Sounds Fishy To Me Aug 4, 2008

So I've been sick.

What's new, right?

The problem with being chronically ill (well, one of them, anyway) is that since you always feel bad, you don't always listen to your body and slow down if it's trying to tell you something. Because it's just saying the same thing over and over that it's been saying for the last 2 1/2 years...

So after a family camp out, a cross-country trip to Salt Lake City, going to the Fair for 4 days the morning after we got back, and then doing laundry and cleaning house for a week, I wiped myself out. (Do the math. 11 people, farm life, camping trip & fair, no laundry done for 10 days.)

I found out later a couple of the older kids and dh said they fought off a cold bug...

But I got pneumonia.

Well, that explains why I've had a bad headache for the last three weeks. Now that the fever broke, the headache is going away. Praise God. I'm so tired of being SICK!

So dh and I pulled up in the driveway, home from the doctor (MD) and the naturopath (ND). I have pills for my lungs, pills for my spleen, and colloidial silver for the infection. Kit and Mark met us before we got out of the car.

"We've been elected to tell you what happened before you go inside and see it for yourself."

We brace ourselves.

"Don't worry," (ha. Too late. I'm envisioning blood, guts and mayhem, but they don't seem *that* concerned. This means that something of *mine* got destroyed...) "We saved the fish."

SAVED THE FISH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

My fish tank.

30 gallons.

My antique dresser.

My carpeted dining room floor.

*sigh*

The guilty party met me at the door, sobbing. He offered to pay for it. He only has about $20. His brother, who was the accomplice in the fracas in which a toy metal ladder was thrown, offered to pay half. We had a little chat about why rough-housing is not allowed. Why listening to older brothers who are in charge is wise.

Ralph, Kit, and Mark did an awesome job cleaning it up. Shop vac. Towels. Dried off the dresser--it didn't seem to suffer any damage.

The fish are in the 10 gallon aquarium previously owned by the deceased hermit crab. The snails were all lost. The plants (which were actually worth more than the fish at this point) all survived. The dining room is all cattywampus with the fan going. Good thing the weather has been hot and dry.

My best towels smell slightly like pond water.

And I'm feeling better.