of my back pocket, startling me, causing me to lose my grip on everything. Groceries fell through the slats, my new loafers landed in a planter, and I saw my iPhone bounce off of a couple of stairs during its downward journey to the concrete driveway. All in slow motion.

Fortunately, it was protected, demonstrating what I now call "the jimmyCASE iPhone wallet case durability test." There's a rubbery, silicone bumper that goes all the way around the sides of the phone and forms a lip on the front and back. Also, the wood backing is – I read this on the thejimmycase.com website – made from "military-spec" mahogany. So between the cushioning and the bracing, my iPhone survived an apartment-stairs fall. Not a crack. Nothing lost, with possible exception of my dignity. The cute new downstairs neighbor saw all of this happen.

She did help me pick up my groceries, though. There are more graceful ways to meet someone, I know – but hey, at least I don't need a new phone.