Spackle.

I like that word. Spackle. Say it. "Spackle." It's fun.

Anyway.

Let me (try to briefly) recap:

Friday.

Still sick, still feeling miserable, I didn't accomplish much. However, I did transform this monstrosity:

into this beauty:

Looks good enough to dive into and start knitting, right? It took me two hours and the removal of lots of dog hair. The cat was largely responsible for the look in the first photo. She had a grand ol' time playing in my yarn while it was stored upstairs in the bedroom, out of my constant view. Naughty Tink! I have imposed a feeding strike on her for that. I jest, I jest. Not that her fat ass couldn't use it. 

When Rob came home, our plan was to go right out to dinner for a mystery shop. Instead, Jack snapped his glasses in half, right at the bridge, and we had to make a quick run to Walmart to replace them - free! In the space of 20 minutes, they'd looked at his glasses, pulled down the identical replacement frames, installed the old lenses in them, and sent him on his way. I don't know who was more relieved - me, at not having to pay anything and having him able to see without a wait, or him, for not being in trouble. Probably him. I've seen me when I get mad, and it ain't fun.

Since we were already at Wal-mart, and since Sophie was responsible for her soccer team's after-game snacks the next morning, we did a little shopping. Unfortunately, it's pretty much expected that we have to feed all the players' siblings, too, so I had a cart loaded with juice boxes, bananas, and Go-gurts, as they were out of string cheese. And I remembered I had but four pairs of undies at home that fit, now that I gave all the gigundapannies away (it's a word; Google it), so I got some of those, too. Knickers and 'nanners. I just wanted to say that.

I had Rob text me the three codes I had for three free Redbox rentals, having noticed the machine on the way into the store. I'd gotten them as a reward for some of my grocery purchases last week. It's been a while since we've had free movies 'round here, and I was ready for some TV time!

We rushed home in the rain and collected the rest of the Fam for our dinner out, at last. That did not go by without incident. MY children behaved, but one of the servers did not, and that will be a fun report to type. I wish I could tell you what happened, but I'd probably get spanked for that. Not that I don't enjoy a good spanking.

After the kids went to bed, we fired up the first movie: Management, with Steve Zahn and Jennifer Aniston. It was cute, and we both enjoyed it. The second movie was Sunshine Cleaning, with Adam Arkin, Amy Adams, and Emily Blunt. Great movie; I recommend it! But the best part was that I was able to get the second mitt done for Baby Luke's alpaca layette. Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph it, so just look at this one and pretend there are two there:

Saturday.

The girls' soccer games ended up being cancelled, which means I'd bought all that stuff for... well, I guess for my kids, but will now have to buy it again next month for the make-up game. Bah.

The good thing, though, was that Rob was able to take Jack and the girls to the Cub Scouts' visit to the SPCA. First, they went around the neighborhood where his pack meets to collect supplies for the animals, and then they toured the SPCA. Later, they told me about all the animals they'd seen. Chloë, aware that I've wanted a Chihuahua puppy since childhood, is ever on the lookout for me; alas, there wasn't one there. It's probably a good thing, since we're not exactly in an acquisition phase now that Operation Sweet Pea (the boat plan) is in effect!

As for me, I went back to work, after four or five sick days. It didn't last long. I was there all of 2½ hours before I had to run to the bathroom to blow my nose. In there, I started coughing up more blood - I'd done it Friday night, too. Egads. That can never be a good thing, right? I went out to tell my manager, and she was kind of pissy about it, like, "Fine, leave if you want to." Um? Can it really be a good thing to be around customers - and their food - in that condition? So, whatever, I left. Now I'm probably the Problem Child at work, but truly, I felt like shit!

Rob was home when I got home, but not for long, as he and the Littles had to take Chloë to her friend's birthday party at the movie theater. I'd remembered to pack her gift before work, at least, but I'd forgotten a card. While they went to the party (she saw Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and loved it), I headed to the ER to determine the cause of my bloody sputum.

Tests upon tests were run. X-rays were taken. I waited for hours. I was asked a million times if I was a smoker. I slept. I emailed and texted and Facebooked on my iPhone.  Finally, my official diagnoses: Bronchitis. Pharyngitis. Sinusitis. Hemoptysis. (Don't ask me to pronounce that.) With a touch of pneumonia. Basically: Sick! They sent me home with Rxs for the Z-pack (antibiotics) and more cough syrup with codeine.

