We're now about one-third our way across the country. For a fleeting moment, I thought I was closer to LA than to my hometown Boston and I felt sad. I'm really beginning to miss my family and my "home."
THE MOVERS ARE COMING!
I found out that our moving truck will be arriving tomorrow morning and what was supposed to be a well-planned and smoothly executed unloading of the truck is now a bit more complicated. I've already been on the phone with the Redondo Beach Police Dept a few times already to try to get clearance for the big 18-wheeler. Sounds like blocking our street which happens to be the front entrance of an elementary school during the summer camp is not a good thing. What's wrong with that? We do that all the time in Boston! Double-park. Triple-park. Anywhere-you-park. I'm anxious to see how it goes as Air Boss and I will not be there to receive our boxes (and diffuse any disgruntled neighbors).
THE "D" WORD
Over dinner tonight, I started talking about death and dying with the kids. I wasn't prepared to bring up the subject until absolutely necessary but Omigee really hasn't been doing well at all. He's on Day 3 of his hunger strike and now looks weak and limp. Just before we left for dinner, I tried to feed him but found him listing sideways. His gills were no longer moving and his front fins weren't flipping as they usually do.
"He's dead! He's dead!" I cried out to Air Boss. I had forgotten there were minors in the room who hadn't been briefed on the subject of death.
"No he's not!" Air Boss said confidently as he jiggled Omigee's container. The fish freaked out and nearly flipped out of the container. "Whoa!"
Air Boss quickly put the lid on loosely just in case Omigee did want to expedite the termination process by jumping out.
Before bed, we had the kids pray for Omigee and they said the sweetest things. "Please God, help Omigee feel better. He needs to eat or else he'll die [Mommy, I need to eat too or else I'll die, right?]. We want him to come to LA with us. Please make him healthy and strong. Amen."
I keep telling myself that it's just a fish. It's just a fish. I don't know why it's affecting me this way. Perhaps I'm displacing some of my sadness of leaving my hometown (and my family and friends) to this fish. I don't know. For you psychoanalysts out there, please feel free to write in and let me know how silly I am to fret over such a small creature.
PASSING THE TIME AWAY
Since Air Boss and I are into some long-distance driving on this trip, we try to switch drivers every 3 hours or so. The routine is one drives, the other takes photos. Or rather, one drives and nags the other to take photos. You guess which is whom. Anyway, we're into photographing trucks and their unusual cargo loads. And spotting Atlas moving trucks and saying "that's our truck!"
Hope you enjoy the photos!
6 comments:
I'm addicted to your blog and pictures--it's somehow therapeutic to follow your journey across America while dealing with fussy babies in our apartment (just finished half an hour of bouncing Boochie to sleep in the kitchen). Blessings on Omigee (story of his name, please...related to "omigosh") and the family as you make it across the midwest.
Where are you? How are you? Nice descriptive writing, Dee, but I'm dying for some specifics! Today is the halfway mark, right? Looks like you're all building lots of memories........... Bless you and lots of prayer, Laurie
Omigee = named after the little yellow taxi in the movie "Cars" (Lolli couldn't pronounce Luigi, the car's name and it kept coming out as Omigee); pronounced: oh-MEE-gee
We're in Rolla, MO right now and just about to head off to Oklahoma City (our day's drive); we're going to try driving the famous Route 66 for a bit today!
Dee, you guys are making great progress! Praise God that Omigee is still alive. He must be pretty hearty to still survive after 3 days on a hunger strike on the road in 90+ temps. Sounds like the kids are hanging in there, too. A few more days and they'll be asking why you can't drive all day anymore once you arrive.
Maybe we can all get new fish friends when you arrive! I understand how you feel..I'm not usually attached to animals..It was always a challenge for me when I had kids come into counseling sessions totally depressed b/c their pet passed away. I guess it's a little easier to replace betas cuz they all look similar :) For a second there when saw the pic of Omigee, I thought my fish Jorge had resurrected on the East Coast! ;P
Have fun in OKC!
Oh, you are cracking me up with your fish stories!! Do your kids already understand that fish sticks are made of fish? Our kids recently understood it - tears, tears, tears... hope this won't be the case for your family! :)
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