The trip Way the Hell Up North was wonderful, everyone mutually impressed. My mother, though, berated me for still being a little sick: if only I'd take echinacea like she does / eat meat like she does / take home remedies like she does / get more sleep and exercise like she does I wouldn't be so constantly under the weather. I tried to tell her that it's the exposure to a very unhygienic daycare-habituée toddler that does it. She scoffed.
36 hours after our arrival, she was proclaiming her imminent death from nasal congestion. I was a little gloating.
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Munchkin, though, was angelic. Here she is, watching Grampa with the snowblower:
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We came home last Tuesday, in yet Another Goddamn Snowstorm. It took an hour and a half longer than usual, and we slid all the way through our city once we got here. Wednesday morning, I got up at 6 to surprise Pynchon by doing the shoveling. I couldn't quite finish it all, and when he tried to clear what the plow left behind, he broke the shovel.
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Thursday, Valentine's Day, was a shambles. For the second year in a row. Munchkin was up most of Wednesday night and seemed to be running a fever. I had to bring my friend to cancer treatment in another city--a four hour round trip commitment--and Pynchon had work in the afternoon, as well as a job interview in the morning. We juggled. Pynchon cancelled the interview and arranged to get to work after I returned from my trip. He took Munchkin to the doctor. On the bus.
Pneumonia.
She was truly pitiful all day Thursday and Friday, and kind of a screechy mess for parts of Saturday and Sunday. Monday we became cautiously optimistic, and today she's back at daycare, her cheerful (if barky) big-girl self.
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Now I have bronchitis. I slept all day Sunday. Pynchon slept all day Monday. I fly to the US on Thursday (any one live in Mountain View, California?) and Pynchon starts a new job tomorrow, completely on the opposite end of our widely dispersed city from daycare. We have no food in the house, and because our current work schedules don't really mesh, it looks like one of us will be doing a midnight Sobey's run tonight or tomorrow.
We are a shambles. Munchkin has to go to daycare with me in a cab on Thursday so Pynchon can have the car so I can get to the right part of campus with my luggage to catch the shuttle to Toronto for my flight.
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I renewed my passport nearly three weeks ago, but (understandably, I think) I only made it in to the passport office today to pick it up. I had to drive out of my area into another, find parking in a busy commercial area, stand in line and wait while they hunted for the passport I'd paid $10 extra for the privilege of picking up.
They mailed it to me. It was at the postal outlet in my neighbourhood. The one right next to the Starbucks I sit in EVERY DAY. What a colossal waste of time.
My mother? Told me it was my fault for not picking up the passport sooner. Honestly, I wanted to punch her.
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At least I look like an International Woman of Mystery in my passport photo.
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I'm so very very sick of being sick. I've been hacking and wheezing and dizzy and plugged up since New Year's day, frittering away my sabbatical blowing my nose and dragging my ass to the doctor's office. My house is a mess, my kid needs a haircut, my husband needs some attention, and I need some sleep. Jesus, Pynchon took pity on me while I was up north and took down our Christmas tree. Yes, that's right. In February. That's the kind of winter it's turning out to be over here in Casa Breach. One foot over the abyss, and with my sense of blocked-ear balance lately, I'm not betting on remaining on the top of this particular precipice. I'm kind of demoralized.
Oh yeah. I'm tired of complaining, too.
How're you, Internet?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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20 comments:
The first story is hilarious, Munchkin is a DOLL, and I want to see that passport photo. LOL.
Winter is just....blah. I'm ready for it to be over. Actually, I'm ready for 2009 already.
You say you are tired of complaining. But here's a question for ya: do you feel better after this post? Sometimes, when I just write it all down and put it out there, it helps me to just feel a little lift. As if I'm literally getting it off my chest. I hope this post did that and you feel a wee bit better. And that you feel a whole lot better for a trip to a sunny place. I hope all things good for you. You really do deserve it, Mimi. Be well.
Poor you and family Breach! Except for Pynchon's new job -- hurrah!! I think one of my readers shows up from Mountain View, CA, but I can't remember or don't know who.
