We Are Family

Part of my feeling adrift I will attribute to the fact that I haven't had a daughter in five days. She's home now and I feel better already. Who knew? With all the recent deaths around here, I want to keep those I love close to be able to remind them of how I feel. I don't want Mike or Shael walking out the door to leave without me telling them that I love them. Something that is so un-Howard. I don't want my daughter to grow up thinking she knows her Mom loves her because of all I do and have done for her, but not because I tell her all the time. I'm going to tell her and do things for her.
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Mike is going on his annual turkey hunting trip in three weeks. He usually takes off on Thursday night and is gone until Sunday night. Misses only one day of work. He's talking about sending his stuff down with my Dad then riding his bike down. He's not completely decided on this yet, there's usually loads of rain during the turkey hunt and he's not to keen on the idea of riding his bike in a deluge. If he leaves the bike home and takes the Suburban, he's going to be hovering over me until I get that thing cleaned out. The dog crapped in it on the way home from he vet and I tried to clean it out. But, when I got home it was nearly dark and it was dark by the time I was scrubbing the carpet in the back. I couldn't see much with the dome light being the only light. I thought I got it cleaned out until Mike drove it two days later. Oops. He told me when he opened up the door to get in he wanted to throw up. He went around back and opened those doors and it looked like all I had done was smear the crap around and ground it into the carpet. Yuck. I may have to borrow a shampooer. Not looking forward to that.
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When I got up this morning, every single light in the living room was on. The ceiling fan light, the floor lamp, the computer table lamp, the kitchen light, the dining area light and even the back porch light. Oh, and don't forget the TV was on, playing the Disney Channel. I was kind of surprised the entry way light, the hall light, her bathroom and her bedroom lights weren't on. Shael was sacked out on the love seat, flat on her back, mouth wide open, glasses on her face. I guess that allergy medicine (children's claritin) really does sack her out. Her third round of antibiotics and she has to take 4 teaspoons a day for 10 days. And the Claritin once a day. I think I might like that Claritin. I'll give it to her around 8:00 and then I know she'll be in bed on time.
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Shael's going on her very first Aquire The Fire trip this weekend. She is stoked! Her youth pastors had something unavoidable come up so they aren't even going to get to go. Shael was disappointed, as were her youth leaders, but I think she will be okay. I know she's going to have a real good time. Two of the sponsors going are good friend of mine, they've been over to our house a lot and we theirs, we've gone on trips together, in fact, she was with me when I went to Honduras. So, I know Shael's in good hands. It's only for one night. Any of you who don't know what Aquire the Fire is, look it up. I'm sure they have a web site. I'll have to check it out, too. Ron Luce, the guy who does the Teen Mania trips. Oh, my goodness, if Shael were to go on a Teen Mania trip when she's older, I think I might be beside myself. I would certainly let her go, but I would be a train wreck with the thought of not seeing her for a month or more. Oy!
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I've got the hiccups and it's driving me batty! What is it with me and hiccups? I can't just have them once either. If I have them in the morning, I can count on having them at least once in the afternoon and again in the evening. Sometimes they can downright hurt.
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When Mike got home last night, that eye was all yucky and puffy again. He said "Hey, look at this" and he pulled his lower lid down and I literally had to turn away in disgust! It was full of puss. He went to the bathroom and got a Q-tip and rubbed it across the inner lower lid and tons of puss came out. It finally quit coming out and it left a big white knot like a huge white head. On the inside of his eye lid! Gross! He said all the way home every time he would blink there would be a film over his eye. This morning I told him that he'd better get back in the doctor today. He said if he had time, he wasn't sure what was going to be going on. I was indignant, I told him it didn't matter what was going on, his eye was more important than any job site. That doctor said if the swelling came back, got worse, or didn't even go away in the first place, to come back immediately because it could affect the nerves in his eye.

Another gross thing Mike did last night was ask me to watch him use his neti pot. He wasn't sure if the water was coming out of his other nostril or coming out of the pot. Oh, no, it was coming out of his nostril. Ever watch anybody use one of those? It's not pretty. It looks like a Jeannie bottle. You put lukewarm water and saline solution in it, then stick the spout up one side of your nose, lean your head over the sink and then turn your head sideways. Pour away. The luke warm water goes in one nostril, through your sinus cavity, then out the other nostril. If it works correctly. Mike's been so congested, that it hasn't been working right, it's been going to his ear, or down his throat. Gag. After finishing one side, you make another pot and repeat through the other nostril. It's perfect for people with allergies because it gets all the allergens out of the sinus cavities before they have time to create an infection or even thicken up your mucus to congest you. Perfect for people with post nasal drip. I'm going to get my own and use it so I don't turn into my mother with her constant post nasal drip throat clearing that she's not even aware of but the rest of us are. Every time I clear my throat, I can hear my Mother. Every. Time.
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Enough. I haven't been able to watch my Twilight Zone this morning with Shael asleep on the love seat with Disney Channel as her back ground noise. I know if I were to change it she'd wake up and say "water you doin'?"