Back Home on the Range

OK, now that everyone else has posted I really feel left out. It was bad enough that everybody left without me! Since we have been a part, Cindy gets a mystery bacteria infecting her face, one of our apartments has an air conditioner coil blow Sunday night, and the town is gathering pitchforks and torches for tomorrow's Council meeting. I always knew Cindy and I were meant to be together. I just did not realize how the world suddenly starts spinning of its axis when we are apart!

I am certainly looking forward to meeting up with the crew Wednesday. I fly from Marathon to Charlotte, then drive to Georgia. The next day, a six hour white water rafting trip. Wahoo!

Tim was born before they invented ear trimmers so he used a razor to trim out his inner ear. Okay, there was less blood splatter when Kelsey and Kerry were born. We thought he was taking a long time in the bathroom so no one wanted to venture in because of the methane - we find out later he spent 45 minutes in the bathroom trying to stop the gusher of blood from his ears. Everyone remember a certain nail polish incident? Lessons never learned.

Today's Entry from Kerry and Tim:

Riley, Damon and Kerry went to adventure landing a local theme park where we played laser tag, did some go karting and hung out at the darcade. Tim went and visited a friend who moved up to Jacksonville, charlie force. He played tennis with him and came from behind to win 7-5, 6-2. Deb, Barb, Kelsey, Regan, and Lindsay went to the beach where they found one shark tooth and collected shells.

While we were waiting at the CVS to get Cindy’s prescriptions filled, a strange guy approached Barbara. He said his cell phone was dead and he needed to call a friend. Barb let him use her cell phone and he proceeded to describe to his “friend” how he locked his keys in the car and the police refused to help him. He told them he didn’t have enough money to call a lock company and the police told him that he should ask God. He hung up the phone by telling his “friend” that he was using someone else’s cell phone and that he needed to focus and hang up. As soon as he hung up, Deb started talking to him and he repeated the whole unfortunate series $5.00 he would give her $20.00 later on. Deb asked me (who by now is sitting in the backseat blind and oblivious because of all the pain) whether she should give it to him five dollars. I said sure thinking she was asking whether we should start to holler. We watched him for a few minutes as he walked past the cars in the parking lot. Deb grabs Barb’s cell phone and calls back the number the guy called and his “friend” was “I am sorry this phone number is no longer in service.”

The moral of they story: Never ask advice from people in the back seat …. er …. Watch out for crack heads patrolling the parking lots of CVS.

Today, we went to Barb’s Doctor as overnight the lymph nodes in my face and throat got swollen and the swelling around the eye continued to increase. The Dr. did not know what is causing this mysterious illness but he was concerned about the infection spreading especially since your eyes are so close to the brain. OH MY GOD ! I thought – a lobotomy was not how I wanted to spend my summer vacation. Anyway, the Dr. put together an aggressive treatment plan. I got two shots, one in each hip – a strong antibiotic and a steroid shot. Deb is really looking forward to my first roid rage episode. We have already had some terrific bonding experience – luckily Deb forgot to bring her camera to the Dr’s office. Note from Deb: I plan to make Cindy reenact the shot drama at our next doctor's office-which I have no intention of missing!! It has just been too much fun..." I also have to take antibiotics for 10 days and take an antibiotic steroid drop in my eye. If I am not better by Asheville or get worse – he said I need to head to an emergency room. But we are heading north tomorrow.

BTW – Both the blog pictures were taken two days ago – I couldn’t publish a picture as how it looks now… ewww.

Today I went to the Eye Dr. The Dr thinks it may be some kind of non-contagious bacterial infection. She prescribed an antibiotic drop for the eyes that I have to put in every hour. I'll go back to see her tommorrow. But the troops rallied and we went down to the beach for about 4 hours this afternoon. It was a beautiful day. The kids enjoyed collecting shells and playing in the waves. Tim and Deb went looking at houses and found a great fixer upper for about a million dollars. I think they are planning to trade in Tim's truck and make a downpayment - (well maybe he could trade it for the hibiscus bush out front)!

Note: Deb doesn't take any photos of herself. We'll get her tommorrow!

Blog Message from Kelsey - Today, Lindsay woke most of us up around 7:30. We ate breakfast and hung out for a while. Then, at noon, Cindy went to the eye doctor. When she came back we all went to the beach. We had so so so much fun! There were so many shells and shark's teeth. I found three shark's teeth today and countless shells. Regan and I went in the water a lot and had fun with the waves. We came home, showered, and had dinner. Then us kids just watched a movie. Today was fun......

We are off. At 7:00 this morning, we departed to head to Jacksonville Beach. The Wonderlins were still getting ready when we arrived at their house. We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Florida City at 9:00 and had our first Cracker Barrell breakfast. Those crazy Wonderlins picked up all the syrups, sugars, salt and pepper shakers, napkins, etc. as souvenirs. I had to frisk Deb on the way out the door to put the hurricane lamp back on the table and the little peg game.

Unfortunately, Cindy developed an infection in the eye and my eye is now almost completely swollen shut. Luckily, I have an appointment at an eye Dr in Jacksonville for tommorrow. Thank god in the real world they work on Sundays. Barbara and Dino are very gracious hosts and we are enjoying our first pit stop in Jacksonville. More to come tommorrow - including pictures.


Today's Entry from Regan: Today FAMILYS split up and went in seperate cars. Then for breakfast we met up at the florida city cracker barrel. They got our orders all mixed up. We drove the rest of the way. Once we got there the girls went to the beach. And the guys went to a basket ball game. Then when we got back we chilled out for the rest of the day.