Sick things.

Oh crap it all.  I’m sick.  I woke up at five thirty, walked for an hour and a half, went to tennis lessons, gave a bead class at the library, mowed Dad’s office lawn, cleaned the kitchen, folded all the towels, put away tents for the kids, helped clean the cars, and ironed while Seth and I watched the some of the Democratic National Convention.  All the while, I notice I am getting sick.  My infernal nose has been slightly running all day, my throat is stinking sore, I have a minor headache, and my bloody back hurts.  I swear I am not trying to throw a pity-party here, I’m just not used to being this busy and sick all at once.

Ah well, I just soaked in a peppermint bubble bath and the work is done for the day.  Thank you Lord for that.

We’re going up to Minnesota this weekend, staying with Uncle Joe and Aunt Vicie like old times.

Except….

It won’t be like old times.  Old times were when my cousin Susan and I would spend EVERY second we could together.  We’d always sit together, ride in the same tube behind Uncle Joes boat…and the best was when we’d lay in her bed late into the night and just talk.  Aunt Vickie would always come and gripe at us to go to sleep, but we never would.  We would talk about everything and anything.  From how much we love to run barefoot in the grass, to our first conversations about *gasp* boys at age 11.  I loved that girl.

Its just…when we got into high school things changed.  We weren’t as close, she became so full of herself, and completely obsessed with her looks. And then last year in January, we got a call that she was pregnant.  She was 16 years old at the time.  Oh man, it freaked me out.  Not Susan.  Not the girl I had giggled with and written so many letters to when I was young.  Not her.  But it was.  It was so sad, Uncle Joe had always loved his girls so much, and wanted only for them to live happy lives, and we could see how much this was hurting him, no matter how hard he tried to cover it up.  They were a wealthy, conservative, seemingly perfect, successful family….and than pow.  

Ug, it’s a long story.  All in all, they decided that Susan would keep the baby, finish school, and at this time NOT marry the father.  Everything was going well until one night when Susan was bout 6 months along.  She went into labor early, started to hemorrhage, and lost the baby.  Had they gotten her to the hospital 10 minutes later, she would have died.

Wow, I can’t believe I just told that story, it really wasn’t necessary…I guess its just been on my mind as of late.  So yes, things won’t be the same with cousin Susan, and her having been pregnant is part of it, but not all.  I don’t know, I just hope it won’t be too awkward this weekend.
 Okay, I’m sick.  I need to be in bed.  Please pass the Nyquil.