Just in Time

I’ve spent the last week not being able to move my head much. Torticollis. Thanks to virus or misstep, I am not sure, but I am sure that short of childbirth, breaking bones, and events involving large incisions, this has been the most pain I’ve ever been in. Yes, that definitely includes the back-spasm incident from this past March. That was miserable, but this has been hell.

I can write about it now. My miracle chiropractor was finally able to get in there a little bit yesterday, thanks to an entire weekend of pain meds and muscle relaxants (let’s not talk about where they came from). You know its bad when the chiropractor sends you for the big guns. So today, after a fuzzy, wobbly, awful weekend, I can turn my head. There is still pain, no doubt, but I can turn my head! This is exciting stuff, people. With enough moist heat (my heating pads are wearing out), I am hopeful that tomorrow we’ll be able to actually take care of the root of the problem.

And not a moment too soon. We leave for the East Coast on Friday, destined for 6 days in DC where kiddo #1/#3 (depending on your accounting method) is competing at Nationals in the History Day Competition, 2 days with displaced friends in Virginia, 4 days playing on Cape Hatteras, and 2 more days hanging out with our North Carolina buddies. This neck must release.

We did find a van, by the way. More exciting than that, it has air! We haven’t driven anything with air for many-a-moon, and honestly, we don’t expect that particular feature to live terribly long (you don’t have high expectations with sub-$1K, super-150K-mile vehicles), so if it makes it through this trip, we’ll count it as a win! DC in the summer – Ack. Nothing like buying a vehicle under the gun.

As an aside, our old van is lodged in the shed, looking mighty forlorn. It was robbed of any integrity it had left as we snagged a million parts and pieces to make one van of two. It looks like it’s been to the chop-shop of horrors. When we return from the East, we’ll lay her to rest down at the local salvage yard. RIP, old friend.

And the garden went in last night, no small victory in the midst of my invalid status, Scott’s overtime, the car hunt and modifications, this trip we should be packing for, and a very wet spring. They (not me) got’r’dun in record time, also not a moment too soon. If I can find my seeds, the rest will go in Thursday. And we’ll mow the lawn. And set the broody hen up with some fertile eggs. And brief the animal sitters. And pack the van. And prep the food. And all the while I’ll be turning my head!

If you need us, you’ll probably find us on the road, listening to Hamilton or Mike Perry, or possibly a little Westing Game, as we trundle on to our next destination,
KJ