Fryday Friday Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and Lucie put together a little party with some friends. We have had great success with our Fryday Fridays in the past so we thought it would be a good time to do it again for the party. And it was a great success. All afternoon the family was busy battering up onion rings, mozzarella sticks, tilapia, Cajun catfish, chicken wings, haddock, shrimp and mushrooms. We set up the Hale Poolside Fry Hut and went at it. Everything came out great. There was something for everyone. Some of the kids hit the pool but the rest of us just sat back and listened to the soothing sounds of our arteries clogging... Later on I fired up the torches and we enjoyed the serenity. Sort of like a Survivor Tribal Council out there. I got some good gifts too; a CD of some Down East Maine humor, "professional" ladder ball set, gift certificate, Blu Ray movies, and a Kidney Stone Passing kit from one of my nurse friends. I hope to put that to use real soon! Oh, and Lucie got me an electronic bug zapper thing. (Picture below) It takes 2 D batteries and delivers 1500 volts. What does that mean? That means when you touch it it feels like you dipped your finger in molten steel and you wonder why there isn't a blister because it hurts so freakin' bad... After I recovered from that, we rounded out the evening zapping bugs (they really zap too!).

Today the party will continue when I take on the project of replacing our leaking and rusted disposal with a new one. That I will NOT test with my finger...

Stoned Again

Tuesday night I had just sat down to eat supper and I had crampy feeling in my lower left back area. It went away after a few minutes, then came back big time. I went to the bathroom hoping that would help but it didn't. Very quickly I was in agony and throwing up. So somehow Lucie got me in her car and off we went to the ER. It felt like someone had my kidney in a vice. I was moaning and groaning and someone came and helped me into a wheelchair and into the ER. I kept writhing around trying to find a comfortable position to like stretch it out but nothing was working. Sweat was pouring off of me and I was still throwing up. They gave me a Percocet but that didn't do anything. Finally they got an IV in me with some Phenergan and Dilaudid. That sent me to a happy place... Then they sent me to get a CT scan where they found the culprit - a 4mm kidney stone. Passable they say. 7mm and bigger requires other treatment. I had a kidney stone about 8 years ago and passed that. That pain was shorter and sharper - this was deep and non-stop. So around 2 AM I was feeling better (worn out but no pain) and was able to walk out and go home. I carry a pocket full of sunshine around with me now (Percocets) waiting for the next movement. I went to work the next day for a few hours but I was just exhausted so I came back home and went to bed.

The rest of the week was good. Elliott had his lacrosse awards night banquet on Wednesday. The pool temperature in the mornings is 83º and 87º in the afternoons. It didn't get to those temperatures last year until July or August. Mocha loves it. Every morning she goes out and takes a lap. We are leaving her gated in the kitchen these days when we are out (not in her crate) and she is behaving. She loves to swim every time I get in.

Tonight is Newark Nite where they block off the Main Street in downtown Newark and turn the whole area into a carnival like atmosphere. If it cools off, we will take Mocha down and march her around. She loves the people and the people love her.