Remember the first awesome start? The one that happened the day we left on the National Parks Odyssey? Yeah, it’s that again. Only this time, I’ve avoided an ER visit. So far.

When I got up at 12:30 this morning, not quite to the “crawling around on the floor to try to escape the pain” stage, I thought I’d research home remedies on kidney stones. I quickly found one that didn’t make me want to barf up everything from the past two days: hot lemonade and ibuprofen. Furreal! Lemonade. I love lemonade, hot and cold, and I just happened to have an almost-full bottle of ReaLemon in the fridge. Have you heard of this remedy? I was initially skeptical, but felt it was either A) try this, or B) wake up the Thriller and get in the car. I didn’t want B.

Several sites I researched recommended lemonade mixed with olive oil. Thanks, but I believe the point is to hold the cure in one’s stomach long enough for it to do some good, and that ain’t happenin’ with olive or any other kind of oil. I will not drink olive oil. I didn’t have any anyway, so…  I read that lemons have the highest concentration of citrate — the stuff that erodes kidney stones — of any fruit. I saw on some forums that people experienced significant relief from their pain by flushing their kidneys with strong lemonade, and ibuprofen on the side. I must admit, it sounded too good to be true.

And then it came true. I was actually able to go back to bed at 2:45 and rest/sleep until 5:00. Success!

I’ve made a somewhat controversial decision to go to school anyway today. [Controversial only because it’s 20 minutes in any direction to the nearest hospital if all the wheels fall off.] But I’m taking my lemonade with me and I have every intention of it helping me get through today, and tonight’s rehearsal.

And I’m extra-happy because a home remedy actually worked for me. I mean, I know I’m probably not out of the woods yet, but people get rid of these things at home all the time, without lying in a hospital bed with an IV stuck in their arm. I can do this. Thanks for any and all positive energy and thoughts, though. Ready, steady…………….

milkin’ it.

And for your weekend listening and dancing pleasure…

Nerdy Day Trips – what a great idea. The Ohio Glass Museum? Never heard of it. Sounds like a future destination to me.

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This looks like an interesting nerdy day trip.

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I just think this is fun to look at.

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There’s a generator for everything.

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Hahahahaha.

I call the last four school days The Week What Would Not End. And here we are at Finkday, and it’s still not over.

Calgon…

Lately, there has been much frustration in my world, on many fronts. Just about all fronts, actually. Good thing the Thriller provides comic relief, or I’d have likely committed some flavor of misdemeanor by now.

Why, why, why do we give others permission to do such damage to our brains and emotions, when we know darn good and well that the other party (the one doing the damage) is hardly affected at all? It’s the cruelest form of self-flagellation. I call a stop to it.

Know what I need to do? Spend tonight getting some work done, then have some fun tomorrow night with the Js at our sleepover. Instant therapy. Then Sunday, I need to cook; update the Comfort Foodie blog. I have three or four recipes in the queue, so it’s time to get on it. Cooking/baking always makes me feel better. Beats the heck out of wasting time bemoaning my fate — especially when my fate includes so many wonderful people and situations.

There. Done.

Hey, thanks for the texts, Facebook comments and emails about beau chien Rousseau. His surgery went well, and both tumors were successfully removed and sent to the lab. It was a distinct relief and pleasure to wrap his evening pain pill in some bread and feed it to him last night, after which I watched him slide into sleepyville. He’s still upstairs with the Thriller, sawing lumber. I hope he has a better day today.

I hope I do too. Oy.

Off we go, all of us. It’s almost the weekend! (even though it’ll never get here)

Fink, eternal optimist

Surgery Day, take 2.