Winds of Change

A hint of fall is in the air… Cooler days, trees bursting with brilliant colors, pumpkins set out on front stoops, scarecrows and cornucopia decorations hung on doors. The other night, the temperature dipped into the forties and the next morning I heard a spiced Chai Latte from Starbucks calling my name on my way to work. Yes, it won’t be long now before my favorite season arrives.

It's the season during which we got engaged and planned most of our wedding- I can't believe that was five years ago now! The season of big comfy sweaters, the premiere of new tv programs, Sunday afternoon football, freshly baked apple pies, Thanksgiving and… sickness! It never fails. Every year during that transition from summer to fall, I get struck down with that nasty little bug known as the common cold. I started feeling it coming on Thursday night with the sore throat and then all day Friday I felt like absolute crapola. The only thing I wanted to do was go home, put on my pajamas and crawl into bed.

After work I took some cold medicine, wrapped myself up in a blanket on the couch and flipped on the tv. My awesome husband ran to the store to get me some soup and half an hour later, brought me a piping hot bowl of chicken noodle, a piece of bread and a glass of soda. Then he brought me a pillow so I could lie down because I was starting to feel dizzy. I fell asleep shortly after 8, then woke up around 11 and dragged myself on upstairs. This morning I stayed in bed until almost 10! And my sweet husband again took care of me by making me breakfast and lunch. I really do appreciate all the pampering, don't get me wrong, but I'm one of those people that doesn't like to just sit on my behind and have someone wait on me when I'm sick. I feel like a lazy bum and guilty that someone else is doing all this work for me. I actually kept apologizing to Gregg for being sick!

He had to leave around 2:30 today to take care of sound & stuff for a mass choir event at church and he'll be gone until 9 or so. I hate that he has to work tonight, but I'm pretty much useless today anyway sitting here all stuffed up with Kleenex strewn all about me. Yes, I am so attractive right now. Ha, ha. Well, I'm resigned to watching bad tv for the next several hours and eating food I can't taste.

This past week at work, I spent training the new guy who's replacing me and transferring my cases over to him. It is weird having someone "shadow" me. I know he needs to learn the program, but it's like somebody's always reading over my shoulder. Oh well, just three more days before I start my new job and then I become the one who's reading over somebody's shoulder.

No real news to report on the car front. The insurance companies are still dead locked over the claim. Gregg's taking the X-Terra in for an inspection at a Geico-approved collision site to see how much the damages will cost on the 27th, which will be exactly one month since the accident happened. I couldn't bring it sooner because it would have necessitated taking the entire morning off from work, but now that I'll be working right here in Chambersburg Gregg can drop me off at my job and take the car. Geico said that they'd pay for the repairs minus our deductible and try to recoup the payment later from the other insurance company, but I don't want to take that chance especially when the accident was clearly not my fault. Thankfully, the X-Terra is driveable without the running board and while the car doesn't look very pretty it's not like stuff is hanging off of it or the bumper's missing.

Gregg's poison sumac cleared up completely last week and he looks like himself again! He was almost unrecognizable. He's still itchy in some spots, but it's a huge improvement from what it was. We've been avoiding the field behind our house since the incident.

Tomorrow Gregg's parents are stopping by on their way back from a wedding in Virginia and taking us out to dinner. It's always nice when they drop in for a visit. They'll probably have a ton of photos of our niece, Katelyn, to share. I'm really lucky that I got great in-laws and I actually enjoy spending time with them! Hopefully I'll be feeling better by then. I hate being sick. :(