Survived the Weekend (long)

Friday was U-G-L-Y, just plain ugly. I pretty much hated every minute of it, starting before dawn. If I hadn't been so crazy busy and irritated the entire day, and if I had known how Murphy was gonna be laying down the law on us for the next 24 hrs, I would have been updating my facebook every hour. Because you know at some point it starts to get kinda humorous if you're not the one living it.

I won't bore you with all the details (just enough to make up for the lack of fb status updates, haha), but I will share how it started. The black screen of death greeted me on my computer. I got up at 4 A.M. to help Gib with typing his english paper. I rebooted it but didn't have time to wait for my email to work, which I knew would take another 10 minutes. So I switched to Mike's noting along the way that Mariah had done the same thing, judging by the trail of homework. No go there - email not working. So I couldn't access the stuff Gib had sent with the work he had started. Argh! Way too much stress that early! I lost precious time going from one computer to another and ended up on Gib's laptop since that seemed to be the only working piece of technology in the house. Both kids had been up past midnight working on their stuff, and it's not that they procrastinated, it's as Mariah said, "all the teachers got together and conspired to make our lives miserable at the same time!" I was a little worried about Mariah's work on my Black Screen of Death Computer, and turns out for a good reason. It was all lost. She had to take a note to school that she had completed the assignments but they were unable to be retrieved before it crashed (again).

I got Gib's paper done with no time to spare. Mike drove Mariah to school. I had an hour to calm down before my appt with my neuro. I erroneously thought the chaos was over. Not so fast suckaaaa.

Mike called 20 minutes later just as I was about to step into the shower casually asking what my plans were for the day. I liked the casual phrasing considering what came next. He astutely deduced that he would have to run to the grocery store while I chopped the veggies we had on hand for the CROCKPOT JAMBALAYA he was supposed to bring in to the work potluck for lunch!!!! Luckily, between the 2 of us we got it in the crockpot (again no time to spare!) for it to be done by 11:30 and me to go the dr. Oh, the stress of working frantically once more and it wasn't even 8 a.m.

The neuro appointment went well - it was the highlight of my day. And that's saying something, huh? And despite the craziness of the past 4 hours, my blood pressure was only 108/60. As usual we went over the "is it always this low?" issue, and I said it was up a tad, actually but no surprise as I was pretty stressed that morning. I got a sample for this new air-injection for when I have a migraine that I wake up with, - this is the kind that is too severe for usual meds and this injection is supposed to work in 10 minutes. Pretty cool huh? I had to watch a video first, on what it was/how to use it, and was instructed to call the dr if it gets used.

Now, let's just pause for a moment to note that a couple of things were neglected to be put on the calendar. 1) What time Gib had to leave for his canoe trip. 2) Mariah's weekly pick up at Art Club. I almost forgot her, but the cereal aisle in the store made me think of her, which made me go "wait a second.. what time IS IT?!?!!?! Argh!!!!" If my phone had beeped at me, there would have been significantly less bleeping that evening. I got Mariah only 5 minutes late, but Poor Gib, he didn't leave on time. Not even close.

Major Oops, but totally understandable on this freakin' Friday, he missed the group leaving from the barn for the canoe base. Mike jumped in the truck with the dude and peeled rubber out of the driveway. I guess there was dim hope they might catch up to the caravan and toss a kid to them. But they came right back. He forgot the spare tent they said to bring. They came back again for his Class A Scout shirt. Yeah, that was so not good. Gib called ahead so Riah and I could kick it in high gear and hopefully just throw it as they raced by. Never did find it. I thought I did, but it was Mike's. So I sent Gib off with his dads. Hah, wonder if anyone's ready to laugh about that yet? And poor Mike too! He ended up with an unplanned 5 hour road trip right after work (and Gib ended up with a very unhappy father driving him).

