Ice Storm

The word for the week is ICE.
We had an ice storm of epic proportions this weekend, that shut off power to some 400,000 people and has caused a tree holocaust all over the state. Our own neighborhood has suffered huge losses in trees and limbs.

The ice started on Saturday morning, and continued in the form of sleet or freezing rain through Sunday. On Sunday morning we woke to find that half of our pear tree in the back yard had sheared off and dropped over our power and cable lines, miraculously leaving them intact. The power meter box had peeled away from the house and was leaning over, but the lines are still attached. We haven't lost power, or even cable and internet, while houses and whole neighborhood all around us are cut off.

Over the course of Sunday, we lost a big chunk of the live oak in the front yard, as well.

Needless to say, school was out yesterday, and again today. Grayson's in heaven. I'm going a bit nuts. It's raining today and a lot of the city is still without power, so it's not like we've got anywhere to go.

Grayson has made a new friend down the street. His name is Sam, which seems to be the name of about a third of the boys in his elementary school. He's three years older than Grayson, but about his size, and they are both obsessed with Pokemon, so they make a good team. I'm hoping, as is Grayson, that we can have Sam over this afternoon. Sam's power is off. A big limb fell through their power lines. A limb also fell on their car. We're lucky not to have suffered the same fate, with our cars parked out in plain view.

I went out yesterday to buy wine (hey, I have my priorities), and had to peel about an inch-thick sheet of ice off my car in order to do so. I'll say this for it, it is beautiful. Check out this groovy ice sculpture it made of our bushes out front. And the lovely ice-coated little tree. I'm surprised some of these smaller trees can stand up under the weight. It's the trees that still have leaves on them that have gotten the worst of it, though. All the extra weight.

The rain seems to be clearing some of the ice, but we will have major clean-up to do once things dry out a bit.

Barf redux

Gray is back from San Francisco, only to take ill with the stomach bug as of last night. Poor guy, he's completely miserable. He was home all day on the sofa, and this evening he's lying on the bed looking barely alive. I feel two things:

1) sorry for him
2) very hopeful that I'm not next.

Now, before you judge me for being a self-centered pig... remember that we are expected to drive to El Paso TOMORROW for Thanksgiving. Needless to say, if Gray is still feeling terrible tomorrow, we will postpone. However, we will jump in the car as soon as he is feeling up to it, which means that if I'm going to get sick, I'm going to do it while I'm there.

Probably infecting others in the process, or else just being really miserable in a crowded house that is not my own.

So, there's that to look forward to.

I can only hope that I have paid my dues to the Gods of Barf in the years when Grayson was very small and I got it every time he did... at least once a year ... and my account is balanced this time, so I'll dodge the bullet yet again. However, I'm a little worried that I didn't get the head cold when Gray got it the week before last, then I didn't get the stomach bug when Grayson got it last week... and now I'm expecting to miss it AGAIN? I hope so, but... that's a lot of good luck.

On the other hand, I feel very unstressed and healthy, so maybe I'm at the top of my game, immunity wise. A little yoga probably couldn't hurt.

So, the story is that we don't know if we will be going to El Paso tomorrow or not. Right now it looks doubtful. We may be leaving Thanksgiving morning early, and getting in around 7 p.m.
I don't mind missing the Thanksgiving feast. Thanksgiving has always been more or less a non-holiday for me. I'm just not into a big to-do over food. But I know Eleanor will be disappointed if we're not there for the big feed, and of course it is certainly important for Gray to be at the family symposium the day after. That, at least, should not be a problem.

We'll see...

Barf

I'm getting an unexpected day off today. Last night after dinner Grayson suddenly started to complain of a stomache ache. Yup, by 9:00 he was throwing up.

It's a miserable combination of irritation, exhaustion and heartbreak to sit up with a barfing kid. When his tummy starts to hurt, he whimpers and whines, which is heartbreaking and irritating at the same time. Then there's the drama and ick of him actually throwing up, then the clean-up -- fresh trash bags, clean rag to wipe his face, etc. And then just enough of a lull in-between barfs that I start to fall asleep, only to be irritated awake by another round of whimpering.

The worst of it, I think, is that there is just nothing I can do to make him feel any better. A tummy bug just has to be endured, and kids get it at least once a year. In the past couple of years I have finally built up enough immunity to manage NOT to get it myself about 2/3 of the time, but it's still a crap-shoot. I figure if I'm still healthy this time tomorrow, I've dodged the bullet.

Meanwhile, I'm washing everything the kid has touched in hot water, including everything on the bed, towells, pajamas, and himself. Changed his toothbrush, everything.

He's feeling better... playing his Nintendo DS and watching Blues Clues in his PJs. I'm hoping to coax him into a nap later this afternoon.

Tomorrow is a holiday... Oklahoma Statehood Day. Hoooeee. I'll be giving the big festivities a miss. Grayson will be back in school, Gray will be home, and we'll be lounging around doing nothing for a day. Now that's what I call a holiday.