JZ - strength to you - may the dentist have a better idea.

Cass , I 'm glad the move is going smother than expected.

WE got back from Great Britain Friday ( no - not olympics - friend visiting and the Edinburgh fringe festival ) and I got a bonus souvenir of a cold.

Spoke with the advice nurse, who agreed that what happened last night is really unworkable for an entire week of 3 times a day, so we're heading back to urgent care when it opens at 10 for an alternative med or dosing method of this one (the nurse said maybe shots, which also sounds nightmarish, but at least then the doctor gets to be the bad guy).

Maintenance guy hasn't called back about the pipe.

Thanks for the sympathy and empathy and other horror stories; I may still be a monster, but at least I've got company!

JZ, I'm glad you're getting an alternative. Twenty more doses sounded like it was going to be a nightmare. Sorry about the pipe, also.

Okay, I hesitated about posting this, because I have a tendency to overreact, but I'm doing it anyway. I'm worried about Strix. She's supposed to be coming to NC to visit and staying with me this coming Tuesday through Thursday, but I haven't heard anything from her about when she's getting in. As far as I can tell, the last time she's been online anywhere (here, Facebook, email) was August 7, and I know that that was only five days ago, but it's weird to not hear from someone this close to a trip, right? Especially when I'm supposed to be picking her up from the airport?

The last I heard from her was in a group email to the NC-istas on 8/7, saying that she was excited to see us all, but she hadn't gotten her flight details ironed out yet. We made plans to hang out this Wednesday night. I emailed her on Friday, asking if she had gotten her tickets yet, because I was planning to take time off this coming Thursday in the middle of the day to take her to the airport, and I wanted to block off my calendar, and it's a particularly busy week for me at work with student move-in, and folks are trying to schedule things for me left and right, so if I just had an idea of about when her flight was, I could protect that block of time. No response. So yesterday morning, I emailed her again, saying I wasn't worried about the visit, I was just worried about her, I'm a worrier by nature, sorry if I was pestering, but just give a heads-up that she's OK. No response.

So last night, I was babysitting, and I didn't have access to my computer, and I don't have her number in my phone, so I texted smonster with the whole story. She was worried, too. So smonster texted her, waited a while, and called her. No response to the text, and phone call went to voice mail. I was putting a toddler to bed, and also second-guessing myself, so I told smonster we should just wait until morning before freaking out.

Well, now it's morning, and I'm freaking out. Trouble is, I don't know if I should be freaking out, and if I should be, I don't know what to do next. I know that she goes offline occasionally, especially with her arm injury, but she usually pops in to say she's okay when prompted. And she's supposed to be flying here in two days! Does anybody know Dan? Am I overreacting?

glad there is an alternative, JZ.

I hope you are overreacting,amyth

That does sound worrisome. Maybe not quite freak-out-worthy, because she does have a tendency to disappear, but worrisome.

Could you check her FB flist and ping one of her local friends?

I thought about friending Dan on Facebook so that I could message him. I think I'll do that.

I keep thinking that if anything truly awful happened, that he knows how to get in touch with us, and would, so I should just chill. I have to work at that, unfortunately.

JZ, just wanted to say that I empathize. Ellie had an abscess at the age of 3 that was right near her optic nerve and scared me a lot. She spent 8 days in the hospital on IV ABs. I tally thought that if we had been in the US they could have done shots or a daily IV. Which sounds bad itself but at least that way you know she is getting the medicine in the system. I'm glad you guys are going back

amyth, I don't know anything about Strix, but don't feel bad about worrying and asking. I personally hate the asking because I always feel awkward but I would tell anyone else in a heartbeat not to feel that way.

I am at a weekend conference for family law attorneys. It's been weird and interesting but I probably can't talk about it. Let's just say that I've learned a lot and it hasn't all been legal.

Hi Laura!! Good to see your pixels.

Just tried to call Strix again, went to voicemail again. Hrmph.

My poor wife, my poor little boo.

I really can't imagine a less desirable combination than an emergency dental situation with my child involving vomitous antibiotics with an added plumbing issue (in our computer area, btw).

I, on the other hand, am having a lovely time in Pittsburgh with my oldest friends, attending a beautiful wedding by the Allegheny River and off to see a PIrates game today.

But I'll be home soon, honey! I'll do the Eat The Yucky Medicine Game with Matilda.

Strix is OKAY!

Phone has been dead, she's been working on a deadline, just texted smonster...will be in touch...phew!