"Wow! I've almost made it another year without being in the hospital!"

Yes. I was promptly smacked upside the head by dear friend Pixie, who knows all to well what happens when one tempts fate. And I *did* promptly make all the appropriate caveats and gestures and what not.

Quick guess if it worked.

Monday night, after attending the wake for a friend's father, there was a visit to the local Steak and Shake (good Jew that I am, I must follow any emotional experience with food). And it was quite lovely. S-n-S. Not the wake. That was...well, a wake. And my friend was barely holding together. But she seemed glad to see friendly faces and get a bit-o-baby therapy. So that was good. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out how she's been doing since then. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a parent, regardless of time of year or suddeness of the event. She is one of the sweetest, most caring and giving people I've ever met. I only hope that she can accept a bit of what she's given to others and find some solace with those who care for her.

Oy.

There's really no easy way to transition from that, is there? So I'm just gonna do it.

So about 2:00am late monday/early tuesday, dinner wanted out. Repeatedly. And in between trying to figure out if I have food poisoning or the stomach flu, I make the wise decision to not go to work on tuesday. Smart Girl, I am.

I spend tuesday mostly sleeping. Except when I need to feed D-. Cause everything we read indicated that nursing wouldn't get her sick (might even help her *not* get the ick) and would help flush my system out. As it were.

Yeah, like I needed help.

By wednesday afternoon, my tummy was better and I managed to keep down a bit of soup, pedialite and ginger ale. But I was woozy as hell, had tunnel vision and couldn't focus at all. The call to my doctor's office confirmed that I should head to the ER to get treated for dehydration.

And after FIVE AND A HALF HOURS, I finally was treated (ya gotta love a system that won't officially allow a dehydration patient to have anything to drink until a doctor sees her. Under normal circumstances, I can understand the restrictions. I really do. But then, get me into see a freakin' doctor or send me somewhere else! Sheesh!).

Thankfully: A) I wasn't admitted. B)I had already met my out of pocket for the year cause of having D- and C)Eric never got the ick either.

Unfortunately, I missed all week at work during a time I had hoped I could play catch up. So didn't happen. But there's nothing I could have done about it. Even now, the words are swimming a bit. And *really* unfortunately, I did't get to see E- (who is now in Turkey) and K- (who is back in Oregon). I had really been looking forward to getting together with all our families for the first time. And then stupid life happened. Bah, I say.

But again, as the words are getting squiggly, I'll write next time on how the Transition to Hannukah went/is going.

:^)