After all...

It was the best of times and the worst of times…all in the space of about 3 hours. My brother Bryant is here visiting from Utah, and so my brother Rob and his family came up from Cincinnati. I was getting ready to go over to Mel’s for an adult evening, and when I got into my car, after barely starting up, it just felt sluggish. I got about 100 feet down the road and was not accelerating, so I got out to check tires. Bingo, flat tire on the driver’s side rear. Backed up to my house, and decided to try and pull it into the garage so we could change the tire later when it wasn’t freaking 9:30 at night and below 0. Got stuck in a drift in front of my garage door. Dang it. Called my brothers for help. After several years of getting stuck in the exact same spot, I have a method of getting out. Crank the wheel all the way right, put the gear into reverse, open the driver side door, and with one leg, rock the van. On the rock back, push the gas. Works every time. It worked this time too. Called my brother to tell him I didn’t need a push, just a ride. Could smell the bad tire by now, so I didn’t go into the garage. I just backed up behind the barn to keep the van out of the wind and walked back to the house. But here’s the clincher. This is the first time I’ve ever done this with Reynaud’s full fledged on. My hands were exposed 2, 3 minutes tops. By the time I got back to the house, my hands were white and I was in so much pain I was sobbing. I knew I had to get them warm fast. So I put them under what felt like scalding water (I tested it on my forearm, it was barely even warm) and stood over the sink crying while I waited for the pain to subside and the color to come back. It did, in a bright red and purple splotchy flush as expected. My hands felt stiff and painful for about a half hour longer, but not the screaming pain it was at first, just a dull throbbing.

That was obviously the worst of times.

The best was yet to come. Bry did come get me, and we went back to Mel’s. We all decided to play Balderdash. I have never, ever laughed so hard in all of my life. Rob plays not to win, but to make people laugh. Bryant kidn of did too this time, but it started out as not on purpose. The first word was “fizzog”. Rob wrote something ridiculous about a dragon that blows bubble instead of fire. Bry hands me a paper that reads something about blowing the fizz off a bear. He meant to write beer. But I was laughing so hysterically by the time I got to it I couldn’t even read it. It just went downhill from there. We have decided the best way to play this game is with siblings, late at night. Both act as anti-inhibitors. At some point we were all crying, we were laughing so hard. Bry came back here and is staying so we can all go to church. He will also help Paul shave properly because he needs it. My son called me 3 times while I was over there to make sure I was okay, and got a bed ready for Bry without being prompted. Tomorrow after church, my brothers and my dad will push my car into the garage to fix it and my hands feel nearly back to normal.

It was a good night after all.