Ouch.

Saturday, I planned on working at the rental house in Bedford. It's nearly done. Unfortunately, the tenant shoveled his half of the drive onto my half of the drive. I didn't build shoveling into my timeline and I do drive a blazer, so I'm like screw this (cue: Dixie a la the Dukes of Hazzard.) I gunned it and got stuck. So I grabbed a shovel and started to dig myself out. It wasn't much of a start, I bent over three times before I had a shooting pain in my back. I got back in the truck and managed to rock it back and forth to get it out. I'm sure the neighbors appreciated the smell of burnt rubber. Mom came over eventually and we got a coat of paint on the basement. I've just got to hang some pegboard and all we'll have to do is clean up there.

After we finished up there we got all tidied up and went to St. Wenceslas for a mass for Grandpa. The priest gave perhaps the world's longest homily.

Following church, we went to the Chanel Auction. Mariella kept reminding me that she went to public school and didn't belong there. Lots of people came up to me with warm words about dad. Mr. Spisak presented mom and I with a beautiful portrait of dad. Before the event the Development Director mentioned that when we were up there I should plug the golf outing. So I remained on stage after mom and Mr. Spisak sat down. And the development director went and plugged the event herself with me standing there like a nincompoop. And then she turned to me and asked if I wanted to say anything. I told the story about how Dad loved auctions and how pretty much every piece of furniture in our house is from auction. Our family room has a blue chair, a red chair and a green plaid couch. And if you complained to dad about nothing matching. He would say, "They all match. I got them all for less than retail." It was a nice event. Mom came to me in the middle of the night and said we're in big trouble if she wins everything she's bid on. She didn't. My friends Kevin and Jill spent WAY too much on a personal performance by a band made up of three Chanel faculty members. Jill said they can play the 30th b-day party for me and Kev. I was off talking to Johnny Sausage or else I might've talked some sense into them.

Sunday - My back still hurt. Mariella chided me for not icing it. Went over to her parents for dinner - soup and my personal favorite - pickled tomatoes (I know it sounds gross.)

Monday - President's Day went to work. Back still hurt.

Tuesday I woke up with a mild fever and my sinuses about ready to explode. So I stayed home hoping to recover in time for my Zolli luncheon. Back still hurt but better.

Today, woke up with a slight sore throat from sinus drainage - some listerine cleared that up. (Even though they can't claim that it works on sore throats per the FTC.) My back still hurts but a little better. I ttok some sudafed and went to work. The luncheon was awesome. Zolli more than lived up to my hype. Which should give me more Ad Fed Cred - like street cred only not as cool.

Hope my back feels better soon.