While away many amazing things happened to our family. I tried to record some of them. Here is the story of 7 year old Kyle’s Copperhead snake bite.
July 2007 . . .
The Short Version: On Tuesday afternoon, July 17, Kyle was bitten by a baby Copperhead Snake. (Because baby snakes have no self-control, their bite is much more powerful, because they release all their venom at once.) After a 3 day stay in the DC Children’s hospital and after receiving 14 vials of anti-venom, he is going to be ok. We are now back in Park City, home and safe.
The Long Story: Tuesday afternoon we went to meet our friends Quinn and Max at Carderock, part of the Great Falls area on the Maryland side of the Potomac River.
While we waited for our friends, I made a phone call while Davy took the boys on a little hike. While I was talking to Joe (one of the guys who works with us on our house), Kyle spotted a snake. He did the RIGHT thing and asked Dave if the snake was poisonous and then he asked Dave if he could pick it up. (Dave grew up here in Maryland and spent many a day as a boy catching snakes at this very same park). Dave thought the snake looked like a Rat Snake and told Kyle it would be ok to pick it up. Kyle walked around for about five minutes holding the snake in a responsible-snake-holding-position: around its head. Then Dave told Kyle that he thought it would be ok to hold the snake differently. At that, Kyle grabbed the snake around the middle. And at once, the snake showed its fangs and bit Kyle on his right index finger.
Eli came running out of the woods. “Kyle was bitten by a snake.” Kyle followed, sobbing, “Mommy, Mommy, I was bitten by a snake. I need a Band-Aid I need a Band-Aid NOW!” Kyle was so focused on the trickle of blood coming out of his finger that I am sure he did not notice his finger turning paper white and swelling up. I did.
I am sitting hear in the kitchen amidst the strewn carnage of what was once my laptop. I can see the innards and I tell you what, they aren’t pretty.
You see, a few long days ago, my computer started acting funny. (Right now I am using Dave’s computer to write this.)
We thought it was my hard drive and because I have not backed it up in a long time, I thought that I had lost many of your emails and many of my photos. Dave spent two days trying to connect to my computer. Last night we threw our hands in the air and drove over to CompUSA and bought a new hard drive. Dave spent a few more hours taking apart my computer and installing the new hard drive.
Oh, did I mention that yesterday was our EIGHT YEAR ANNIVERSARY? We were too distracted to really care. He bought me flowers and I bought him new cereal bowls. Woo-hoo! I love you Dave. Instead, in celebrating, he was installing and I was staying out of his way. I felt so bad.
Finally, he came into our room and said,
“The NEW hard drive doesn’t work. The good news is that it is not your hard drive. We will eventually be able to get your pictures and email. The bad news is that your computer is hosed. I think it is your mother board.”
With that, I encouraged him to come watch a movie with me and celebrate our eight years together [wink, wink] and so we did.
If I owe you an email and I know that I owe many of them, now it is going to take even longer. I am praying that we can recover everything. I guess it just makes sense, my camera is already in the shop, so what’s losing the other most important gadget in my life?
P.S. I just had an idea. If you need to get ahold of me, post a comment.
We just got back from Capitol Reef/Boulder/Torrey, Utah. We had a great long weekend away. It is late and I need to get my body in bed. Until tomorrow please enjoy some pictures I took with our our Old School First Generation Pentax Optio-S point-and-shoot Digital Camera. Yes, my D70 is in the shop again. And I tell you what — it is a crazy day when my old Optio (with its dinosaur burst rate) focuses and takes a comparable picture to my newer and much more expensive Nikon D70.
Easy E. and our new friends, the Harley Riders: The Anasazi Museum, Boulder, Utah. Thank God we walked the tiny museum together. I felt like we were traveling with our very own crew from Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Here is a self-portrait of me kissing my new friend, Horse-Horse. We met and named Horse-Horse at the awesome lodge where we stayed our first night.
Dave, Eli and Kyle. Torrey, Utah.
