Brookfield Wannabe

This blog is all fluff, but I have to recognize the milestone.

I gotta give a shout out to my dad who turned 80 yesterday!! 

He says he has no secret as to why he has lived so long.  Maybe it's the noodles.

For as far back as I can remember, in keeping with Chinese tradition, my mom would make us eat noodles at each of our respective birthday celebrations.  Noodles are supposedly a Chinese symbol of long life, at least that's what she said.

You're saying to yourself," But, Roxanne, I thought you were Filipino." 

And you'd be right; we are.  I have no idea what got my mom started with the whole noodle thing, but she always had a host of superstitions/traditions that she would make us follow.

Like wearing polka dots on New Year's Eve, even if it was only on your pajamas.  Don't ask.  I'm still kind of sensitive about that somewhat embarrassing one.

So, last night, we had noodles for my dad, and his grandchildren "helped" to blow out his candles.  (When you have children in your family that are all under the age of 5, no adult is ever allowed to blow out his/her own candles.)

Recently, my dad has taken to saying that he is in "the last quarter," but I hope he goes into "overtime". 

On Wednesday evening, I attended the visitation of the father of a friend.  He died suddenly last weekend of a pulmonary embolism while my friend and her husband were on vacation in Ireland.  When I got to the front of the line, without saying anything to each other, my friend and I hugged and then cried and then hugged some more.  She then pulled back until we were at arms length and, with both of her hands tightly clasping both of mine, she looked me in the eye and asked, "Does it get any better?"

This friend had attended my mother's visitation, and she wanted to know what I felt now, one year later.  But my mind was blank, and when something finally popped into my head, I said it out loud.

"I don't know yet."

Then, we hugged and cried some more.

Two days later, I'm still wondering if I said the "right" thing.  I'm not sure what she needed from me in that moment.  Did she need honesty from me?  Or did she need to hear me say, "Yes, it gets better," even if that was not what I felt.

I think that's what threw me.  I don't know if it really gets "better".  Maybe "duller" is more appropriate.  And maybe ten, twenty years from now, I'll have another word to describe it.

I feel bad that I didn't use the opportunity to ease her mind.  I might have answered differently if I could have mulled it over for a bit.  But her question blindsided me, and I answered from my gut, not my head.

In retrospect, knowing this friend, I think she did want to know what I was feeling.  But for that particular instance, I can't help but think that a bit of comfort would have been better.
 

The week before school started, the teenager came down with a cold.  Despite feverish handwashing and use of hand sanitizer, the preschooler was sick by the third week of school.  By the next week, guess who had it?  All of this would not have been so bad if we hadn't had a trip to DisneyWorld scheduled the week after that.  So with much praying and ingesting of Vitamin C (and Claritin D on my part), we were all sufficiently recovered to enjoy our trip this past week.  However, on the plane, I swear every child seated in my family's vicinity was coughing.  The woman seated directly behind the preschooler was also coughing up a lung. So, now that we're back, the prayer and ingestion of Vitamin C have begun again.

So, the topic today is that season we all dread: the cold and flu season. 

Over-the-counter cold medications for infants (children 2 and under) have been pulled off the shelves due to accidental overdoses administered by parents.  (When clicking on this link, go to "Top Stories" and hit the tab until you see the title "Infant Cold Medicines Pulled Off Market".)

Apparently, some parents either disregarded or overlooked the dosage instructions, which most of the time advise you to seek the advice of a doctor before giving it to children under the age of 2.  So, when dealing with over-the-counter medications, for adults as well as kids, remember that they still are "medications".

Have you gotten your flu shot yet?  I always get mine early because I am in one of the high risk categories.  In the past, I have stood in line to get a shot at Mayfair Mall and at the Waukesha County Expo Center for shoo the flu clinics sponsored by the VNA.  Last year, however, I found a better alternative, right here in Brookfield.

Aurora QuickCare has two locations in Brookfield, one in the Aurora Pharmacy located at 17280 W. North Avenue and one in the Brookfield Square Mall.  My dad and I got our shots today at the North Avenue location.  I called ahead to make sure they had a supply of the vaccine.  We just walked in, and there was no wait.  In the past, there has been a line, but the wait time was relatively short.  (If you're concerned about lines, call ahead).  Aurora QuickCare does take Medicare (there was no charge for my dad) and some insurance plans.  If your insurance is not presently included, the cost is $30.  Be aware that not everyone can get a flu shot.  If you decide to use Aurora QuickCare, read the consent forms carefully and let the nurse know of any medications you are on and inform her of any medical conditions or allergies that you may have, especially if you have never had a flu shot before. 

For my daughter, I take her to the pediatrician to get her a flu shot.  My doctor's office had the vaccine as early as the end of September. 

So, for my part, I've done about all I can do to keep from getting sick.  The only thing left would be holding my breath... or maybe living alone in a plastic bubble (remember that John Travolta movie?), which doesn't sound half bad right now.