I went home and canceled my shops for the rest of the day, ready to just lie down and die. Rob gave me a shot of the cough syrup I already had, which, MAN, that gives me some crazy dreams, and I was out.

Sunday.

I slept late because of the drugs, entirely missing Stephanie's text message at 0245 saying that her water broke and she was in labor. Dammit, I missed the whole thing. Luke was born before I woke up! I wish I could have been at the hospital; the only births I've been present for have been my own children. It's just as well; I wouldn't have been in the OR anyway, and she needed her rest afterward. And family time. So, okay.

I woke up just in time for us to make it to my lunch shop at the Oceanfront. I know, I should have stayed home in bed, but I'm a stubborn girl. What can I say? The shops were low-key, anyway. Lunch went well and smoothly, and then we headed to the party store for another shop.

Sophie accompanied me while the rest stayed in the car. We looked at the jillion costumes on display, not intending to buy her one, when she spied the doctor get-up. Have I told you that lately she claims she's going to be a doctor when she grows up? So of course she had to have that one. I gave in, what the hell. My plan has been to collect "over the hill" and "40" themed merch at these party shops over the next three years, in preparation for Rob's next big birthday, but a little diversion from the plan won't hurt. And she was thrilled, so yay.

We had to go home between shops, because my phone completely died, and I couldn't take notes. Oopsie. We went home long enough for me to charge up a little and look at my shop form, and then I took Jack out to do the second shop. Rob stayed home with the girls to clean up their rooms and do laundry.

Jack didn't have a costume yet, so I fully intended on getting him one. Only, trial after trial, the store was out of the costume he wanted. Superman? No. Batman? No. Power Ranger? No. And so on and so forth. Finally he picked a Star Wars one (I have no idea what the guy is, but Tim would know), and they had it in stock. He was happy with it. Phew. We finished the shop and went home to, again, collect the rest of the family for another dinner shop.

Hadn't we just eaten? Yes, we had, it seemed, but here we were again, out to eat. I didn't touch a single bite of my food; too stuffed. The kids barely ate, either. But we had free meals for all three of them, and when they messed up our order, they gave us our drinks and appetizer free, too! Hey, hey.

I was all set to go home and chill for the night after that, but Steph wanted me to come to the hospital at that point. Of course! I finally got to see the baby. But all about that visit in the last post; I won't repeat.

Monday.

Steph had planned to go with me on a lunch shop this afternoon, but when she went and had her baby, darn her, I called in Linda to substitute. She was game. I was going to bring Stephanie McDonald's, as requested, for lunch before I went out to lunch, but I way overslept. As in, I meant to sleep from 0800 to 10, but didn't get up until ten after noon. Oops. I needed it, though.

Lunch was fun, although drawn-out and much longer than it needed to be. It was fine, though. Good, fun, chatty company. We didn't eat much and took a ton of food home. The server must have wondered why we kept ordering more food we didn't eat!

Linda gave me a couple pairs of nice pants in size 16. Since the new 18s I just bought at the thrift store are already falling down on me, I'm hoping they'll fit when I try them on! I'm so close to being at my next goal... hopefully I'll hit it this week!

I went home just in time to collect the kids from the bus. I threw them in the rental car, and we went off to Progressive to collect Vanna from the repair shop. We waited a LONG time, but the kids behaved like perfect little angels. I kind of couldn't believe it, since it was boring and there wasn't a lot to do. Three Highlights magazines in the waiting room saved the day, and they all sat in separate chairs, reading quietly. Awesome.

Rob was already home when we got there, so he took the kids to go pick up my antibiotics Rx (yes, two days later... hush), while I stayed home to relax and work on all my reports that have been building up this weekend, unfinished. I got a little done, but I felt sick and lay down for much of the time.

We were going to go out to dinner for another shop tonight, but I just didn't feel up to it. I got back to work tomorrow morning, so I'm hopeful everything will go well and normally.

That's about it. Rob's starting nights tomorrow, so he's getting up with the kids tomorrow for school. yay, I'm off breakfast-and-lunch duty. Boo, I'm on permanent dinner-and-homework duty. We'll manage. Oh, crap, how am I going to get all three kids to their different activities at the same time, especially on Thursdays??

Not awesome. Once again, the Navy is royally screwing up my plans! ;)

Anyway, back to my reports. Ta.

Fin.