Theory Proved

Spoils of a Long Day Shopping

A long held personal theory was validated late last night although I take no pleasure in being proved correct. I’ve always thought that sustained shopping was inimical to health. My brother in law spent the entire day with two of the most ardent practitioners of the art – my and his wife. I returned home from work to an empty house with a message form my wife not to expect them any time soon – my heart immediately went out to what I was sure was a suffering brother in law.

The Victim

Since I was once again blessed with some free time I made another lemming like trip to Home Depot to stock up more blocks for the third stage of back yard terrace building (that hill is taller than it looks – especially after the 15^th trip up). I also gave Buddy an overdue thoroughly unappreciated bath and planted the wife’s shrubberies in the second level garden. I was sure they would return by the time I finished all these chores but that was not to be. When I queried their location – I received a terse reply of “TJ MAXX!!!!” Hearing they had penetrated the sun center of my wife’s shopping universe I settled into the Man Cave for DVR remediation.

New Blocks on Hillside Above Buddy

The conquering heroines and long suffering brother in law finally did reappear later in the night and he salved his wounds in the Man Cave with me. My theory was proved at 1:30am when my wife woke me up to tell me her brother was experiencing severe shortness of breath and that we had to take him to the emergency room. She woke the Neighborhood Mafioso up for some guidance on possible locations. The clinic she thought might be open wasn’t so we opted for the nearby UMASS Medical Center emergency room. It was deja vu all over again as I found myself standing in the same position I was earlier in the year with my daughter’s appendicitis episode. Not anything I was looking to repeat.

I'm Convinced it was the Shopping that Did It!

The UMASS people were their usual top notch professionals and he was seen quickly and we were talking with a doctor less than an hour after showing up. During the wait we did get to see some of the inanity of the presidential debate which was playing in the waiting room on repeat mode. The trip through the emergency room treatment area was kind of surreal as the flotsam and jetsam of Worcester humanity was strewn about. He was diagnosed with a severe allergic reaction (my wife claims it was the Man Cave – to which I became very defensive). After being checked out and armed with a couple prescriptions we left in search of an all-night pharmacy. This fun adventure had us home and back in bed around 4am. I forwent the morning workout when I woke up this morning.

The Cali-Ladies

Got the Music Gene from Dad