... while waiting at the Walk In Clinic.

It wasn't bad enough that Daughter had to come down with the flu a few days back whilst we were in Minneapolis.

Oh no.

Today, she awoke to the lovely sight of Pink Eye. Well, the lovely single-eyed sight of Pink Eye, for one was glued shut with Pink Eye Goo. (Was that TMI? Apologies.)

So, because Fate decrees that these things never happen on a weekday during regular office hours, we were off to the nearest Walk In Clinic to endure a few hours sitting amongst other sickos and screaming kids.

Except for one little sweetie with bouncy blond curls who arrived with her mom shortly after us. She must have been about four; in a pink frilly frock and matching pink sandals. It wasn't long before she asked her mom to read her something, so the tiny girl headed over to the bookshelf and raised herself on tiptoes to carefully pick out a magazine.

She returned to her seat in the row in front of us, proudly presenting her find by slapping it upon her mother's lap with the high-pitched request to "please read to me Momma".

I couldn't help but snicker as I noted the "magazine" she had chosen:

As the child climbed up on her lap for reading time, the mom turned her head and rolled her eyes with a wide smile back at me. We both cringed at what lie ahead. It started out well, with a comic strip Mom could bluff her way through.

But then the bluffing became increasingly harder.







"What's dat?" she innocently enquired.

"Booze." Mom responded and quickly turned the page.















"What's dat?" she asked again.

"Cigarettes." Mom answered.















"What's dat?"

"Ummmmm. I don't know." Mom blubbered.





I couldn't hold it in any longer... I had to let out a gaffaw as Mom turned back at me with a laugh and a shrug.

That was enough Fake Story Time for her. "Why don't you go pick out another book honey?"

And with that, the little girl jumped down, skipped across the room and came back with a new offering. Her tiny hands now clasped a Health and Lifestyle periodical. As they flipped through the pages, a tiny hand stopped on an ad for Dukoral.

Here we go again. "Why dat man sweating Momma?"

"He's hot sweetheart." Bravo... dodged another one.

I do believe it's high time the Walk In Clinic invested in some REAL children's books.

Last week was filled with final preparations and celebrations of Daughter's graduation from high school. After months of planning limos, flowers, parties, purchasing gowns, shoes, jewellry, preparing nails, hair and makeup... the day finally came to Honour the Honour Student with a Wednesday's Grad Dinner, Dance and Safe Grad until 4:30 am, and the Convocation ceremony on Friday morning. Then she was off to do it all over again for her boyfriend's graduation Friday evening until the wee hours of Saturday.

But at least the stress and sleep deprivation of those days would soon be rewarded with a vacation that started Sunday. Daughter, Sam (here modelling her new Patriotic shirt) and I were off in our rented candy apple red Endeavour to Fargo, and now Minneapolis for a week.

Yep we're finally here. Our hotel is just blocks away from our final destination; the Mall of America.

So it was with great anticipation that I awoke this morning for an incredibly sinful IHOP breakfast before hitting the Mall for the day.

And so it was with great disappointment that Daughter awoke this morning... sick.

Gad.