Life is ironic sometimes, and who's surprised to find out that even though I've only had a couple migraines lately, I got one that night? A stupid cold front moved in. Who's even more surprised to find out that I couldn't find ANY medication in the house, or the purse, or the volvo in the crucial minutes you have to get it in your system? The volvo was a longshot because I had taken out everything since Gib drives it now, but I was desperate enough to check in case I missed some. I knew some were in the truck, and at this point it was almost laughable. I climbed the stairs resigned to several hours of agony. I couldn't believe I didn't get a new rx for the regular meds, but I guess the dr didn't write it because there's like 6 refills available at the CLOSED TARGET PHARMACY! If she had, I would have filled it that day with my new ones she gave me. Figures.

So now all I have is that handy dandy, brand spankin' new air-injection shot. I REALLY didn't want to give myself the shot in the first 15 minutes of a migraine because that's technically not what it's for - this is the BIG GUNS - and I was afraid, after this day who can blame me, that I'd have some reaction and need 911 or something if I used it right off the bat. Nobody was around, it wasn't like someone would notice me foaming at the mouth or having a seizure. Plus, I have strict orders to call after it gets used. I will look like a hypochondriac using it the very day I'm given the BIG GUNS. So, hoping against hope, knowing I was doomed and had already moved too much, I took what was closest (Extra Strength Tylenol), collapsed onto the bed (that still had to be made from laundry day) and hoped to get into my zone and not move a muscle until Mike got home. It was a little uncomfortable but I'm pretty good at getting into my zone and I did. As a matter of fact, I was so wrapped up in sheets that hadn't been attached to the waterbed mattress that I couldn't un-cocoon myself when I woke up without causing alot of movement which equalled alot of pain.

Mike arrived about 3 hours later I guess. I was pretty out of it by then. In hindsight, I should have texted Mike and told him to inject me when he got home instead of telling him to bring in the meds. He gave me a pill and all that detangling from the bed almost did me in. That's when I realized how bad off I was, but it was too late, I can't inject in a 24 hr period after taking other meds. Luckily, I only had another couple hours of pain at a a 20 on a scale of 1-10, and then it starting dropping off. At some point, I was able to get up and Mike made the bed, and I passed out again. I actually functioned the next day which WAS a miracle - very grateful for that - as I was super-de-dooper busy. Even busier than Friday.

So there ya have it, the beginning and end of how I survived the Friday that led to a crazy, CRAZY weekend. Gib is now home safe and sound. Mariah will make up one assignment and let the fixes go on the other that she lost deciding it isn't worth it and she hates her geography teacher too much to care. I need to find someone to teach Mariah proofs. Ugh.

We had a frost advisory last night and poor Chiquita the zipper spider is hanging by a leg.... literally. It's kinda gross. One leg attached to the web, swaying in the breeze. On Saturday, I thought I'd give her a decent final resting spot rather than let her hang there after all the can't-look-away-awe-inspiring photography she provided. I started to detach her web with a stick at this one canna leaf that is obviously a key line to the whole thing, thinking I'd wind the web around the stick like cotton candy until I got to her arachnid carcass, but let me tell you, that web wasn't going anywhere - amazingly strong! So I start to give it some muscle, and she woke up and got up on her web. Yikes! So not dead after all. Thankfully, I didn't just go straight for the spider like I considered! Can you imagine the horror?!?!!?!?!! Today, she is dangling again by one toe, but I'm not falling for it again, even though it was probably too cold for her last night to live. I've had about all I can take this weekend.

Anyone want to guess whether or not the big bag of potting soil I put on top of the trash can will keep Mama and Baby Raccoon out of it?! They had a great time eating the garbage. It's better than the insects I saw them digging up with the flowers by the patio when I was up at 4 a.m. When they jumped out of the bin they were covered in flour and funnel cake mix I had tossed when I cleaned out the pantry. There is a large white POUF!! where they jumped out of the can, and a big ol' white trail leading into the woods as it dripped off them. Bet they had a great time licking their fur all weekend.

Some of us survived better than others I guess.