Well, this morning Megan woke up and went out for her third and final pre-permit driving lesson. Luckily, the rain wasn't too bad, and she was home much later than anticipated, but as she was driving with Mr. Smoke-n-Stop, I figured she had probably driven to the home of his next appointment, who would then bring Megan back here, and that was what had happened. So now she has a learner's permit.
Lately we've had some epidemics of pictures falling off the walls in the house, and that is in addition to those that never were hung when we moved in three years ago. I remembered that Marshall's had some good cheap artwork last summer when I was fixing up the room for E, so I decided to go back. Megan and Kevin came with me, and Megan drove. Well. Let me just say that she may not drive with Kevin for a long, long time.
I decided as we were getting in the car that I was probably the better of the two of us to ride in the front, and I was right. First of all, there is something nobody tells you about new drivers, and that's that they tend to think they are over the center line, and they compensate for this by driving on the right shoulder of the road. I guess this comes from all their years of riding in the front passenger seat, where the perspective is quite different from that of the driver. So Kevin was convinced that she would take out all the parked cars on our block on the way out of the neighborhood. Finally, I told him it would be OK, just as long as nobody had forgotten to close their mailboxes on the main road.
The ride to Marshall's is about fifteen minutes, and he barked at her the whole time. She was going too fast, she was too far to the right, why wasn't she looking? By the time we got there, which was pretty much through rain and unpredictable traffic and a major intersection (where she got confused and drove through a puddle on the shoulder of the road, invoking further torrent from the backseat driver), I think she was happy never to drive again. However, she sucked it up and did drive back from one of our later stops, a shoe store where I spent money that only makes me hope this automated sub calling system works out, and works out quickly. And so begins our year. We haven't tackled driving the Explorer yet.
Oh, and while at Marshall's, I caused a terrible accident, by trying to look at a picture which was at the back of a stack, and when I leaned it forward to check on its price, apparently it also had some others in front of it, and as it leaned, so did they, with nothing to stop them except a poor woman and her leg. So that was quite embarassing. We waited for someone to come and clean it up, and the woman, who insisted she was fine, limped away. We did buy two pictures but now I'm not sure if they are even what I should have gotten. My mind's eye was not the same as what I saw when we got home.
Tonight Megan and Brian are at the same movie, some scary movie, and she is there with ::gasp:: boys (and a girl). Afterwards, Brian is going back to someone's house, and Megan is going to a restaurant near the theater. We have to pick up the two girls. Kevin and I had an exciting dog walk and now he is watching TV and drinking beer, and I am here, updating my blog and drinking a watermelon martini, because I have had to forsake wine since my chocolate indiscretion last week which, combined with jet lag and exhaustion from the day in Paris, brought on an onslaught of migraine aura.
And so in other news, tomorrow is supposed to be the big party day at our beach club, postponed from Hurricane Whoeverhewas last weekend, and now threatened by the dregs of Danny. I plan on going to church again, hopefully in less pain than last week (migraine), and trying to put in the good word for Brian's MRI and future physical state. I am also still following the blog of the boy who fell and hit his head, and he's been in the church's bulletin as well, under prayers for the sick. He has a page on caringbridge, and I've been following his progress. He's been transferred to a coma rehab center - imagine going through that with your 19 year old - and he is doing well, although by their standards 'doing well' has its own meaning compared to ours. He still hasn't opened his eyes. They're very religious, though, in fact he graduated from the school Brian will attend, and their blog is an inspiration when I think of what I worry about with Brian in comparison to what they are going through now.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
final friday!
Here it is, the last official Friday of summer as we know it. On Monday, Kevin will go back to work after what seems like weeks of vacation time. Megan goes to school on Thursday and Brian has his half day orientation, including school pictures, on Friday. Yesterday he had his first lesson on how to tie a tie, and he got a new haircut. I must say that he did look quite handsome!
I'm so glad that I did decide to postpone the MRI. I'd postpone it forever if I could. I really don't think that he needs any treatment based on how he seems to me, but if the MRI showed otherwise, we'd be forced to address it. ::knock wood:: Anyway. That will all be dealt with in a few weeks but for now, he is just having fun with the last days of summer. For his birthday, we went to a sold-out Blink-182 concert with Brian and his friend. Megan opted not to go at the last minute, and I wasn't able to find anyone to use the $50 lawn seat. I didn't realize I had paid that much for it until after I told her she didn't have to come. Had I waited a week, it would have been much cheaper, with the advent of 'no fee Wednesdays' through livenation.com.
So the concert was interesting. I've never been to a concert like that. It was packed, and since we had lawn seats we were sort of at the mercy of who sat around us. After refusing to sign a 'designated driver contract' that would have given us free sodas but we couldn't have had even one drink all night, we found safe seats in the family area, which doesn't allow any smoking or alcohol. Because it was so crowded, we stayed there for the entire concert, which meant we couldn't drink anyway! So that was our Catch-22. All sorts of craziness went on around us, like the garbage can caught fire and nobody noticed for about half an hour, perfectly respectable looking people were being removed from the seats and we didn't know why, and the lead singer of the band was quite a colorful character himself, cursing non-stop, sweating until his hair was plastered to his head, and spitting every few minutes, which you might not have noticed if not for the big screens on the side.
But it was a good concert and of course, Brian had a great time. I left early to go get Megan, who had told me she had no ride home from her friends, but then texted and asked if I could drive a girl home who lived right near us. I was a little afraid of how the traffic would be getting out of there, but even Kevin got out pretty quickly and he did stay until the end. Now our next concert will be the Bruce Springsteen concert in October!
Wilbur continues to do very well with his housebreaking, even with some bouts of messy diarrhea that get stuck to his white fur and cause him to run a few steps and then sit, no matter where he is. I have to throw him in the sink and wash him off when this happens, but yesterday I cut his butt fur and that seems to help. He's a really good dog, a lot easier to handle than a golden his age. But although Molly is tolerating him, she doesn't seem thrilled to have him here. Maybe in part because every toy she picks up becomes the target of his strongest desires. Although his new best friend and favorite punching bag is not Molly, but Rusty, the cat. I actually have a video of them playing, I have to upload it.
I shipped off my broken camera yesterday. I'm so disillusioned. This is about the third Sony Cybershot camera to have this happen. The lens motor breaks and the camera not only won't focus, but it won't work at all. I had to go through a series of reset tests with a guy on the phone, but thankfully this time the camera is less than a year old. The first two times they were older than that, just barely, but enough to put them out of warranty. And after a brief search, I was able to locate the receipt, so it's being fixed for "free," although I had to pay the shipping to the repair center. Although I love the camera, I don't know if I could buy another. They're not cheap, and they break! It's disheartening.
