The dog ate my homework, and other excuses for my absence

It took us about 3 1/2 hours to get to Baltimore on Friday. We could probably have made better time if we'd really tried, but we were pretty content with the trip, given the fact that two young passengers and my own impossibly small bladder were along for the ride. Nonetheless, we hoped to make the trip home two days later in slightly better time.

It didn't happen.

One asthma attack, several awkward nebulizer treatments provided courtesy of the electrical outlets in rest stop bathrooms, an anxious call to our pediatrician's office, a harried search for an emergency room somewhere around exit 6 off the Turnpike, multiple courses of treatments, several x-rays, an admission which necessitated an ambulance ride to another hospital with a pediatric ward, an overnight stay with all 4 of us crammed into 2 single hospital beds, another full day of treatments, a pneumonia diagnosis, an asthma diagnosis and a final, exhausted drive later, we pulled into our garage yesterday evening at about 8:30. The trip took us, in all, just over 33 hours.

Not quite the time we were hoping for. But when I say that at least we all made it home safe and sound, you can rest assured that for once, I really and truly mean it.