If there is a Narnia on Earth, I think we found it here in Fruita, Utah (the edge of Capitol Reef National Park). We stood and watched as the deer watched us as all of us (the deer, Dave, me and the boys) ate the crazy purple berries off of the trees.
Easy E on a flight to California — Copyright CrazyUs.com
In all the several hundred flights I have taken, I have never ever dealt with such a rude and inappropriate flight attendant. She was not only a bitchy, she was brusque to our entire section. When we realized that she was not singling us out individually, our section of the plane united, and all became amused watching her unravel before our eyes.
We all silently laughed when our crabby flight attendant accused the man two rows in front of us for and I quote “trying to kill” her because his child’s blanket fell into the aisle. I think my personal favorite Alexis-the-crappy-flight-attendant faux pas was when she walked up to my row and firmly addressed me. As soon as she knew I was paying attention, (in not quite an Academy-Award-winning performance, but close), with full, mouth-based sound effects, she turned her nose high in the air and rolled her eyes like a crazed Bobble-Head Doll:
“Ma’am…”
Um Alexis, I think you forgot your company’s Mission Statement? You know, the one you agreed to when you got the job.
Easy E on a flight to California — Copyright CrazyUs.com
“The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit.”
Making my friend’s desperate-to-pee, two and a half year old son walk the entire length of the plane to the back (we were in aisle five) to use the bathroom because you couldn’t take one second to step into an empty row so he and his father could pass by you just wasn’t cool. And then telling them, just in case they couldn’t figure it out themselves, that under no circumstances were they going to use the bathroom in the front of the plane, wasn’t the warmest, most friendly way to handle that situation. You know what I mean?
Southern California – Copyright CrazyUs.comSouthern California – Copyright CrazyUs.com
I am feeling a little sea-sick today. I think I picked up some stomach funk on the plane.
Somehow and after spending four hours at Kyle’s school this morning, I found the time to take inventory of my gazillion trip photos. I am completely frustrated because I think my camera’s Exposure Compensation is still messed up, but that is a whole other issue.
Southern California – Copyright CrazyUs.com
Alas and please don’t worry, fore I present to you my trip photos. Please enjoy all one-hundred and three photos. (Yes, this is the trimmed down version.) So turn off the lights, pop some popcorn and no, I won’t be offended at all if you need to take a few breaks. And for all you flickr People, please now that I will upload them to my account soon. For right now, this was a lot easier and faster.
Southern California – Copyright CrazyUs.comSouthern California – Copyright CrazyUs.comSouthern California – Copyright CrazyUs.com
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Oh and Y, I am really bummed. I would have loved to taste some of your awesome Mexican recipes. Next time.
Oh, Oh and Wilmer updates coming tomorrow or after my stomach settles.
Southern California – Copyright CrazyUs.comSouthern California – Copyright CrazyUs.comSouthern California – Copyright CrazyUs.comTagged : Family Travel
Salt Lake City, Utah: Easy E’s Muddy Feet Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
My sister called me as Eli found the only mud puddle (might I add, thick mud) in the very dry super large park just after we finished watching the Pioneer Day Parade and while Dave went to get more salt.
“Don’t you all dress up for Pioneer Day?” she asked me.
Kyle ran to see more ducks that were scattered among the 50,000 or so people as Eli sobbed,
“I am big muddy, Mommy.”
Me and Easy E, at the Pioneer Day Parade, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
Back to the phone call, I intently responded to my sister:
“Well, I put matching shirts on the boys so I can keep track of them — if that counts. I guess the clowns dressed up and the people on the floats, but no, we don’t dress up for Pioneer Day.”
Ok. I am exaggerating my response a bit. I probably just said:
“No we don’t dress up for Pioneer Day.”Exaggerated response or not, as Dave was still retrieving salt, I thought to myself, “The outside world must have the same view I did/do.”