Oh, and speaking of Brian's birthday and of electronics, we got him a netbook from Costco for school as a birthday gift. It's so cute, small, and lightweight. He loved it, and it's so exciting that it's so small and sleek. Hopefully he will be able to use it to take notes in class.
Anyway, in other news, we are now under the watch of 'hurricane' Danny, who comes just in time for Megan's driving lessons. She's out on the second of the three now. I went with a specific school because I know the owner, but her lessons keep getting switched around, and the guy smelled like smoke, and kept smoking whenever they'd be somewhere that he could get out of the car. He even had Megan stop so he could get a bagel and coffee! That's kind of unprofessional, although of course she didn't mind. He told her he only lets the good drivers stop at the delis. Implying that because she is so good, she should be ready to try to pull into a parking spot. (and then wait in the car for him on our time) So she's out with that same guy today but she gets a different one tomorrow, and then she will have her permit. She'll either have that tomorrow or Monday, depending on when they can validate her permit. Oh, and I also found out that another school is $50 cheaper, and they use mustang convertibles as their training cars.
I'm so glad that I did decide to postpone the MRI. I'd postpone it forever if I could. I really don't think that he needs any treatment based on how he seems to me, but if the MRI showed otherwise, we'd be forced to address it. ::knock wood:: Anyway. That will all be dealt with in a few weeks but for now, he is just having fun with the last days of summer. For his birthday, we went to a sold-out Blink-182 concert with Brian and his friend. Megan opted not to go at the last minute, and I wasn't able to find anyone to use the $50 lawn seat. I didn't realize I had paid that much for it until after I told her she didn't have to come. Had I waited a week, it would have been much cheaper, with the advent of 'no fee Wednesdays' through livenation.com.
So the concert was interesting. I've never been to a concert like that. It was packed, and since we had lawn seats we were sort of at the mercy of who sat around us. After refusing to sign a 'designated driver contract' that would have given us free sodas but we couldn't have had even one drink all night, we found safe seats in the family area, which doesn't allow any smoking or alcohol. Because it was so crowded, we stayed there for the entire concert, which meant we couldn't drink anyway! So that was our Catch-22. All sorts of craziness went on around us, like the garbage can caught fire and nobody noticed for about half an hour, perfectly respectable looking people were being removed from the seats and we didn't know why, and the lead singer of the band was quite a colorful character himself, cursing non-stop, sweating until his hair was plastered to his head, and spitting every few minutes, which you might not have noticed if not for the big screens on the side.
But it was a good concert and of course, Brian had a great time. I left early to go get Megan, who had told me she had no ride home from her friends, but then texted and asked if I could drive a girl home who lived right near us. I was a little afraid of how the traffic would be getting out of there, but even Kevin got out pretty quickly and he did stay until the end. Now our next concert will be the Bruce Springsteen concert in October!
Wilbur continues to do very well with his housebreaking, even with some bouts of messy diarrhea that get stuck to his white fur and cause him to run a few steps and then sit, no matter where he is. I have to throw him in the sink and wash him off when this happens, but yesterday I cut his butt fur and that seems to help. He's a really good dog, a lot easier to handle than a golden his age. But although Molly is tolerating him, she doesn't seem thrilled to have him here. Maybe in part because every toy she picks up becomes the target of his strongest desires. Although his new best friend and favorite punching bag is not Molly, but Rusty, the cat. I actually have a video of them playing, I have to upload it.
I shipped off my broken camera yesterday. I'm so disillusioned. This is about the third Sony Cybershot camera to have this happen. The lens motor breaks and the camera not only won't focus, but it won't work at all. I had to go through a series of reset tests with a guy on the phone, but thankfully this time the camera is less than a year old. The first two times they were older than that, just barely, but enough to put them out of warranty. And after a brief search, I was able to locate the receipt, so it's being fixed for "free," although I had to pay the shipping to the repair center. Although I love the camera, I don't know if I could buy another. They're not cheap, and they break! It's disheartening.
Oh, and speaking of Brian's birthday and of electronics, we got him a netbook from Costco for school as a birthday gift. It's so cute, small, and lightweight. He loved it, and it's so exciting that it's so small and sleek. Hopefully he will be able to use it to take notes in class.
Anyway, in other news, we are now under the watch of 'hurricane' Danny, who comes just in time for Megan's driving lessons. She's out on the second of the three now. I went with a specific school because I know the owner, but her lessons keep getting switched around, and the guy smelled like smoke, and kept smoking whenever they'd be somewhere that he could get out of the car. He even had Megan stop so he could get a bagel and coffee! That's kind of unprofessional, although of course she didn't mind. He told her he only lets the good drivers stop at the delis. Implying that because she is so good, she should be ready to try to pull into a parking spot. (and then wait in the car for him on our time) So she's out with that same guy today but she gets a different one tomorrow, and then she will have her permit. She'll either have that tomorrow or Monday, depending on when they can validate her permit. Oh, and I also found out that another school is $50 cheaper, and they use mustang convertibles as their training cars.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
in the thick of things
My mind is a hazy fog this week. I am still unsure if I will postpone Brian's MRI although right now I am leaning towards getting it over with. It is true that it won't make a difference but I am always superstitious about specific dates and days and the 27th just sounds so ... 'off.' I always have liked to schedule these things on the 15th of the month but since that was the day we left for London, that didn't work out. I contemplate scheduling it for September 15, our anniversary and the day he had last year's done, but that's a Tuesday during school, and he'll have lots of homework. But today is the day I have set for my decision, so I'll either call them back and preregister for tomorrow, or I'll call and reschedule for the 15th of September. Too many things to think about!
But I had Megan at the doctor this morning. According to them, she hasn't grown AT ALL in the past year. =:-O I thought she had gotten a lot taller, but maybe not. ?? Her shoe size hasn't changed in about five years, it seems. She did gain a fair amount of weight, but is in the 50th percentiles for both height and weight. When I mentioned in the car that she now weighs almost as much as I do, she responded, "see, I told you I was going to weigh a lot." Gasp! Oh, and she is only 3/4 of an inch taller than Brian, to his great delight.
Oh, and I did find out that I have to have that root canal on my bad tooth, but that wasn't a real surprise. I'm almost to the point where I'll do it willingly if it means I can bite on that side of my mouth again, without pain. I feel like the dentist is always trying to get extra money. He comes in and checks the teeth, then says one or the other has decay or a crack. This time, because I had mentioned a specific tooth, he didn't do this, he only looked at that one tooth, and then he let me go. But I'll call them and schedule in a little while for this torment. They claim to have this great new technology that delivers the anesthetic directly into the tooth, controlled by computer. They claim it's painless anethesia. I don't really mind the pain of the shots, I just don't want to experience the racing heart that I had a few years ago when they hit me in the vessel with epinephrine. I thought I was dying, and they had abandoned me in the room alone.
