Its Raining

I definitely had one of those weeks. If Spaz and Spaz II weren't enough I can honestly say that last Sunday through Thursday were actually alright when you compare it to just Friday and Saturday. I didn't think it would get worse but 2 1/2 hours at the DMV will do that to a person and then the 5 hour ER trip the next day, come on, was that really necessary? It wasn't that big of a deal, Bug has Strep, I just knew that we couldn't wait until Tuesday to see the Doctor.

So I have not had my wallet returned. I have to have a military ID but to get a military ID I need a picture ID, so I had to get a new driver's license first. I still had my North Dakota one, I didn't want to get rid of it. So that part was fun, it involved faxing stuff to the DMV in TN from the DMV in ND, but as always the person I dealt with in Bismarck was very nice and enjoyed my sad story like everyone else. So I went to the DMV at about lunchtime, first mistake. I was afraid to go during Bug's preschool for fear that I wouldn't be done when it was time for him to get out. So I waited until he was done, had a friend take him and started the fun. The parking lot was full so I thought I better eat first. Little did she know, that this seemingly innocuous act would change the fate of the rest of the weekend. All she knew was that she was hungry and that she hadn't eaten. So I grabbed some food and went back.

And hour and a half later I was finally called. I produced all the documents that I was instructed to bring and told that they weren't enough, I needed a picture ID. As it happens, I actually brought one, just on a whim, my passport. They did not tell me to bring it. They said birth certificate and two bills proving my address would be enough. I was relieved that I had brought my passport, I saw it next to my birth certificate and thought, what the heck? The DMV lady told me good thinking because she wouldn't had to turn me away. Then about five minutes later she did since I only had a credit card with me. They only accept cash or check. Another thing no one told me. In this day and age, no one said, by the way, we are still in the early 90's here and don't accept the form of payment everyone in America is using. When they answer the phone it should be, "Hello, DMV, we don't accept credit or debit, how may I help you?" She agreed to let me just go and get something and come right back to her, no waiting. It just so happens that I live about three minutes from the DMV so I ran home and got cash from the emergency envelope. Two more questions: What if I didn't live close? My city is not big in population but it is big in size, it can take 30 minutes to get from one side to another. Also, I don't have a debit card, lost remember, I couldn't get cash. What if I didn't keep emergency cash?

So I survived the DMV, with a license in hand, ugly, of course. I survived the weirdos I was sitting by. One E-5 (rank in military) going on and on about his job and getting ready for his fourth deployment. Giving tutorials to the civilian sitting next to him on brigades, companies, units, etc, etc. An Army wife sitting across from them joining the conversation about how that guy and her husband got into the Army off their GED, because they couldn't get in before when standards were higher. What? Keep that to yourself. Then they played the do you know game off a couple that she knew in his unit, one of the largest units on the post, but couldn't remember their last name. Maybe you know them, Pam and Arnold? She looks like...He looks like...What? I was dying. When they finally called my number I almost cried.

Then onto post to obtain a military ID. My friend who had Bug was now going to get the other two off the bus and take them to her house. Now that I had a picture ID, I could get a visitor's pass onto post and then go to the office that I needed to get the ID. The line was long but I wasn't worried I still had one hour and fifteen minutes from when another friend told me the office closed. As I am waiting in this line I am starting to doubt this closing time and decide to call her to double check. She says she'll call and get back to me. She calls and says it closes at 1545, I look at the clock it is 1550. Really? Yeah, that sounds about right. I get the pass anyway and they agree to make it for ten days. I go home in defeat.

That night Bug sleeps with me half the night with a fever but no other symptoms. This is the third time in as many weeks that he has had a fever but nothing else wrong. He just whines in his sleep letting me have none. The next afternoon, he comes to me with "my mouth hurts really bad" and he will barely open it for me. Well, this at least is something I can do. Ship off the other two to yet another friends house, I have a few deployed wife friends, invaluable. And take him in. At the desk they ask me for my ID, I start to panic. I have a TN ID, I can't take that. Okay, I have my husbands orders, a POA, as I start to ramble the filing cabinet that I had brought with me. He must have notice the panic because he is telling me to calm down and that it will be alright they will deal with me in admissions. Now for the second time in as many days I start to cry. The first time was Friday at the gym when I realized I had missed Dan's call. I hadn't heard from him in a longer time frame than normal and was clinging to the phone only to not have the call go through when he actually did call. I was exhausted, stressed, and really wanting to be at home able to call Dan on the phone and just vent. And I felt really stupid, I hate crying in public. Never mind, the weak appearance. My face turns bright red and stays that way for so long that long after I have stopped crying someone will ask me what's the matter and start me up all over again.

I left my house for the ER at 5:30p.m., we all got home at 10:30p.m. Kids in bed in about fifteen minutes with the severest threat of their life that if they wake me up in the morning, they will not be happy. So no church, yesterday. And I really needed to talk to my Bishop about getting my recommend replaced since I actually have child care for this Saturday and really really wanted to get to the Temple. [insert scream here]

So today the kids are off. We are going to go have some fun now. I am going to take them to the movies and get popcorn, just like Jen said. Here's to this week. I have to get my other ID this week and my deployment car replaced still. But I am sure that this week will in no way be as pathetic as last. It just can't. Right?

You all feel much better about your lives right about now, huh?

Just for fun, the one thing I didn't tell you guys about yet, was also this week one of our toilets broke. I got to learn how to snake a toilet!