My Neighborhood: Strep (Part 1 of 4)

I decided to break this blog entry into

four separate entries. I took a few photos

at the first of the week and LOTS of

photos today. (If I get tired, I'll postpone

later posts until tomorrow.)

As most of you know, Daddy was diagnosed

with Stage 3B of lung cancer on April 9th.

(If you want more of that story, email me:

I'll be glad to provide the details.)

Anyway, after spending ten days in

Mississippi, I began my

journey home a week ago today.

The day didn't begin so well...

Because of the stormy weather

in Memphis the night of Friday

the 13th, my plane to Charlotte

was delayed three hours, which

also meant I would miss

my connecting flight.

US Airways re-routed me to

Philadelphia at 9:30 a.m. on

Northwest; then I had a five-hour

layover in Philly before I

could catch the plane

back to Columbus.

The ride from Philadelphia to Columbus

was so bumpy, I thought I was riding

a roller coaster. UGH!

I knew I felt bad when I landed:

what I didn't know was that I

was beginning to catch strep.

On Sunday I tried to go to a

Minor Med (called Urgent Care)

in Columbus. I didn't realize

that they don't start at 8:00

on Sundays like they do in

Memphis so I grabbed NyQuil

at Walgreens and headed

home to try to get some rest.

It's amazing how sassy cats can

become so very loving when

their daddies are sick. Maria

kept vigil beside me (or in my

lap) for the three days I was ill.

I read a plaque today that said everyone

needs a cat AND a dog to lead a

balanced life: a dog to adore you

and a cat to ignore you. HA!

The wind was blowing so hard on Sunday

and Monday that I hardly could stand when

I was outside. The wind chill on Monday

was still a crisp 36 degrees!

I finally made it to the doctor on Monday

to discover that I indeed tested positive

for strep. I was told not to return to work

until Wednesday. I wonder if my co-workers

will recall what I look like?

On Monday I noticed that the cover

had been removed from the pool.

The waves from the wind looked

like tidal waves. (A bit of hyperbole...)

On Tuesday morning, I heard voices

outside my apartment. The

maintenance guys had pulled the

plug in the pool, and were getting

it cleaned for the coming season.

By late Tuesday afternoon, the pool
was empty and the patio
furniture was out!



This shot was taken this morning of
water being added to the pool
with a tiny water hose.

Hopefully, we'll have enough
water in there by Memorial Day
for a nice swim...