So what remains are the MRI and the blood tests. Megan starts her driving lessons on Thursday, and by Monday she should have her permit in hand, and will surely drive us all crazy (pun intended) for the remainder of her 17th year, when she'll be able to get her real license, and drive alone. She has the hospital volunteering this afternoon and then a couple of her friends are coming over, who she hasn't seen in a while. She's babysitting two mornings this week for the two boys next door.
In other news, Wilbur and Rusty have deveoped a bizarre friendship which transcends the laws of animalkind, at least for Wilbur. Rusty could get away, I imagine, but he doesn't usually try very hard. Poor Wilbur, his best friend is a cat. Molly really cannot trouble herself to entertain him. He's just too energetic and bratty for her liking. But now I must get back to the more mundane: the laundry, the dishes, and some grocery shopping. I was kept back from things by a couple of migraines, after eating a small piece of Cadbury's chocolate while being severely jetlagged.
But I had Megan at the doctor this morning. According to them, she hasn't grown AT ALL in the past year. =:-O I thought she had gotten a lot taller, but maybe not. ?? Her shoe size hasn't changed in about five years, it seems. She did gain a fair amount of weight, but is in the 50th percentiles for both height and weight. When I mentioned in the car that she now weighs almost as much as I do, she responded, "see, I told you I was going to weigh a lot." Gasp! Oh, and she is only 3/4 of an inch taller than Brian, to his great delight.
Oh, and I did find out that I have to have that root canal on my bad tooth, but that wasn't a real surprise. I'm almost to the point where I'll do it willingly if it means I can bite on that side of my mouth again, without pain. I feel like the dentist is always trying to get extra money. He comes in and checks the teeth, then says one or the other has decay or a crack. This time, because I had mentioned a specific tooth, he didn't do this, he only looked at that one tooth, and then he let me go. But I'll call them and schedule in a little while for this torment. They claim to have this great new technology that delivers the anesthetic directly into the tooth, controlled by computer. They claim it's painless anethesia. I don't really mind the pain of the shots, I just don't want to experience the racing heart that I had a few years ago when they hit me in the vessel with epinephrine. I thought I was dying, and they had abandoned me in the room alone.
So what remains are the MRI and the blood tests. Megan starts her driving lessons on Thursday, and by Monday she should have her permit in hand, and will surely drive us all crazy (pun intended) for the remainder of her 17th year, when she'll be able to get her real license, and drive alone. She has the hospital volunteering this afternoon and then a couple of her friends are coming over, who she hasn't seen in a while. She's babysitting two mornings this week for the two boys next door.
In other news, Wilbur and Rusty have deveoped a bizarre friendship which transcends the laws of animalkind, at least for Wilbur. Rusty could get away, I imagine, but he doesn't usually try very hard. Poor Wilbur, his best friend is a cat. Molly really cannot trouble herself to entertain him. He's just too energetic and bratty for her liking. But now I must get back to the more mundane: the laundry, the dishes, and some grocery shopping. I was kept back from things by a couple of migraines, after eating a small piece of Cadbury's chocolate while being severely jetlagged.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
home sweet home
It was so nice to be back!!! The flight seemed like it just took forever, starting from when we had to board buses to a remote part of the airport to get onto the plane, and then after they packed us all in like sardines, they told us that we were missing two passengers although they had their bags, and they were going through the luggage or waiting for the passengers, and we would leave when they located one or the other. Then they closed us up, and then told us that we would be sitting there at the gate for an hour because of airport-wide weather delays.
Then the flight was a little rough, but mostly the plane was so hot, and there was no air, and the flight attendants were grumpy, and people were sick and they kept coughing and sneezing, and then a little girl got a nosebleed, and they had some guy asleep behind curtains in the back row, and the French family in front of us wouldn't stay in their seats. The flight was at least an hour longer coming home. At the very end, we hit some storms and the flight attendants ran around acting like the plane was going to crash. Since flight attendants are generally my barometer for assessing if all is well, I had a rough last hour on that flight!
Oh, and the TVs were awful too. They were old and you had a choice of channels but they all restarted at the same time, so we had to wait until the longest of the movies ended before we could watch the beginning of any of the others.
But once we finally landed, and passed a puking lady, and collected our bags, we sailed through passport control and customs, caught the van to the car park, and then dropped the kids at home before heading out to get Molly. This morning we got Wilbur, who, although he seems thrilled to be home, didn't seem to be very thrilled to see us when we first arrived at the kennel. Rather than greet us, he instead ran off with one of his new dog friends at first! Now he is doing his usual little bad puppy stuff. Oh, and his 'neighbor' in the kennel was our friend's boxer.
So, Paris was a beautiful city, but it was hot and crowded and our visit was the most whirlwind tour I have ever been on. We had to follow this hyper little man around, he would lead us all by holding up his clipboard and walking rapidly ahead of the pack. We got on the train at 6:55, got off and went on a half hour bus tour of the main sights in Paris (Arch de Triomphe, Champs de Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and the Opera House, mainly. We did see the Ritz where Diana had her last meal, and later, the tunnel in which she died. After a couple of hours at the Eiffel Tower, we were whisked onto a river cruise, which is when Brian really started to feel sick. From the river, we were loaded back onto the bus, it was now 3pm, and taken to the Louvre. We had an hour and a half there, then we were off to the Opera House streets where we were supposed to shop, but Brian cried misery and we just all sort of wished to get back on the train for home. By the time we got to London, Brian was fine and hungry. We had something to eat back at the hotel, the tour allowed very little time for eating. Then we fell into bed around 11, ready to wake up for our last day in London, yesterday.
Anyway, in other news, I am still somewhat sweating the whole MRI thing. If I can put it off, I may just do that. I have given myself till Tuesday to decide. If there is a problem, we will have to see more doctors again, and I am in no mood for that. With school starting, there really isn't even time. I don't think that this is anything that would have an immediate urgent need of attention anyway, so I would almost rather not even know what it is, if anything. Of course there is always the chance it's nothing, and wouldn't that be nice to know? :-/
Then the flight was a little rough, but mostly the plane was so hot, and there was no air, and the flight attendants were grumpy, and people were sick and they kept coughing and sneezing, and then a little girl got a nosebleed, and they had some guy asleep behind curtains in the back row, and the French family in front of us wouldn't stay in their seats. The flight was at least an hour longer coming home. At the very end, we hit some storms and the flight attendants ran around acting like the plane was going to crash. Since flight attendants are generally my barometer for assessing if all is well, I had a rough last hour on that flight!
