What a weekend brings

Some of the things I've learned this weekend:
1. Not everything at the Dollar Store is a bargain.
2. Shorts and t-shirts on other people are not an indicator that the weather is warm enough for you to do the same thing.
3. If you think things are going well, wait a few minutes.

Yesterday John and I went to the 7th annual Music on the Mountain festival. This is an fundraiser for spinal cord research with free music by talented and some very well known musicians, yummy food, silent auction and general outdoor enjoyment. John was assigned to cover it for The Pioneer and although he could have shown up, taken a few pictures and done an interview with the organizer, Chris MacKay (a young man with a personal stake in the outcome of spinal cord research), we stayed all afternoon. The MacKay family was grateful and might, in future, have nicer things to say about journalists.

John and I took our living room chairs to sit on. It was a people-watching paradise. I think some of these folks have been growing their hair since 1960, on their heads and/or on their chins falling to their navels. White and bushy.

We got home around seven o'clock and made the quickest dinner we could, including a green salad with toasted almonds and sesame seed dressing. John called his kids and his mother, I called my son and we then both settled down for an evening of this and that - John was going to edit his afternoon's pictures and I was going to fire up the computer and get myself ready for writing this week.

Around 9:45, John said he felt itchy and was scratching himself in some very odd places. I didn't pay much attention. At 9:55 he asked me to come to the bathroom where the light is good and check out something. He said, Is my bottom lip swollen? I said, Well, stop sticking it out and I'll let you know. He said, I'm not sticking it out. Whoa! And he had spots everywhere.

Maxi story, mini version: he ended up at the hospital today for nearly five hours and came home with prescriptions for Benadryl, raniditine (which I could have given him because it's what I take), antiobiotics (God knows why) and an epi-pen. The first and the last I figure he needs. The rest - well, it's money out of our pockets which are already rather empty.

So... now we go on a hunt to find out what it was he ate that caused all this. Almonds or poppy seeds are the most likely culprits. But he's food-shy now for sure and doesn't want to eat anything. Could be a long autumn.

Meanwhile we have to get him well enough to get back on the job. He's exhausted and wants to sleep non-stop. Still itching. Still some facial swelling. The managing editor was appalled today that he couldn't make it in (although sympathetic). Will he make it tomorrow? Watch this space.