The Hit List - Bad Moons and Killer Lemonade

I am a sucker for a kid at a lemonade stand. Even though the lemonade is always subpar, I don’t know what it is (maybe the young entrepreneurship) but put a stand on my path and I’m all over it.

So when I saw the sweet little girl sitting at her stand on Monday evening, I couldn’t resist. I threw down a few bucks and walked away with my Dixie cup filled to the brim. It was a hot day so I chugged down the nasty Country Time swill (Moms: teach your children to make real lemonade. It’s not hard at all.) and went about my business.

Later that night, I was out for my nightly walk and I was struck by how creepy the moon looked. I snapped a few pictures and thought that moon felt like a sinister omen. But then again, maybe it was just another full moon and I was just being superstitious. Better to sleep on it and not be neurotic I thought so I hit the sack.

But that sleep didn’t last long and I was awakened early in the morning by stomach pains. They were so bad that I couldn’t get back to slumberland so I just got up and decided to get some work out of the way.

As the day progressed, I started feeling queasy and sweaty. This was not a good thing as I had a full client roster and a class to teach (plus I despise sweating). I threw up a few times during the day but other than the stomach thing, I was completely functional. This changed around six o’clock and I knew I had to cancel the rest of my night. I had now moved on to projectile vomiting ala The Exorcist. Lovely. You can’t do readings or teach with that going on.

I spent the next twelve hours in agony, feverish, headachey, throwing up constantly, cursing the lemonade and that ominous moon. Mind you, this was right on the heels of my food poisoning episode a few weeks back so my stomach was already tender.

Although some of the symptoms were similar, this was markedly different and felt more like some sort of flu due to the headache and profuse sweating (I also found out a friend had the same symptoms so this confirmed that there is some bug going around here). By late Wednesday evening, it finally broke and I was able to rest.

The next day, I was on the mend and back in business. Thankfully, I am pretty strong and I am rarely down for long. I’ve got Dad’s good genes that way.

The only thing I can trace this to is that lemonade stand (husband and I ate the same all day but he wisely avoided that lemonade stand because he said he felt something was “off” there). I’m aware that kids are not always the most sanitary creatures. Who knows? Maybe the people in that house had the stomach virus and she passed it on to me? Or maybe I got this somewhere else. Whatever the case, lesson learned.

I’ll be taking a pass on those lemonade stands and be looking for the bottled water stands instead.

Other stuff:

I love people who are kind to animals. Snoop Lion is working to stop animal shelter euthanasia.

This photography series of 4 sisters photographed every year for 36 years is fascinating. Watching their changes (and fashion changes!) over almost four decades is amazing.

This story of a mentally ill Chinese man caged by his parents in a stone cell for 30 years was heartbreaking.

If my cats weren’t so destructive, this is the couch I would have in my house. WOW.

Stride Rite doesn’t get it right when it comes to gender stereotypes. Maybe girls don’t want to “wish like a princess”. I had no interest in pink or princess crap when I was a girl. (I was into black, purple and silver – and I was fascinated with chemistry sets and cooking.)

I lust after men with long hair but this page is HILARIOUS! Guys With Fancy Lady Hair? My husband better not try this at home!

Super stoked that I’m getting the new book Money, A Love Story: Untangle Your Financial Woes and Create the Life You Really Want by Kate Northrup in the mail on Tuesday! I love books about money and this one promises to be a goodie.

What I’m Grateful For:

Understanding clients

A day off to heal

Madeleine cookies

Air conditioning

Being able to eat normal food again

Patience

Wellness

Soundtrack for 8/24/13: The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen (shoulda heeded that moon….)