Oh, and the TVs were awful too. They were old and you had a choice of channels but they all restarted at the same time, so we had to wait until the longest of the movies ended before we could watch the beginning of any of the others.
But once we finally landed, and passed a puking lady, and collected our bags, we sailed through passport control and customs, caught the van to the car park, and then dropped the kids at home before heading out to get Molly. This morning we got Wilbur, who, although he seems thrilled to be home, didn't seem to be very thrilled to see us when we first arrived at the kennel. Rather than greet us, he instead ran off with one of his new dog friends at first! Now he is doing his usual little bad puppy stuff. Oh, and his 'neighbor' in the kennel was our friend's boxer.
So, Paris was a beautiful city, but it was hot and crowded and our visit was the most whirlwind tour I have ever been on. We had to follow this hyper little man around, he would lead us all by holding up his clipboard and walking rapidly ahead of the pack. We got on the train at 6:55, got off and went on a half hour bus tour of the main sights in Paris (Arch de Triomphe, Champs de Elysees, Eiffel Tower, and the Opera House, mainly. We did see the Ritz where Diana had her last meal, and later, the tunnel in which she died. After a couple of hours at the Eiffel Tower, we were whisked onto a river cruise, which is when Brian really started to feel sick. From the river, we were loaded back onto the bus, it was now 3pm, and taken to the Louvre. We had an hour and a half there, then we were off to the Opera House streets where we were supposed to shop, but Brian cried misery and we just all sort of wished to get back on the train for home. By the time we got to London, Brian was fine and hungry. We had something to eat back at the hotel, the tour allowed very little time for eating. Then we fell into bed around 11, ready to wake up for our last day in London, yesterday.
Anyway, in other news, I am still somewhat sweating the whole MRI thing. If I can put it off, I may just do that. I have given myself till Tuesday to decide. If there is a problem, we will have to see more doctors again, and I am in no mood for that. With school starting, there really isn't even time. I don't think that this is anything that would have an immediate urgent need of attention anyway, so I would almost rather not even know what it is, if anything. Of course there is always the chance it's nothing, and wouldn't that be nice to know? :-/
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
and tomorrow - paris!
Our week has flown by!! Here it is the end of our last day in London, as we have a car coming to get us at 4:35 (!) tomorrow morning to take us to St. Pancras Station (whatever that is) where we will catch the 5:30 Eurostar to Paris. We'll have a guided tour, lunch at the Eiffel Tower, tour the Louvre, and cruise the Seine, before we have an 8:39-ish train back to London, arriving back at 9:40pm. We'll collapse afterwards, and then wake up and pack the next morning. Our airport transit is due at noon on Friday.
So it's been a fun week ... starting with the Big Bus Tour, which we boarded against the advice of one of my travel books, but which I really think was a good idea. We stayed on for almost the whole ride, until we hit some interminable traffic on the 'embankment' and decided to just jump off and walk back up via St. James Park. We took a few photos of Buckingham Palace, headed up through Green Park, and found ourselves back at the hotel. Then we hopped back on the Big Bus again, took it to the London Eye, which we were surprised to find ourselves able to get on with much less of a wait than the line would lead you to believe. The Eye was a fun ride, not very long, but it does give you great views. Fifteen minutes later and we would have been able to see all the lights of Parliament.
The ducks ride was fun but not nearly as informative as the Big Bus, although far more entertaining. The duck drops into the Thames right by MI6, the big London spy building, and the guide made fun all of the workers on the street, calling them spies, and saying, "that spy is texting another spy.." when he passed a man feverishly at work texting away. After that we had dinner with Kevin's friend Kevin from work, at a little pub/restaurant in the financial district that was practically empty but still gave us a hard time about having kids, calling Brian "a small boy who is wearing a hat."
We took the advice of one of my books and hit the Tower of London at just past 9 and that was good advice although it made the tube pass cost significantly more (discounts begin at 9:30). We walked right in, headed straight for the crown jewels and then to the White Tower. I have a fascination for the Tower and its grisly past since reading The Other Boleyn Girl, but it still does make one sick to think of the way life was back then. I didn't enjoy the model torture apparatus that was out on the lawn that used to be the moat.
Otherwise, we've had some tube experiences, some walking around trying to find store experiences, and some other general urban experiences. The most horrifying and hysterical (you just really had to laugh) was today, when we took the tube to Covent Garden, and, following the sign that said 'steps' we left the crowd who headed towards the lift. Who takes a lift from a subway? Well, I will tell you: anyone who wants to survive the trip up! There had to be more stairs on that exit than there were on the Cape May lighthouse. It was a never-ending spiral staircase that really caused you to feel like you just might not make it. Hysterical laughter didn't help. Then, when we got to the top, we walked in a huge circle for 20 minutes before discovering that if we had gone left instead of right, we would have been right where we needed to be!
And in other news, we are now off to our favorite haunt, The Hard Rock Cafe, to see about having Megan's birthday dinner. If the wait is ridiculous, I guess we will need a Plan B. But now the kids are getting irrititating, and so we really must go. The only other funny bit of trivia I wanted to mention involves Kevin and his passport. He prides himself on his world-traveler-ness, and was ashamed that he had to travel with a blank passport, as were the other three of us. He felt it brought him down to our level. Well, as we were passing through the first point at which you have to show your credentials, Kevin was asked to sign his. Heh heh. (Disclaimer: post not proofread!)
So it's been a fun week ... starting with the Big Bus Tour, which we boarded against the advice of one of my travel books, but which I really think was a good idea. We stayed on for almost the whole ride, until we hit some interminable traffic on the 'embankment' and decided to just jump off and walk back up via St. James Park. We took a few photos of Buckingham Palace, headed up through Green Park, and found ourselves back at the hotel. Then we hopped back on the Big Bus again, took it to the London Eye, which we were surprised to find ourselves able to get on with much less of a wait than the line would lead you to believe. The Eye was a fun ride, not very long, but it does give you great views. Fifteen minutes later and we would have been able to see all the lights of Parliament.
The ducks ride was fun but not nearly as informative as the Big Bus, although far more entertaining. The duck drops into the Thames right by MI6, the big London spy building, and the guide made fun all of the workers on the street, calling them spies, and saying, "that spy is texting another spy.." when he passed a man feverishly at work texting away. After that we had dinner with Kevin's friend Kevin from work, at a little pub/restaurant in the financial district that was practically empty but still gave us a hard time about having kids, calling Brian "a small boy who is wearing a hat."
