April 11th, 2011

This has been a weak start for Springtime. We’re what, three weeks into this spring, and it’s just now getting warm? This weekend it finally got to where I can comfortably wear short sleeves outside, so I wanted to start showing off some of my new t-shirt designs. Saturday morning, I chose to wear my Go ask your mother t-shirt.

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Also on Saturday morning: Calfgrit6 was feeling bad. His throat hurt and he just looked pathetic. So I took him to the doctor’s office.

While sitting in the waiting room, a husband and wife sitting across from CG6 and I noticed my shirt. The wife said, “You’d like that shirt, wouldn’t you.”

The husband smiled and said, “Yeah, definitely.”

Then the nurse called my Calfgrit6 back to see the doc. They ran a test and diagnosed him with strep throat. The poor little guy had a reason for feeling bad. They gave us a prescription and sent us on our way.

As we walked through the waiting room on our way out of the office, a mom with a little girl noticed my shirt. “Oh, I love your shirt,” she said. “Thanks,” I said back to her as I herded my sick little boy through the doors.

Calfgrit6 and I then went to Target to get his prescription filled. While in the store waiting for the pharmacist to prepare the concoction, we wandered about in the toy section. I was high on showing off my shirt, but no one was even noticing me, much less my t-shirt. All the other shoppers were just going about their business, paying me no mind.

Then there was this one dad strolling slowly down an aisle with his young daughter. His little girl was oohing and aahing at the toys, and he was just kind of eye-wandering with a blank expression on his face. Calfgrit6 was looking at some Pokemon cards, and I was just standing next to him. I turned slightly to nonchalantly present my t-shirt to the approaching dad. Our eyes never met, but I did notice the dad’s gaze fall on my shirt. He saw the design, and smiled. Then he and his daughter passed us without a word spoken.

BAM! Four people noticed my shirt in just a short morning. And all had a positive reaction.

When we finished exploring the toy section of the store, we made our way back to the pharmacy. We picked up Calfgrit6’s medicine, and then left the store.

Back in my truck, with Calfgrit6 buckled in his seat behind me, I was just aglow from pride in my shirt. Yep, I thought, I’ve hit the target with this design.

Then, as we were driving out of the parking lot, I heard a sound from Calfgrit6. It’s a sound all parents know, and dread. Then he said, “Daddy, I just threw up.”

I pulled over into a parking area to help him. I grabbed various napkins and tissues, and opened his back door to clean him up. His hands and lap were covered in slimy yuck. Fortunately, he hadn’t eaten any breakfast. (His throat hurt too much.) But still, it’s nasty. I got him cleaned up enough that he could hold on till we got back home.

So ended my self-congratulatory high: with puking. At least he didn’t throw up on my new, cool shirt.

Bullgrit