Ang's Journal

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....about gardening in Colorado???



I checked the weather, just a couple of days ago, to see if anything like this was in the forecast before planting. Today was supposed to have some rain - no mention of hail! But then the Denver Post runs this article: Storms brewing in the afternoon with big hail on the horizon: "Severe storms are possible in the foothills and Interstate 25 corridor Saturday afternoon, with strong winds up to 60 mph and hail that could reach 1 inch in diameter, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder."

The second I heard the hail hitting the walkway outside my front door, I grabbed blankets & ran out back. I unrolled a length of heavy-grade chicken wire over the front two rows & threw the blankets over that. My landlord Liz came running out with heavy plastic buckets from shrubs she just planted this week. Those went over the bigger plants in the back row.

The hail seems to have stopped for now, but I think I'll leave the defenses up until morning.

Not today, Satan...

Today was messy.

For the second time in about two weeks, I was assailed with extremely horrible nausea, like food poisoning. I stopped for lunch on the way home around 1 PM & by 1:15 PM, I had to pull over & vomit violently all over the street in a lovely Denver neighborhood. After I had completely purged my stomach, I thought the worst was over, so I drove to a cell phone repair shop I had been heading to so I could make arrangements to have my phone repaired (New phone, broke the screen already. My life.). That took about 15 minutes, & as I was heading back to my truck, I got hit by another wave of nausea, much stronger. I was doubled over along the side of this shitty little strip mall near Mile High Stadium, retching uncontrollably, with tears & snot running down my face.

And this guy walks over to me from the nearby bus stop with two bottles of water. "Hey, are you OK?" I mumbled something. He cracked open one bottle of water & handed it to me, saying, "Little sips, remember to breathe." I sipped some water & promptly threw it back up. He patted my shoulder & said, "Let's wash your face off. I'll pour, you wash." He poured a very small stream of water onto my shaking hands & I feebly swiped at my face. "Wipe your nose, chica. There you go. Get your hair, there." After I was at least a little bit cleaner, he said, "Now - where are you going?"

I explained that my truck was parked right there & that I was going to try to drive home. He asked me if there was anyone there to take care of me & looked dubious when I said there wasn't (hotpantsgalore & weedweasel went skiing at Vail today). But he walked me back to my truck & said, "I hope you feel better soon." I thanked him, semi-conherently, & drove home. It was close - I threw up again in my front yard & then slept (passed out?) in the backyard for some amount of time. I have since eaten a little bit of soup & even that's not feeling so great. I also managed to shower. Right now, I'm sucking on crushed ice & cuddling with Shadeaux. Dog cuddles are helping as much as anything else.

There are good people in the world. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
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I'm a little concerned that I have had two MAJOR bouts of vomiting in two weeks. I have a couple of thoughts as to what might be causing it. My crew washed my truck today - inside & out - & the last time I got sick was the first day I had the truck, & I know they washed it before I got it. I wonder if something in their cleaning supplies is making me sick. Another possibility is the container of mixed nuts I bought & put in my office for snacking. I was munching on them this morning, & I think I've only broken into them one other day. But I'm not sure if that other day was the last time I got nauseated.