A Few (typical) Utah Stereotypes — as seen from the Outside of the state:
1. Everybody in Utah is required to dress up for Pioneer Day, Bonnets and All.
2. Everyone in Utah is a Republican.
3. There are No homosexuals in Utah.
4. Women in Utah are especially good at crafts. (You know with all the quilts we are making and bread we are baking.)
5. Everyone in Utah is an extreme, non-swearing, non-caffeine-drinking and a Mormon.
6. All the stores in Utah are closed on Sunday.
7. Additionally, there are no Liquor Sales on Sunday.
(Actually I don’t think you can buy alcohol in Utah County on Sunday or in Montgomery County, but Montgomery County is in Maryland.)
Wawa, harv and the boys at the Pioneer Day Parade, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
[Back to the parade or the parade story:]
So are Utah parade’s and customs any different? After my recollection, you decide. So last night about midnight I found myself on the phone with the Delta Customer Service Agent, Umberto. Umberto had the most soothing voice I have ever heard spoken by a Customer Service person. As he made our reservations, even going as far to sense our next request, and then change the dates, because he heard Dave speaking in the background, I realized that I would have to end my therapeutic and darn right relaxing conversation. I needed some sleep. We needed to be at the parade early to help Mom save seats.
Float at the Pioneer Day Parade, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
It did not matter that my Mom called at the crack of dawn. We were still late. When she came to pick up our chair, thank goodness she told me to stay home and that she would get seats for us. I had a whole forty-five minutes to relax and get everyone ready. I chose breakfast and five more minutes of sleep over washing my hair. Who cares if it has been like six days since I last washed my hair?
Because the road was blocked off, we could not make it to where my Mom and Harvey were seated. We we walked those long city blocks in the opposite direction of the parade route. In spite of their screams and urgings to get out and WALK NOW, I thanked myself for insisting on putting the boys in the double stroller. A girl threw a firecracker at the boys (true story.) And as we walked by her, I felt a sense of pride as we rushed by and I threw her a big Angry Mommy look.
Wawa and Easy E, Pioneer Day Parade, Salt Lake City, Utah
We arrived and got situated about seventeen times. Then the parade began. The cool cop motorcycle riders stopped right in front of us and did their cool cop motorcycle tricks. As the floats and marching bands passed, Dave and I kept reminiscing about the drill team championships on the Eastern Shore during our honeymoon. These sloppy Utah marching bands didn’t compare.
“And remember someone was shot at the drill team championships? And someone getting shot totally trumps Dick Nourse and the Channel Two News Team.” I proclaimed.
As I took pictures of the floats and my kids, I saw that my kids were much more interesting to look at. The anticipation of seeing such dignitaries as Bob the councilman from Murray, UT and the Copper Field Marching Band (members totaling thirty-one) couldn’t ease the onset of my A.D.D. and as Orrin Hatch passed by and waved, I could only muster a half-hearted comment,
“Down the hatch!”
Even our “Mystery Science Theatre 3000” back seat commentary couldn’t save us, and by float eighty-eight Kyle said,
“I am done watching people go by.”
Wawa & Kyle, Pioneer Day Parade, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
Somehow both boys settled back onto my Mom’s lap. Thank goodness for Grandmas! With my very full bladder, we made it to the end, float number one-hundred and twelve.
Pioneer Day Parade, Salt Lake City, Utah
With mine and Kyle’s bladder relieved upon Kyle’s urging to,
“do something fun now,” we made our way into the crowds of people and all the vendors cooking their hot food in the 95 degree heat where my story began.
Big Daddy at the Pioneer Day Parade, Salt Lake City, Utah
After soaking themselves in water streams, we, I mean the kids, tearfully left the park. We were actually quite happy. Sure, we are in Utah. And yes, we were celebrity Mormon Pioneers. But like the fourth of July that we celebrated on the third of July (July 4th fell on a Sunday this year), today’s parade was like any other mid-size town parade: crying kids, stepping mud and gum and corn on the cob with lots of salt.
And after such a big day and a stop to get me and the kids some lunch, we went home and all took long naps.
Us at the Pioneer Day Parade, Salt Lake City, Utah
