Saturday, May 9, 2009

DODGER FANS SAVED MY BACON

Last night we went to the Dodger game. Aunt Ronnie, Glenn's aunt, invited us to the dugout club. Ronnie, Glenn, Diane (Glenn's sister) and I were at a red light turning lane that was going into the stadium on Academy Drive. We had three parking passes and only one car, so as we sat there waiting for the light, I jumped out of the car and knocked on the window of the car in front of us and gave them a pass. They were overjoyed. It saved them $20.00. Then, seeing the light was still red I went to the car behind us. They had a pass already.

This is where I lost my mind. I somehow lost focus of the fact that we were at a traffic light. I guess I thought I could be like one of those guys selling roses on the side of the road. I went to the car behind them and they also had a pass. Then I looked up and Glenn was gone. (How long can a light remain red?) The black RV next to me had no one in front of him so I tried opening their back door hoping to hitch a ride but it was locked. Yes, I know, these were strangers. But, remember I had lost my mind.

The funny thing is, I knocked on the door begging them to please let me in. The wife said, unlock the door. THEY DID. I thought their back seat was empty but to my surprise, There were people in there strapped into their seats. So I just pretended to be skinny and poured myself into the car taking two tries to shut the door behind me. I was sitting on the lap of someone. I think it was a female. But, it is such a blurr of apologies I can't exactly remember except that there was a very nice man who had watched where Glenn had motored off. I think he was so stunned by what he was watching that he didn't remember that he too was at a red light that had just turned green. He was two car lengths back from the light and NO ONE was in front of him as he rescued me.

These very nice TOTAL STRANGERS took off around the same corner Glenn had turned on and pulled in front of Glenn who had stopped over to the side hoping I would get over to him somehow. (Sure, like I was going to cross over 4 lanes of Dodger traffic to get to him.) But, Glenn didn't see me get in the guys car. I just disappeared into thin air, to him. As the guy pulled in front of Glenn to drop me off I uttered a million thank yous and saw that Glenn and Ronnie and Diane were craning their necks backward looking at the fateful intersection for me. They were stunned to see me standing next to our car knocking on the window. They were so shocked to see me that their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. They were more surprised to think I had crawled into a car full of strangers. But, hey, here I was, no worse for the wear.

And thus I was saved from being mowed down like a rag doll, while standing between the turning lane and the lane going straight through the intersection on Dodger game Friday in the month of May.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Swine Flu vs. Crew Spew Flu



Three years ago we took a houseboat trip to Lake Powell with some of our favorite people, the Archibalds. If we had not enjoyed the company so much it would have been a disaster.




First of all, before we went, Brett got a boil on his back that was so large he named it Bob. He had Bob lanced before we left home and Bob had to have his dressing changed daily with gloved hands and no swimming for Brett and Bob.
Next, Whitney and David went to see grandparents in Utah and Idaho before coming on the trip. While there, they contracted an intestinal virus that was extremely contagious. They were over it at least a day before they boarded the boat but they evidently remained contagious OR we were exposed by other people simultaneously the day before we boarded the boat. The very first morning, I was the first to fall ill.



It dropped everyone one by one and two by two and then mass exposures. Only 3 people escaped without becoming ill. Hayley was so ill we were seriously worried about whether she'd make it til morning without dehydrating. Fun was had by those who didn't get sick for a few days. Jonas was the only one enjoying his eating. Strained carrots, mmmmm.



Then Brad fell down into a hole where Roger was working on the motor or something and he scraped up his leg and nearly killed himself. He came walking in from the front of the boat sipping a soda with his head tilted up and suddenly he disappeared from view. He had a lump on his leg for months. Weird things just kept happening.



While we were floating about Lake Powell with the Queasies, I kept thinking, I wonder if everyone on the whole lake is sick. I know I get delusional when I'm sick. Nope, it was just us. And maybe that's how this swine flu is going to end. Everyone thinking everyone has it when it's just a few and then it's gone.