The Catch up blog…

So. Here are some of the updates I promised:

1. Normandy Beach- I know you are all concerned so I will give you a brief update. Normandy beach is MUCH better. We had a little set back last week, but as of now he is improving each day. He actually had expert care this past weekend as Doug and I were in Memphis. He was observed and pampered by my parents. It was a HUGE relief to have my parents watch my boy as they are the experts. Normandy is back to eating (almost) normal and will have blood work run later this week. Here he is now:

Lesson Learned: No more carrot cake icing for norm. Lizzie, put away the cake!

2. A hit to the neck- So. I am a dummy. Not a big surprise, I know, but I am a slow learner. Last weekend Courtney and Ryan (Doug’s co-worker, NORC attendees, and friends of ours) threw themselves a big 30th birthday party. It was a luau and jousting tournament. They had rented a large blow up jousting rink like the one on gladiators.

When we arrived they were passing around the sign up for jousting brackets. Doug and I both signed up. After I signed up, I was sitting in the living room with the Starrs and DB. I said, “You know. I really should not do this with my neck issues…” Then Ryan came in and said the girls jousting would be first and I was one of the first two girls to joust.

I had not watched anyone do it nor had I stepped foot in the oversized air mattress. I rolled/jumped into the rink and put on the head gear. Surely no one would aim for my head. We are all civilized adults and we would “play fairly”, right? Clearly, I am naïve and you know where this is going.

We step up on the platforms to joust. I am jousting against a girl I had never met before. Actually, I had never met 75% of the party attendees for that matter. Ryan explains we must knock each other off the platform. The one who stays on while the other falls of is the winner. You must win two out of three will to win. “On the count of three…one…two…three!”

I was about to playfully hit this nice girl I just met when she slams the (insert any 4 letter word) out of my neck. I mean right across the right side of my head/neck. I swing to the left and feel popping in my neck. I am in shock. I can’t move. I go into “crazy lizzie mode” and protect my neck. I slam my stick forward and push her off the stand. There was cheering (I think) but I did not hear it. I am in shock and it hits me – I am the idiot. Of course, people are not going to play nice. They want to win. I was not playing to win, I was playing to play – but not everyone is like me. I thought we were going to just kinda hit each other in the torso. I did not even consider someone would hit me in the head. I thought the head was off limits, but clearly there would not be a foam head helmet to protect my head if no one would aim for it.

I turn to the excited crowd and kill the buzz. I said, “I forfeit.” The crowd said I only had to knock her off one more time and then I would win. I stumbled away from the arena giving up my win and thinking I will be in bed for 3 days recovering from this idiotic decision. Needless to say, I was not in a good mood that night. We left the party an hour later. I had one good ugly cry on the way home and stayed in bed for the next 14 hours.

The next day Ryan and Courtney called Doug to check on me and DB reported I would survive. Luckily, it did not lay me out like I thought it would. I am still sore and keep working on neck stretches.

Lesson Learned: I am not a spring chicken and people aim for the win, not the nice.

For the record, the girl who hit me was very sweet and even came to check on me after my retreat. It is in no way her fault. I take all the blame.

3. Pink curtains- So, for Doug’s birthday someone brought silly string. Ashley thought it would be funny to spray DB while he blew out his candles. She tested the silly string in the cap to make sure it was solid and not any liquid that always comes out right at the beginning. To her knowledge, it was spraying solid silly string…or so she though…

When it came time to sing/light the candles, she started to spray:

She did hit Doug and also my raw silk curtains. The problem is that when she hit the curtains, it was still liquid and stained them PINK. Seriously PINK. I knew this was bad news. I have to admit the Happy Birthday singing was not as jovial as it normally is.

As of today, they are still slightly pink. Mom and Ashley both worked on the stains with a vinegar/water solution. They look better, but I fear I will always have pink curtains to remember DB’s 31st birthday.

Lesson learned: No silly string in the house near the silk curtains. (Ashley)

Mix the pink curtains, with Norm eating all the icing/being very ill and the hit to the neck, I was DONE with this weekend. I am glad it is over and all is well now.

And THAT is the update from two weekends ago…HUGS, and love, Lizzie