Summer pictures

My mom and I

Dreams-those back to school ones!

As a child, ever year you experienced excitement and anxiety of the first day and week of school.  The week before school started, I would have the same dream where I attend school in my birthday suit or forget my classes and missed the first two weeks of school.  Once I graduated from high school, it didn't end.  I had the same dreams with variation when I attended college. 

As a teacher, I feel fortunate because it seems I will never stop having these dreams.  The dreams have changed: my classroom is not ready, I forgot the first day of school and showed up the second day thinking it was the first day, my lessons have not been planned, my classroom moved the day before school starts, etc...  I have been having the dreams for the past week.  UGH!    

Barfing in Boise.

So my family has been in town and of course, one of them was sick right before we all gathered.  The sickness was passed around over the past three weeks.  My mother even ended up attending the hospital at one time.  It was a weird flu thing (barfing and other end excitement.)  I thought I had been one of the few that made it through without any scars.  I made sure I received extra sleep, washing hands, etc...  You know the don't get me sick routine. 

So this weekend, my mother wanted to visit her sister in Boise while she was on the west coast, I decided to go with her and we brought one of my sister's children.  I love road trips.  We visited Promontory Point and stopped for lunch in Burley, Idaho.  It is there I noticed a change in my stomach.  I was careful and didn't eat too much, because something didn't settle right.  It was difficult to drive, so I had my mother drive.  The cramping continued.  Not girly cramps, but painful your stomach is not happy cramps.  I couldn't sleep or find a happy place in the car.  I had to be shifting constantly.  By the time we were at Twin Falls and Shoshone Falls, things had only gotten worse.  I had attempted to use a public bathroom there,  but no avail.  I knew if I started throwing up or whatever, it would not be easy to stop.  I thought I can make it to Boise (2 hours away).  We made it to Mountain Home (45 min away from Boise) when we stopped for gas.  As things had only progress, I was now holding a bag in the car for emergencies.  I didn't want to throw up in my car.  I thought I could go into the public restroom and force myself to take care of business. 

Mountain Home rest stop SUPER BUSY!  There was a line in the restroom.  I got stage fright.  I couldn't do it.  The cramping of my stomach made it difficult to walk, I am sure I looked bad.  Well, I returned to the car while my mother and niece used the facilities.  As soon as I sat in the car, I knew I would not make it to Boise and things were coming.  I quickly grabbed the plastic grocery bag and thought where do I do this.  Not in the front of the gas station.  I quietly went to the side (where the truckers enter) and filled my grocery bag.  My mother came looking for me when she noticed I had been missing.  She noticed the filled bag and quietly got me some napkins.  I was right about not being able to stop when I started.  I emptied my stomach.  The cramping did not stop (maybe for 10 min).  We drove to Boise, I was ushered into a room and was quarantined for two days.  My niece followed me around the house with spray disinfectant. 

I Caved!

I have returned to my place of residence.  It has been quite hot and I live in a place with a swamp cooler on the first floor and I sleep on the second floor.  In the desert climate, it tends to cool off at night.  I have been able to survive with a fan and my window open. Also, I travel during the summer and didn't feel the need for more than the fan and windows open at night.  I should add that I am hot-blooded person, I don't find myself that cold when everyone else is cold. 

After the 3rd day of crappy sleep, I went to Wal-mart and bought a window unit.  I justified my purchase with that people around would appreciate a happier person and not a sleep deprived, crabby, too hot to do anything person.  I am not more likely to stay at home and not spend money.  I know that I could have survived two or three more weeks, but once school starts I need to be a relaxed happy teacher for the first few weeks of school.  Who invented houses without A.C. anyway?  Now I know why the average death age has risen, it is because of A.C.  Happier people live longer.