We took the advice of one of my books and hit the Tower of London at just past 9 and that was good advice although it made the tube pass cost significantly more (discounts begin at 9:30). We walked right in, headed straight for the crown jewels and then to the White Tower. I have a fascination for the Tower and its grisly past since reading The Other Boleyn Girl, but it still does make one sick to think of the way life was back then. I didn't enjoy the model torture apparatus that was out on the lawn that used to be the moat.
Otherwise, we've had some tube experiences, some walking around trying to find store experiences, and some other general urban experiences. The most horrifying and hysterical (you just really had to laugh) was today, when we took the tube to Covent Garden, and, following the sign that said 'steps' we left the crowd who headed towards the lift. Who takes a lift from a subway? Well, I will tell you: anyone who wants to survive the trip up! There had to be more stairs on that exit than there were on the Cape May lighthouse. It was a never-ending spiral staircase that really caused you to feel like you just might not make it. Hysterical laughter didn't help. Then, when we got to the top, we walked in a huge circle for 20 minutes before discovering that if we had gone left instead of right, we would have been right where we needed to be!
And in other news, we are now off to our favorite haunt, The Hard Rock Cafe, to see about having Megan's birthday dinner. If the wait is ridiculous, I guess we will need a Plan B. But now the kids are getting irrititating, and so we really must go. The only other funny bit of trivia I wanted to mention involves Kevin and his passport. He prides himself on his world-traveler-ness, and was ashamed that he had to travel with a blank passport, as were the other three of us. He felt it brought him down to our level. Well, as we were passing through the first point at which you have to show your credentials, Kevin was asked to sign his. Heh heh. (Disclaimer: post not proofread!)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
going to london to visit the queen...!
Could the anxiety level get any higher? Flying, chiari, school starting, bills coming in ...? It all started yesterday with the trip to the kennel. As soon as we walked in, all the dogs began to bark, so of course, yappy Wilbur yapped right in. But his body was relaxed, and his tail was wagging, and he seemed excited to meet the new friends, so I think he will settle in and be OK, if not a little lonely for the comforts of home. His little run was plenty big enough, but I don't know if he'll end up getting moved to a smaller one, especially if he can't control his eliminations in the larger space.
Then of course, the visit to the neurologist gave me more to keep me up and mull over, although as we know, the future holds what it will hold, no matter how much I stress over it or don't. I reread some of my carepage updates, including the one from last August, and it reads the same as this year's, only with less of a caution as to the increase in tone. So hopefully it was not as dramatic as the doctor is saying, and it is a comfort that he was unable to elicit the abnormal ankle clonus, although Lord knows he tried. And tried, and tried. Socks on, socks off, walk around, try again. But it wasn't there, thank goodness. So let's just hope that Brian just has high tone for some reason that won't matter in the long run.
In other news, I must head to the showers, we're leaving in fifteen minutes!!!
Then of course, the visit to the neurologist gave me more to keep me up and mull over, although as we know, the future holds what it will hold, no matter how much I stress over it or don't. I reread some of my carepage updates, including the one from last August, and it reads the same as this year's, only with less of a caution as to the increase in tone. So hopefully it was not as dramatic as the doctor is saying, and it is a comfort that he was unable to elicit the abnormal ankle clonus, although Lord knows he tried. And tried, and tried. Socks on, socks off, walk around, try again. But it wasn't there, thank goodness. So let's just hope that Brian just has high tone for some reason that won't matter in the long run.
In other news, I must head to the showers, we're leaving in fifteen minutes!!!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
one more day!!!
Tomorrow is a big day - poor Wilbur has to go to the kennal at 1:30 because the guy can't seem to be flexible with the afternoon drop off. I asked if it would be a problem if we ran late after 5, and he indicated that it would. I told him we had a doctor's appointment at 2:45 and he mentioned something about what if the doctor has an emergency and is an hour and a half late. Well - this has never happened, although we have waited in the office for half an hour or so. I was thinking more along the lines of taking in too many appointments, but then when he suggested that we might be much later, even though it has never happened, I was sure that it would if I promised him compliance.
So I called him back and said I'd just bring Wilbur over before. I am so worried about leaving him! He is such a little dog with his own personality. I'd have felt better leaving Molly at that age, because it's her thing - a room full of dogs and a yard full of grass and tennis balls. But at her age, she will he happier in the old folks' home with Baxter and the Doll. And hopefully, Wilbur will be OK.
And we have the neurologist, always a source of great anxiety for me, but with the transcontinental flight looming so soon in my future, I'm having trouble focusing on my chiari panic, so I guess I can be grateful for that, at least. And we'll have to address the swallowing issues, but since they did seem to be transient, maybe we'll be able to chalk them up to an anomaly unless they return. At the very least, they don't seem likely to interfere with our trip, as I had feared they might.
I'm about as packed as I can be, except for the essentials that I'll need to be using up until the morning before we leave. We booked a spot at the long term off-site parking at the airport, and we have a car reserved (a "people mover") in the UK. I bought a couple more books, including one with a pull-out tube map, and a little notebook to jot down thoughts and ideas in case I get confused. We want to do the London Eye, but I have to figure out the best time. I've read that riding it at sunset is really exciting, but of course, not so much if it's a dreary cloudy evening. The weather, which had gone from beautiful to rainy in the forecast, is now back to pretty good again; except for the day we are due home. That day has rain on both ends. Great. I just hope no hurricanes decide to crop up in time for our return!!
In other news, Megan has her day at the hospital volunteering again tomorrow. We'll all pick her up on our way home from the neurologist, now that we don't have to come home and get Wilbur. Then we'll drop Molly off at the Doll's, have dinner, and get to bed early. We have to be at the car park by 5:30 Saturday morning. Ack! It's really here. This all seemed so unreal when I booked it way back during the school year.
So I called him back and said I'd just bring Wilbur over before. I am so worried about leaving him! He is such a little dog with his own personality. I'd have felt better leaving Molly at that age, because it's her thing - a room full of dogs and a yard full of grass and tennis balls. But at her age, she will he happier in the old folks' home with Baxter and the Doll. And hopefully, Wilbur will be OK.
And we have the neurologist, always a source of great anxiety for me, but with the transcontinental flight looming so soon in my future, I'm having trouble focusing on my chiari panic, so I guess I can be grateful for that, at least. And we'll have to address the swallowing issues, but since they did seem to be transient, maybe we'll be able to chalk them up to an anomaly unless they return. At the very least, they don't seem likely to interfere with our trip, as I had feared they might.
