We’ve been having our share of fun these past days. About a week ago, we discovered lice in Bethany’s hair. We did the whole lice thing – shampoo and nit-picking and bagging and vacuuming and the like. We’ve been doing multi-daily checks of everyone – Bethany has been clean, and nobody else has had any… until last night, when we discovered one lousy louse in Sarah’s hair. So, we did the whole lice thing, again. And everyone is nit-free, again. We’ll be diligent for the next few weeks; hopefully we will have finally seen the last of it. I’m told that lice are hard to get rid of… <sigh>

So, we had a busy night last night, and we had a busy morning this morning. I’ve never felt more like a “soccer mom” – I brought everyone to drop Julie off at her dentist, then brought the kids to Sarah’s dentist and waited there for her short visit, after which I brought the kids to Sarah’s school and dropped her off, after which I brought Bethany and Rebecca to Bethany’s school and waited for it to open and dropped her off, after which Rebecca and I picked up Julie at her dentist and went home, after which I was finally able to head to work. Fortunately, that’ll be Julie’s last trip to the dentist for a while (she’s not fond of dentistry), and Sarah’s minor orthodontics are going well.

Anyway, I was finally on my to work. I got all the way to Bellingham and drove happily down Holly, a minute or two from the office. I was in the right lane of the three-lane one-way road that is Holly. The car in the center lane, slightly ahead of me, stopped for a pedestrian on the left side of the road that wanted to cross the non-signaled, non-stop-signed crosswalk. So, I stopped as well. Unfortunately, the Ford F-250 behind me did not.

I didn’t even see it coming; perhaps that’s best. The rear bumper and tailgate are pretty tweaked, and my left rear turn signal is out. The damage somehow cascaded all the way to the driver-side door, which I can no longer lock. Amazingly, the truck still runs fine, I think, except when I wonder if I’m hearing new noises… The damage would cost $2,700 to fix at the body shop – approximately 270,000 times the “fair market value” of the truck – so I’m sure that the Ford’s driver’s insurance will declare it totaled. We shall see what tomorrow brings; I’m waiting for a call from his insurance company.

I’m okay, but understandably sore. I was convinced by, well, just about everyone, that I should see the doctor, so I did so – on the Ford’s driver’s insurance’s dime, of course. She told me to expect to be even more sore tomorrow, and for the next few days. Ibuprofen and I shall be good friends. Otherwise, I’ll probably be fine. But now I must retire, and pray that I can get out of bed in the morning. Good night!