Columbus, Day One

Here's Emmie playing with Mommy at the gate as we waited for our flight.

I learned a few things on my recent trip to Ohio. The first is that flying with a sinus infection is just plain silly. Mind you, I wouldn't have dreamed of postponing my trip and I don't regret going, but the pain and mind-scrambling that resulted from the descent into Columbus was indescribable.

I had all sorts of expectations about what my reunion with the Brown family might be like and none of them involved feeling like I was underwater and in a vise grip. I smiled, nonetheless, and felt like I was in another dimension when my friend and her precious children were actually standing before me. We drove home to their house for City Barbecue that Mr. Brown graciously picked up on his way home from work. The mustard-based barbecue sauce was out of this world, and I really enjoyed dinner - except that I could hear myself chewing. More on that later. As if the barbecue weren't fantastic enough, my hosts also provided Graeter's Ice Cream for dessert.

You know you're really sick when you tell your friend you've barely seen in two year, "No, thank you. I'll wait on the ice cream. Could you drive me to urgent care?" We arrived literally as the not-so-nice people at the clinic were about to turn out the lights and lock the door. I saw a doctor who confirmed I had a raging ear infection. He prescribed antibiotics, suggested decongestants, and sent me on my way. The nurse even gave me some numbing drops so that I had some measure of relief and hope of sleeping. After a yummy bowl of ice cream I crawled into bed and prayed that I would begin feeling better in the morning.