I'm about as packed as I can be, except for the essentials that I'll need to be using up until the morning before we leave. We booked a spot at the long term off-site parking at the airport, and we have a car reserved (a "people mover") in the UK. I bought a couple more books, including one with a pull-out tube map, and a little notebook to jot down thoughts and ideas in case I get confused. We want to do the London Eye, but I have to figure out the best time. I've read that riding it at sunset is really exciting, but of course, not so much if it's a dreary cloudy evening. The weather, which had gone from beautiful to rainy in the forecast, is now back to pretty good again; except for the day we are due home. That day has rain on both ends. Great. I just hope no hurricanes decide to crop up in time for our return!!
In other news, Megan has her day at the hospital volunteering again tomorrow. We'll all pick her up on our way home from the neurologist, now that we don't have to come home and get Wilbur. Then we'll drop Molly off at the Doll's, have dinner, and get to bed early. We have to be at the car park by 5:30 Saturday morning. Ack! It's really here. This all seemed so unreal when I booked it way back during the school year.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
countdown to uk
Three more days! Today is the slow one, Megan wants to see some friends, but otherwise I will just try to do laundry and get the house ready for the cleaning people, who come tomorrow. Tomorrow we have the cleaning people and two orthodontist appointments (Megan goes every once in a while to have her retainer checked), and then on Friday, we have to do all the final preparations as well as drop off the dogs at their respective caretakers. Brian has the neurologist, and Megan has volunteering at the hospital. Then we'll be up bright and early Saturday for our 8:05am flight!! We haven't been able to do our seating assignments yet, as British Air won't allow it till the day before, or slightly sooner if you meet certain criteria which we do not. So that should be done early Friday morning.
Last night we finally had our dinner with E. It was nice to see her again, and she has finally cleared all her things out of our house. For some reason she was amazed at how much she still had here. I can't imagine how she would have felt if she had had to straighten up and pack up, if I hadn't done it all for her when she left it all over the place! But we dropped her back at the house where she is staying with her three boxes, one suitcase, and one bag of clothes. Oh, and two giant pictures for her wall. She leaves on Friday to start her new life.
Meanwhile, the kids continue to plug along through their summer reading assignments, Brian doing better than I thought he would, although still lucky that he already read one of the books on his list, and therefore only has to read two 'real' books and one on 'success secrets', and Megan plodding through the many books she had to read for Language Arts, getting ready to start reading all the history passages she must read and prepare a written response for.
Wilbur is still committing transgressions in the house when he isn't watched closely. He seems to think that a carpeted room can substitute in a pinch. He does understand that he should go outside, but he doesn't seem to know how to ask us to take him outside. I'll have to work on that when we get back. I am feeling terribly guilty about boarding him while we're gone. He is such a small dog, and having him in that big kennel full of loud barking beasts makes me feel terrible! I'm bringing him with a bed, a blanket, a bone, and a soft toy. He'll have to spend eight nights there! Which will also punch our pocketbook.
Speaking of pocketbooks, I really need to start getting paid again soon after school starts! Just getting Wilbur in the first place put me into the red, and then his many maladies beat me further in. Without a paycheck since June, the bills mount, and now the vacation is adding to that stress. Trying to think of ways to trim the fat - I have to think about the cleaning people. Of course, it is nice to have the house be cleaned top to bottom every other week (but do they really do that??). But they charge us $110 each time and I have to supply the cleaning supplies, even the ones I was told initially they would provide.
They have switched ladies on me, and the new one uses everything ... even the supplies that I have for my own daily clean-ups, so when I need the Fantastic, for example, it might be gone, or it might be moved. They sometimes miss vacuuming under things, and just a couple of weeks ago, I found that a medicine cup had been knocked over behind Megan's bed, and the medicine had gotten onto the heater, and all kinds of hair and dust had stuck to it. I took one wet wipe, and the whole thing came off, but the cleaning people had just been ignoring that! So maybe when we get back, I should look into a cheaper alternative, or practice doing it myself. I need a more routine schedule, the subbing can be so unpredictable that it makes me inefficient.
But in other news, I can't believe summer is winding down. We have birthdays coming up, and driving lessons, learners permits, and the start of school. Wilbur has to be taken in for his 'big operation,' and there is maintenance to be done around the house. We also have not resolved our billing issues with the former lawn service, and we have started having to pay for Brian's schooling, which is a small fortune in itself. It had better be worth it, and pay off in the long run. So far I think he is already showing more self-confidence and better judgement, just because he knows he will be going to a school with a superior reputation. So let's see if he can make that work for him.
Last night we finally had our dinner with E. It was nice to see her again, and she has finally cleared all her things out of our house. For some reason she was amazed at how much she still had here. I can't imagine how she would have felt if she had had to straighten up and pack up, if I hadn't done it all for her when she left it all over the place! But we dropped her back at the house where she is staying with her three boxes, one suitcase, and one bag of clothes. Oh, and two giant pictures for her wall. She leaves on Friday to start her new life.
Meanwhile, the kids continue to plug along through their summer reading assignments, Brian doing better than I thought he would, although still lucky that he already read one of the books on his list, and therefore only has to read two 'real' books and one on 'success secrets', and Megan plodding through the many books she had to read for Language Arts, getting ready to start reading all the history passages she must read and prepare a written response for.
Wilbur is still committing transgressions in the house when he isn't watched closely. He seems to think that a carpeted room can substitute in a pinch. He does understand that he should go outside, but he doesn't seem to know how to ask us to take him outside. I'll have to work on that when we get back. I am feeling terribly guilty about boarding him while we're gone. He is such a small dog, and having him in that big kennel full of loud barking beasts makes me feel terrible! I'm bringing him with a bed, a blanket, a bone, and a soft toy. He'll have to spend eight nights there! Which will also punch our pocketbook.
Speaking of pocketbooks, I really need to start getting paid again soon after school starts! Just getting Wilbur in the first place put me into the red, and then his many maladies beat me further in. Without a paycheck since June, the bills mount, and now the vacation is adding to that stress. Trying to think of ways to trim the fat - I have to think about the cleaning people. Of course, it is nice to have the house be cleaned top to bottom every other week (but do they really do that??). But they charge us $110 each time and I have to supply the cleaning supplies, even the ones I was told initially they would provide.
They have switched ladies on me, and the new one uses everything ... even the supplies that I have for my own daily clean-ups, so when I need the Fantastic, for example, it might be gone, or it might be moved. They sometimes miss vacuuming under things, and just a couple of weeks ago, I found that a medicine cup had been knocked over behind Megan's bed, and the medicine had gotten onto the heater, and all kinds of hair and dust had stuck to it. I took one wet wipe, and the whole thing came off, but the cleaning people had just been ignoring that! So maybe when we get back, I should look into a cheaper alternative, or practice doing it myself. I need a more routine schedule, the subbing can be so unpredictable that it makes me inefficient.