Good luck with the trip and good luck to Pynchon with his new job!
I don't even know what to say! What a week -- sickness, more sickness, passport fiasco, even more sickness.
Alas, I grew up about 25 minutes from Mountain View, but I am obviously no longer there.
So sorry to hear about the ague. On a positive note, Mountain View CA sounds warm. Warm will do you good.
Your poor munchkin! Pneumonia sucks!
My mother is always convinced that I'm going to accientally starve my kids or something - it's a grandmother thing. Try not to let it weigh down your soul.
Have fun in California!
Oh, ick, ick, ick! We just all got over the plague here (which included bronchitis). Feel better.
I completely agree with Omaha Mama! Sometimes it's good to get it out. And quite frankly, reading your complaints (or anyone else's for that matter) always makes me feel better for the complaining I've done :)
Too bad Mountain View is about seven hours away from me! You're ALMOST in my neck of the woods.
And I applaud you for not punching your Mom. Sounds like she is just a whirlwind of fun!
Feel better!
I'm good thanks for asking.
You know why echinacea works? Because it is blood thinner. So yeah, you've increased oxygen in your body but the side effect is impaired ability to clot. I went in for surgery years ago and the doctors specifically said: no echinacea. Give me your mother's number, I'll talk to her.
Feel better. Have fun in California!
And I'm still waiting for your answer to my questions. C'mon. PLEASE! How do I shag like a rockstar/professor?
I hope you and Munchkin feel better soon! Sick baby is no fun, particularly when you're sick, too.
We only took down our Christmas lights a couple of weeks ago, so don't feel bad about the tree.
I hope you feel better soon, in terms of being less all over the place and also less sick.
You do have one thing going for you - international woman of mystery - because I look like I've been arrested for being too pale. It's disturbing.
Sounds like a trip to California is just what the doctor ordered...hope things settle down soon.
Assertagirl
WOW. Sounds like you've been getting kicked in the pants! At least you can still find comfort in the little (and hilarious, in my opinion) things like your mom catching something from Munchkin's wonderful collection of daycare microbes!
I hope you feel better soon, and have a great time in Mountain View - there has GOT to be less snow there than what you've been getting in your neck of the woods!
Ugh, I, too, am SO ready for spring.
I will give your mom this - the winter I worked in a daycare, I faithfully took echinacea and vitamin C every day, and was only sick once. So there is something to it, I believe.
But hey, you're going to leave from the snow for Cali? That's worth a smile, at least, surely?
This IS the winter for being sick. Papoosie Girl came home today telling me she was cold and her muscles feel, "quivery" dear Lord if she gets the flu now I am going to lose it.
Rosebud and I just got over it and I realized after that I didn't actually leave my house for 8 days. I cannot remember ever being so out of it for so long.
I hope Munchkin is on the mend and the sunshine lifts your spirits.
We are a total shambles too.
May we all be up and well soon.
xo,
J
I was just bemoaning the fact that I am still sick and have been for four weeks as has my sweet Scott. The boys alternate being sick and whiny.
I'm so sorry and I'm sending positive vibes your way.
As far as complaining goes, sometimes you just have to get it off your chest.
I wrote a post two days ago talking about how miserable my life is (this was after being up all night taking care of our dog who had a stomach upset and then thinking I was going to finally get some me time at 5:00 a.m. only to have both boys wake up!!) and saying I was going to just give up any dreams of my own.
I never actually posted it, but just writing it made me feel better.
I hope things get better soon! And don't feel bad about the tree. I have neighbors who still have their tree up, lights on 24 hours a day, and reindeer in the yard, wreath on the door. It's kind of endearing.
So sick of snow and winter I could puke, thank you.
Mimi, god forgive me, but you just made me feel a lot better about my life. because it resembles yours, and therefore i must be cool.
shitty about the pneumonia, and, erm, the mother beratement issues.
cool about the disappearing Christmas tree...bless that Pynchon.
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