Today was lovely. The girls were here and helping me and Lily was watching her favorite tween shows. I was packing my first boxes to move. Jamie made strawberry lemonade we all enjoyed and she was on her second batch. It was about 2:30. The knife she was using to cut the lemons slipped and made a deep cut in the space between the thumb and index finger on her left hand, which has lemon juice on it... She was close to shock and the wound was bleeding. I found cotton to stop the bleeding and when I could see it it was evident she needed stitches or at least examination by a professional.

I went looking for a clinic/doc in a box. The Walgreens in Inglewood had that on their sign so we all troop in and the check-in machine doesn't ask the right questions...my address vs. Jamie's, phone number problems, etc. Just as the check-in machine is getting settled the person in charge says they don't do anything with stitches and suggests Rivergate. I know where it is, but the pharmacists are telephoning and the stores they are recommending are closed or they don't know where it is.

Jamie is very stoic as we leave to go to the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Clinic. It was exactly what I knew it would be...a capable physician's assistant comes in, washes the wound wound with betadine, puts an antibiotic on it, says she will reappear when it has been on for 30 minutes. What seemed like an hour later she reappears, asks my opinion about whether they should use glue or stitches. I recommend glue because it will not be as painful, but they opt for stitches saying it is a 50/50 choice. She disappears again for what seems like a long period (which is why I wanted a doc in the box...we would have been in an out long ago!) and finally came in and put in four stitches.

It was obvious that they hurt because she whimpered a bit. They also recommended a tetanus shot, so we waited a long time for the person to reappear with the shot and an antibiotic. Jamie is concerned that the betadine makes her hand look like Homer Simpson.

While we were waiting son Kirk called...today is his birthday. He pointed out that 11 years ago on his birthday I fell down steps and I spent the day in the emergency room. An early picture of Jamie is on my chest learning to hold up her head. I am in an apparatus that reminds me of the racks in a toaster. By this time the phone has no charge and Kirk goes off to a day long barbeque.

BUT, after a long, neat then stressful day, I checked and Bobbie's Dairy Dip is open until 8. We got there at 7. LONG LINES, but the girls were really impressed that the food was so good! I think I got an Elmer Fudge that was chocolate with chocolate syrup and a blue cheese hamburger and fries, all of which was terrific.

Hope your day has been lovely!

Tiredly,

Lynetta