But in other news, I can't believe summer is winding down. We have birthdays coming up, and driving lessons, learners permits, and the start of school. Wilbur has to be taken in for his 'big operation,' and there is maintenance to be done around the house. We also have not resolved our billing issues with the former lawn service, and we have started having to pay for Brian's schooling, which is a small fortune in itself. It had better be worth it, and pay off in the long run. So far I think he is already showing more self-confidence and better judgement, just because he knows he will be going to a school with a superior reputation. So let's see if he can make that work for him.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
interim visit home
This is it! The week between. Cape May was lovely as always, but did feel a little rushed, and our accommodations were unusual for what we are used to. We stayed at a lovely little B&B, Highland House, which is off the beaten path, but is run by a very spunky South Philly Italian grandma, and was very comfortable, as well as being dog-friendly. For all of the dogs that stay there, the place was clean, didn't smell like dog, and didn't feel sterile, like many pet-friendly places do. In fact, our room had many fine collectibles in it, one of which did not survive, but at the hands (or paws?) not of the dogs, but of a human guest.
Anyway, it was difficult to balance our distant location with dogs and the in-town activities and local accommodations of the rest of the family, but we managed to do it. One night, we took a ghost trolley tour. Fortunately, I didn't mention this to our Highland House hostess until we were ready to check out, because she told me that their house is in one of the books written by the official Cape May ghost hunter! On the way out of town, we stopped at a somewhat damp and drizzly Sunset Beach to let Molly have a swim, and to test Wilbur's passion for the water (umm---) and while there, I saw the Cape May ghost books in the gift shop. Sure enough, there was Highland House, in Volume 3.
OK, so now that I had seen that documentation, I started thinking about the things that happened during our stay. First of all, Wilbur initially refused to enter our rooms. The two rooms we had booked, the Burgundy Room (ours) and the Blue Room (the kids') are connected by way of a small hallway that also houses a shared bath. Wilbur balked at the door to the hallway. Stood his ground and braced himself, leaning back against his little legs. So he had to be lifted and brought into the room. I assumed it was just the many doors that threw him off. Or was it???
So we set up the dogs in the Burgundy Room, Wilbur's crate against the wall, and Molly's blanket in the corner next to it. They seemed to settle in well. The first morning we were there, at breakfast, I was sure I heard one of the kids up and walking around, but when I went up, they were both sound asleep. The next morning, it happened but it sounded like Molly, nails clicking against the floor and all. I went up and again, she was sound asleep.
But the strangest thing that happened was on the second of our three nights, when, at 4:50AM, Wilbur suddenly let out two sharp and alarming yelps. Kevin took him outside, and he peed and came back in. I took him on the bed with me and checked him out and he seemed well enough. After this, he went back in his crate and carried on as usual. What did he see? What did he feel? =:-O! Harrowing! (Kevin's theory is that he was bitten by a flea...(?) )
So you may be wondering what the book said about the ghosts of Highland House. Well, the main things to point out are that the Burgundy Room was specifically mentioned as the "room with a boo." The Blue Room was also featured, one of the beds displayed photographically to illustrate the room which the former tenant refused to enter! And apparently, ghosts gather there. Not just one, but many. I am so glad I didn't hear this until we were done sleeping there! Of course, we had a very nice time there and would love to go back. I'm just not sure if I would want to sleep in a different room the next time! But at any rate, the ghosts didn't try to run us out. They allowed us to co-exist, aside from Wilbur's little intercession! Molly didn't seem to mind the ethereal presences one bit.
Anyway, in other news, it is time to prepare for the next adventure, to London! I have been poring through websites and tour books, and trying to track the weather through the ten day forecast. So far, the first three days look good! I went ahead and booked us on a London Duck tour for Monday the 17th, because several of the times were filled already! I love the duck tours and was disappointed that we weren't able to get on one in Washington DC last July. I would also like to ride the Boston Ducks, which I hope to do if I get to take Megan up to Boston in November to do a couple of college tours. Although her physical therapy interest has waned, based on her experience at the hospital PT ward :-)
Otherwise, we are all settling back in pretty well. My throat has been sore for a week now, but Brian has stopped complaining of swallowing issues, and he cleared the hurdle of the pediatrician visit on Monday. Also, despite growing nearly two inches and gaining ten pounds, he has dropped down on the growth curve! But he checked out well, so I am cautiously optimistic for his neuro appointment on Friday. And I also registered the four of us to do the Chiari walk across America on September 26 in Long Branch.
Anyway, it was difficult to balance our distant location with dogs and the in-town activities and local accommodations of the rest of the family, but we managed to do it. One night, we took a ghost trolley tour. Fortunately, I didn't mention this to our Highland House hostess until we were ready to check out, because she told me that their house is in one of the books written by the official Cape May ghost hunter! On the way out of town, we stopped at a somewhat damp and drizzly Sunset Beach to let Molly have a swim, and to test Wilbur's passion for the water (umm---) and while there, I saw the Cape May ghost books in the gift shop. Sure enough, there was Highland House, in Volume 3.
OK, so now that I had seen that documentation, I started thinking about the things that happened during our stay. First of all, Wilbur initially refused to enter our rooms. The two rooms we had booked, the Burgundy Room (ours) and the Blue Room (the kids') are connected by way of a small hallway that also houses a shared bath. Wilbur balked at the door to the hallway. Stood his ground and braced himself, leaning back against his little legs. So he had to be lifted and brought into the room. I assumed it was just the many doors that threw him off. Or was it???
So we set up the dogs in the Burgundy Room, Wilbur's crate against the wall, and Molly's blanket in the corner next to it. They seemed to settle in well. The first morning we were there, at breakfast, I was sure I heard one of the kids up and walking around, but when I went up, they were both sound asleep. The next morning, it happened but it sounded like Molly, nails clicking against the floor and all. I went up and again, she was sound asleep.
But the strangest thing that happened was on the second of our three nights, when, at 4:50AM, Wilbur suddenly let out two sharp and alarming yelps. Kevin took him outside, and he peed and came back in. I took him on the bed with me and checked him out and he seemed well enough. After this, he went back in his crate and carried on as usual. What did he see? What did he feel? =:-O! Harrowing! (Kevin's theory is that he was bitten by a flea...(?) )
So you may be wondering what the book said about the ghosts of Highland House. Well, the main things to point out are that the Burgundy Room was specifically mentioned as the "room with a boo." The Blue Room was also featured, one of the beds displayed photographically to illustrate the room which the former tenant refused to enter! And apparently, ghosts gather there. Not just one, but many. I am so glad I didn't hear this until we were done sleeping there! Of course, we had a very nice time there and would love to go back. I'm just not sure if I would want to sleep in a different room the next time! But at any rate, the ghosts didn't try to run us out. They allowed us to co-exist, aside from Wilbur's little intercession! Molly didn't seem to mind the ethereal presences one bit.
