Homecoming

I am crawling out of bed this evening at 6 p.m. to walk the doggies once last time on my own. Then in my un-air conditioned auto, doggies and I are driving in 90 degree heat to get hubby from his wonderful stay in D.C.

Meanwhile we have had a horrible time all by ourselves in the heartland. Tuesday at 6 a.m. when dog walking I was fine. At 7 a.m. when I left for the dental school downtown for my semi-annual cleaning I was beginning to feel just a tad peculiar. By 8 a.m. when the dental student collected me from the waiting room I was feeling distinctly awful. When she pulled up my chart and announced, "Oh, just the exam, the normal cleaning, and then full-mouth x-rays," I had to demur.

"Um. Sorry. I don't think I can take the x-rays. With my gag reflex and the way I'm currently feeling, I think I'd embarrass us all."

So we agreed on only the exam and the cleaning. I never made it through the exam. I did make it to the bathroom where I threw-up several times. The student happily sent me on my way, grateful I'd made the bathroom in a timely fashion. I got to the parking lot and threw up again. Five times on the way home I had to pull the car over, open the door, had heave in the street. Every time I did, I hit the "heat seats" button on the door and wouldn't realize it until I'd start to even more profusely than I already was. By the time I'd get the darned thing off, I'd be pulling over to the side of the road again.

From there Tuesday morning was a blur. I threw up ever 20 minutes for three hours accompanied by profuse sweating. By noon I'd worn myself out to once every 20 minutes. By 2 p.m. I was mostly done, except for trying to swig of just a taste of water and now and then, and that would come back, too.

The doggies hovered over me on the bed watching in concern. They didn't demand and they didn't pester. They just watched my every move.

Finally at 3 p.m. I managed to sleep for an hour uninterrupted. Then I walked little Fritzy who is sick in his own right. Gus didn't get outside until 7 p.m. -- 11 hours without a pee. Poor little boy.

Wednesday I limped out of the house for the dog park at 7:30 a.m., after which we hit MacDonald's for two sausage biscuits for the boys and a huge regular coke for me (all that ice was heaven-- and it stayed down!). Back to bed we went. Every five hours or so I'd try to get up enough energy to walk the boys. Then we'd sleep. By 5 p.m. Gussie tried to run off with the neighbor; anybody that had a bit of life in them looked good to him. Chasing him, however, in my state was not pleasant.

This morning we had a bit more normal routine -- to the park, walks every 3-4 hours -- but not long and not energetic.

Meanwhile, Hubby seems to have a had grand time in D.C. with Sister. He's been to the beach across from Baltimore. He's seen a bit of D.C. - his knees decreed no line-standing, however. His oldest brother, 93, came up from Philly for a day's visit. He's gotten a cold. He shared family history and amazingly, enough, everyone seems to have done some talking to each other.

We are all waiting for him to arrive tonight at 9 p.m. He just called to say he was at the airport waiting to board his flight home. We have missed his steady influence and his dog walking skills terribly.