I Need a Sign

Look at this picture:

 

It's nice, right?  Looks like it was probably a great day, right?  I have a major cold, but was trying to ignore it so I could get things done today.  But, to be honest, I felt like complete crap.  Despite feeling like crap, the day did start out great...but this is my life, after all, so it obviously couldn't stay that way.  At least it makes for a great blog.  Here's how it went:

 

I woke up early so that I could actually shower and get ready before taking the twins to preschool (I usually just throw my hair in a ponytail and put on clothes that just barely aren't pajamas) since I wanted to run to the grocery store first thing after dropping them off.  Then, I knew Adam and I would come home, knock out his schoolwork, pick the twins up an hour early from school and head to the doctor's office, where they were all three getting school physicals.  I had scheduled their appointments as closely together as I could: Anaya at 1:00, Audie at 1:20, and Adam at 3:20.  So I showered, got ready, got the kids up and made breakfast and packed lunches.  They ate, dressed, brushed teeth, and we were out the door almost on-time.  Standard.  So far, the day was going as planned.  Their preschool is literally 2 minutes from the house - I dropped them off and then Adam and I headed to Panera Bread for a little coffee/OJ date.  After that, we walked a couple doors down to Pier 1, then on to Trader Joe's.  We breezed through there and loaded groceries in the car and headed home.  At home, I unloaded the groceries, found an empty bagel bag Adam had left in the car, grabbed it to throw away, thought it might come in handy and stuffed it in my car console, instead.  We put away groceries, knocked out schoolwork, made Adam lunch to take, then headed to pick up the twins...almost on time.  As I strap them in, I hand them their sandwiches to eat on the way to the doctor.  Audie doesn't want his, but opts for his raspberries instead.  At about 12:30, we pass through the gate at Bolling AFB, and Audie says his tummy hurts.  I ask if it feels like he has to poop or throw up and he says poop. 

Side note:  Anaya had thrown up twice in the car on the drive home from Disney World on Saturday/Sunday, I got the bug Sunday/Monday, then Adam on Thursday/Friday and Alan on Friday/Saturday.  While at DW, Audie had several "issues" that I now deduced to be "the bug" so I counted him as hit and figured Alan was the last...

So I continue driving, looking for the standard signs on every base directing you to important places like the BX, Commissary, Post Office, Clinic, etc.  Well, it turns out that I am on the dumbest base ever and there are no signs.  So I drive to where I see a bunch of buildings.  Nothing.  So I turn around.  Audie complains again.  I dig out that bagel bag and hand it to him.  12:45.  Finally!  I see a sign directing me to "Bolling Clinic" with an arrow pointing straight ahead.  About a mile later, another sign pointing straight.  Great!  Right direction!  I keep heading straight...but there are no more signs and suddenly I'm in the housing area.  12:50.  A sign would be nice, God.  I pull over, pull up the base website on my phone, plug the address for the clinic into my GPS and start driving, not able to believe how close the clinic was to the gate I first came through and figuring I must have missed the sign to turn while putting away my ID.  When my GPS announced I had arrived at my destination, I looked around and saw only an unmarked building with a gated parking lot (not it) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (not it).  Thanks, GPS.  12:56.  Officially going to be late.  I yell, "This is unbelievable!  We're never coming back here!"  I try to call Alan to tell him to immediately go to the Tricare office and change us to Ft. Meyer.  I turn around, head back to where I happened to see the Post Office and Gym as we were driving to the wrong place, thinking it might be there.  I hear puking from the back.  Audie.  Really, God?  Now?  But he mostly hit the bag.  Thank God Adam left his trash lying there.   I tell him we're almost there and I'll clean him up.  He continues to puke.  My search in the new area turns up with nothing, so I pull over in a parking lot to clean up the mess.  We're already late, so what the hell.  I feel like crap and I want to cry.  At least I had the change of clothes in his preschool backpack.  As I'm cleaning things up, I look around and notice there are a lot of police cars.  I must be in front of SF.  OK, God, I'll take it.  Two cops come out, and I ask them for directions to the clinic.  It turns out I am headed in the right direction and the clinic is only about two blocks away...except there is a road closure between here and there, so I have to go out to the main road and around the block.  So I do that (it's about two miles and it is actually back on the road I was on with the signs pointing straight ahead), and make it a point to look for signs directing me where to turn.  THERE ARE NONE!!!  This is the most frustrating base I've ever been on!   The cop told me to turn right after the church.  There was no church, but I just turned where it looked like it would be a could of blocks down from where I had been talking to the cop.  Miraculously, I am on the right street and the clinic is directly in front of me.  I park, hurry inside and check in.  1:20.  The desk guy informs me we missed Anaya's appointment (gave me the days/times to reschedule), but they'll see Audie.  I'm immediately pissed because obviously these people should know what I've just been through and that I already feel like crap and they should just accommodate me!  Squeeze Anaya in with Audie!  How hard could it be - they're twins!  But, I remain as calm and nice as I can be (I did mention the lack of signage on the base) and we follow the nurse back to take Audie's vitals.  Then the doctor comes in and damn if she isn't SUPER NICE.  This is a problem because I had already decided that we were switching clinics.  She examines Audie, takes her time with us, asking questions and listening, not rushing and determines he's way too small for his age, so she wants to run some tests and I'll have to collect a poop sample.  Super.  Can't wait to do that.  Seriously, God?  I apologize for not making the first appointment and tell her a little of the story.  She corroborates the sign issue - said she couldn't find the clinic the first time and she works here (!).  Adam told her I said we were never coming back.  I confirmed that I did say that, but that it was in a moment of intense frustration.  She sent us out, telling me where a playground was nearby to pass the time until Adam's appointment.  We head to the playground and the kids have a blast (even Audie) until it starts to rain.  So we go sit in the car and have a snack for the remaining 20 minutes until Adam's appointment (I didn't want to sit in the clinic since Audie was sick).  We check in again, follow the nurse back to take Adam's vitals - except he takes them for Anaya, as well.  I ask why and he says the doctor is going to do both appointments together.  God.  Bless.  Her.  She knew I had had all I could handle and she saved me.  I don't know if I can leave her now.  I still have to make another trip to that clinic for Audie's lab work and both kids' shots, but at least I know where the darn clinic is now.  Thank you, God.

That, my friends, is a typical "Dayton day-to-day."  Ain't life grand?  But, seriously, thank God for that doctor's kindness.  She helped make a really crappy afternoon a little bit better and even in my moment of un-gratitude, I can recognize that. 

Don't forget to donate to my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!

God bless!