Anyway, in other news, it is time to prepare for the next adventure, to London! I have been poring through websites and tour books, and trying to track the weather through the ten day forecast. So far, the first three days look good! I went ahead and booked us on a London Duck tour for Monday the 17th, because several of the times were filled already! I love the duck tours and was disappointed that we weren't able to get on one in Washington DC last July. I would also like to ride the Boston Ducks, which I hope to do if I get to take Megan up to Boston in November to do a couple of college tours. Although her physical therapy interest has waned, based on her experience at the hospital PT ward :-)
Otherwise, we are all settling back in pretty well. My throat has been sore for a week now, but Brian has stopped complaining of swallowing issues, and he cleared the hurdle of the pediatrician visit on Monday. Also, despite growing nearly two inches and gaining ten pounds, he has dropped down on the growth curve! But he checked out well, so I am cautiously optimistic for his neuro appointment on Friday. And I also registered the four of us to do the Chiari walk across America on September 26 in Long Branch.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
home sweet home
We are back! It was a successful meet for the team, and for Megan. She swam all personal best long course times, and she moved up in the seedings in almost all of her events (can't really tell with the ones where she was seeded in yard times, the 100 and 800). Effectively, she took off one second for every 100 meters she swam. The coach was happy. And this time, for the first time since she's been a national swimmer, and even years before, the team had some girls in the top 16 at finals! Her friend Lisa made one individual and the 200 free relay team made it last night.
My visit was very nice, staying with my cousin and her husband, two kids, and bassett hound, who had quite the puppy dog eyes and knew how to use them. I spent three nights there, and then on the last day, got permission from the coach to get Megan and bring her back to the house so she could play with the kids for a couple of hours. This meant that I had to delay my departure by several hours (I would have left right at 1, but instead had to hang around till 5:30) which probably cost me time in traffic (Maryland was pretty bad) but saved me time in the thunderstorms. I barely hit any precipitation at all, the little I did encounter was on the east/west interstate, where it got a little misty at times as I got closer to the coast.
Brian had two friends over when I got here, the only socialization he had all week except for the swim meet Tuesday and the banquet Wednesday, because his plans all fell apart for one reason or another. I also needed him to be close to home to take care of Wilbur, which he did do, although Wilbur has had a few accidents over the week and through to this morning. I imagine he will backslide even more when he's boarded, so I won't start to lay down the law until we get back from London.
Megan got home around 1:30 in the morning. The swimmers all had to stay for finals, then they came home on their bus. Kevin went and picked her up at the Y, and she was all chatty and giddy when she got home because she had a fun meet and did well. Now she has several weeks off from swimming! This is the time of the year that she never knows what to do with - although Monday she is back to the school, then to Cape May, then back to the hospital. The school program ends on Friday but she can continue at the hospital through the end of the month. She also has to catch up on her summer work.
In other news, I arrived home to a whole packet explaining this and that about Brian's school year, cost of textbooks, bus pass (??I didn't think he was eligible!), and a whole bunch of propaganda that has to be pored through. The Doll was very good with him this week, taking him twice to lunch and checking up on him. The throat issue seems a whole lot better, he felt the feeling twice: once in a race when he dove in, and the next time when he was toppled by a wave. He said that when this happened, he thought of my saying that the feeling might be anxiety, and he calmed himself, and it went away. But he has been eating without issue, as far as we can tell. So the next two and a half days will be spent getting ready for the trip to Cape May. I did enough laundry that I don't have to worry if I can't get more done, but that will leave me with piles when we return.
Oh, also, E is set to arrive in town tonight. She sent me a brief email a week or so ago but I don't think we are really included in her plans other than to pick up her things. I'm still irritated at how she left everything sort of all over the place so I just can't wait for her to get these boxes out of the house. She had asked me to weigh them for her, but that's a major pain as I stuffed them in the closet and one box doesn't even fit everything, or close, and the suitcase is in the basement to get it out of the way. Suffice it to say: it is heavy.
My visit was very nice, staying with my cousin and her husband, two kids, and bassett hound, who had quite the puppy dog eyes and knew how to use them. I spent three nights there, and then on the last day, got permission from the coach to get Megan and bring her back to the house so she could play with the kids for a couple of hours. This meant that I had to delay my departure by several hours (I would have left right at 1, but instead had to hang around till 5:30) which probably cost me time in traffic (Maryland was pretty bad) but saved me time in the thunderstorms. I barely hit any precipitation at all, the little I did encounter was on the east/west interstate, where it got a little misty at times as I got closer to the coast.
Brian had two friends over when I got here, the only socialization he had all week except for the swim meet Tuesday and the banquet Wednesday, because his plans all fell apart for one reason or another. I also needed him to be close to home to take care of Wilbur, which he did do, although Wilbur has had a few accidents over the week and through to this morning. I imagine he will backslide even more when he's boarded, so I won't start to lay down the law until we get back from London.
Megan got home around 1:30 in the morning. The swimmers all had to stay for finals, then they came home on their bus. Kevin went and picked her up at the Y, and she was all chatty and giddy when she got home because she had a fun meet and did well. Now she has several weeks off from swimming! This is the time of the year that she never knows what to do with - although Monday she is back to the school, then to Cape May, then back to the hospital. The school program ends on Friday but she can continue at the hospital through the end of the month. She also has to catch up on her summer work.
In other news, I arrived home to a whole packet explaining this and that about Brian's school year, cost of textbooks, bus pass (??I didn't think he was eligible!), and a whole bunch of propaganda that has to be pored through. The Doll was very good with him this week, taking him twice to lunch and checking up on him. The throat issue seems a whole lot better, he felt the feeling twice: once in a race when he dove in, and the next time when he was toppled by a wave. He said that when this happened, he thought of my saying that the feeling might be anxiety, and he calmed himself, and it went away. But he has been eating without issue, as far as we can tell. So the next two and a half days will be spent getting ready for the trip to Cape May. I did enough laundry that I don't have to worry if I can't get more done, but that will leave me with piles when we return.
Oh, also, E is set to arrive in town tonight. She sent me a brief email a week or so ago but I don't think we are really included in her plans other than to pick up her things. I'm still irritated at how she left everything sort of all over the place so I just can't wait for her to get these boxes out of the house. She had asked me to weigh them for her, but that's a major pain as I stuffed them in the closet and one box doesn't even fit everything, or close, and the suitcase is in the basement to get it out of the way. Suffice it to say: it is heavy.
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