So I promised an update, well...

...I stink and that didn’t happen. Let’s just move on.

August 21st saw me, my kids, and my mom taking to the air to go to Florida for Grandma Saikley’s 80th Birthday Bash. The trip down went well, but that says nothing of the night before where Kamry and I are concerned.

When I got off work on Wednesday, I stopped to pick up a few things for our trip. While walking around Target I realized that my mouth had an oddly familiar feeling within. Back on the 4th of July weekend, I had had shingles…with the sores appearing in my mouth. This was that same feeling. The same pain, bumps, everything…just on the right side of my head instead of the left. Great, just what I needed.

So I head home to load up three wound up, excited, we packed a week ago kids. Kamry, instead of running around like a wild woman busting with excitement, was laid out on the couch crying and clutching her stomach. This continued on through the evening. While me and the boys were trying to get the house mostly cleaned up, dishes washed, so on and so forth, she laid on the couch. We left to head to mom and dad’s as we were staying with them because they live closer to the airport and we had to be up at the butt crack of not even dawn to get to the airport. I walked in, asked mom what time the walk-in clinic closed and headed back out the door. The walk-in place was closed, but I was determined that I would not be miserable on my trip, and I wasn’t taking a sick kid. We needed drugs!!! I headed to Parkwest ER. We walked in, explained our ills, filled out a couple forms, you know the drill. We got in our room. Were both given gowns. Check this out; they give us both the same size gown. Kamry’s has her for lunch and mine; well let’s just say I kept my pants on. The two of us…it was a site.

The doctor was not convinced that it was possible for me to have shingles in my mouth in the first place, and that it “doesn’t EVER happen!!” for me to get them again, on the opposite side. Well, have you met me?? Have you met any one in my family?? We are walking talking exceptions.

Kamry got the full workup. Urine sample…didn’t need her mommy to help. IN her words, “I’m big now. I don’t need you to help me anymore. Really!”. Sniff, sniff. IV stick…looks at what is going on but only says, “I really don’t want to do this. I really don’t want to do this.” Chest/Tummy X-ray…no mom needed there either. WHAAAT? She was very dehydrated, had all kinds of proteins and ketones in her urine, her blood sugar was bottomed out because she hadn’t eaten or drank because her tummy hurt, her tummy hurt because it was full of gas (no not that kind of gas), and her tummy was full of gas because it was being put off by the raging urinary tract infection she had going on. So three hours, a bag of fluids, a huge ass syringe of antibiotics, and a dinner plate from the hospital cafeteria later, we were on our way…to the pharmacy to get scripts filled. Then to mom and dad’s were I got to sleep from 2 am til 4 am.

We got up, headed to the airport, and started our next adventure. The flights and all went perfectly fine. When we arrived at baggage claim in Palm Beach International Airport, it was 93…in the building. Can you say welcome to the sunshine state? The air conditioning in the airport had decided to greet us by going on the fritz. It was bad enough to cause the sirens and lights in the claim area to be going off. Oh, and let’s not forget the recording that played over and over and over and over, “An emergency has been reported in this area. Please stand by for further instructions”. (Side note: further instructions were NEVER provided). We played ignorant, got our bags, and proceeded to the car rental desk. Mom scored us an upgrade to a Infinity G35 (MSRP Base: 35750). We make our way to the Hertz shuttle and arrive safely at our “Fly Rental Ride”. The boys loaded the bags, mom and Kamry search for any scratches, dents, etc., I get in to get the car started so it will be nice and cool. This sucker has push button ignition…ya don’t need a key…just have the fob near by. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t fully read the instructions or pay attention to the pictures, and Joseph had to tell me that I had to step on the brake for it to start. Smart-ass! Who asked him anyway???

Off to run some last minutes errands for the party, stop by Aunt Marti’s for hugs, hellos, and party good’s stashing and we were off to give Grandma a coronary.




If you look close you can see Grandma with her hands over her mouth, Kamry is in front of Mom with 2 Happy Birthday balloons (there were 3 but the kid at Winn Dixie failed knot tying 101 and the third got away from it's ribbon), and Joshua has his head cocked to the side as he is in the process of telling Grandma, "Grandma, I got up for school this morning, got on the bus, and ended up in Florida. Can you help me?" It was GREAT!!

I am going to finish this up later. I have some stuff to do before I head home tonight (I am at work afterall).

Peace, love, and adventures...ME