Faulty Plumbing

It's been far too long since I've posted.  No, Sumie didn't imprison me for giving Mimi a mullet.  That would've been much more preferable to what actually happened. 

Last Wednesday night, nearly 5 days ago, I met friend for dinner.  We went for Mexican at a local place Sumie and I had visited multiple times before.  The food is tasty, the drinks are strong, and the prices reasonable.  Normally.  This time, though, my meal cost me far more than usual.  Particularly given that I couldn't keep it down. 

When I arrived home around 10:30 that night, I was in the full-blown throes of a serious case of food poisoning.  It continued until 6:00am.  My dear wife slept by my side, waking up every 15 minutes or so to say, "You poor thing."  I was not in a good way. 

Thursday morning found me relatively stabilized but exceedingly groggy and entirely unable to keep anything down.  This made watching Mimi a bit of a challenge.  I couldn't leave the house, but Mimi was in no mood for sympathy.  For a full hour she chanted "Go!  Go!" next to the stairwell.  The girl likes to go outside.  

Despite the occasional calls for freedom, Mimi was a good girl for me that day.  She napped well, and even let me snooze on the couch without tearing the house apart.  I think she knew something was wrong with her Papa that day.  By the time Sumie came home that night I was able to keep down some juice.  An improvement, thanks in part to Mimi. 

Friday found Mimi at daycare and me convalescing.  That afternoon I had my first few bites of food.  It had been at least 36 hours since I'd last eaten.  It seemed like I was on the mend. 

But then Saturday came.  The day started innocently enough, with me serving up blueberry pancakes, bacon (I only had one piece!), and scrambled eggs.  Health seemingly restored, we set out for a quick trip to Baker Beach.  Here's Mimi and Sumie making their way up the long staircase from the ocean below. 

Mimi, that trooper, insisted on walking the whole way.  Mama provided the occasional boost, but for the most part, she scaled that entire stairway herself.  She was beyond proud of herself when she hit the top. 

I've never come across a more independent little girl.  She even insisted on carrying her own sand toys - despite them weighing more than she does!

After the beach, and a nap back at home, we drove over to the Moscone Center to pick up Yoomi, a friend of Sumie's from New York.  They'd been through residency together and it was a rare treat for them to meet up again. 

The four of us decided on a quiet dinner at Ju-Ku, a small Japanese izakaya close to our home.  As usual, the food was excellent, especially the fried chicken.  Mimi was on her best behavior.  For nearly two hours she didn't moan or complain.  She just focused on eating, trying to steal Yoomi's glasses, and figuring out how many used chopsticks she could fit in her water glass.  Unfortunately, this last game came to a rather disastrous end for Mimi's dress and Sumie's pants.  That was our cue to head home.  And so we did.

By the time we entered the house, both Mimi and I knew something wasn't quite right.  All that rich food wasn't sitting well with me and Mimi, well, she hadn't pooped for a few days.  This, combined with a full day, made her a bit grumpy.  We changed her out of her wet clothes and she threw a massive tantrum when confronted with her pjs.  She decided to seek solace in the hall carpet.  Why she had to keep her butt in the air, I've no idea.

Things took a further turn for the worse for Mimi and me Sunday morning.  Mimi, Sumie and I were expected at a friend's house for brunch that morning, but it wasn't looking good.  Mimi's plumbing was still severely backed up and mine, once again, had shut down entirely.  And if that wasn't enough, humans weren't the only ones with plumbing problems that morning.  The storm drain in our garage had backed up overnight - perhaps because of the steady rains - making the garage completely uninhabitable.  Basically, everything had gone to shit. 

Mimi and I took pity on Sumie, who had been on call all last week, and let her go enjoy her brunch in peace while we dealt with our various plumbing problems.  And we made some headway.  Mimi, that brave little girl, was eventually able to poop all on her own - and in her potty at that!  I tackled the garage, eventually getting the water level down low enough so we could get to the trash cans.  I was still feeling queasy, but at least I was keeping down juice.  By 1:00, when we had to pick up Sumie, Mimi and I had enjoyed a rather productive morning - despite our handicaps. 

Today I'm feeling a little better, but I still can't take anything in.  I've resigned myself to juice for the next few days.  I suppose it's best for me.  And it's linked to the one positive that's come from my food poisoning: I've finally lost some weight!