A Day in the Life of the Pollocks

Our day began as usual, Mom the first up, followed by Daniel, then David. Quiet times, showers, dressed and breakfast. Normal enough.


As Bryan and I were getting ready to go to chemo, animal control arrived to pick up the vicious dog that lives across the street. The renter is currently in jail on drug charges and the landlord changed the locks on Friday night. Animal control gave someone 36 hours to get rid of the dog. Sarah has lived in fear of this dog for two years. Often we have to rescue people walking down the street when the dog charges them with his ferocious bark and snarl. We even once saw our mail carrier, Bryan, mace him twice as he charged menacingly up behind him. Animal control spent one and half hours trying to capture this critter. They even had a police officer as backup. We are thankful for a responsible landlord and the patience of the animal control officer to clear out this menace.


As they were finishing up, I brought the car around front from the garage. When we went to leave, the car wouldn't start. We let it sit a minute then tried again to no avail. I went inside to get the boys to help me move it out of the way so we could take the van. By the time we returned, Bryan had it started. I was a little apprehensive to drive 40 minutes north with a unstable vehichle, but he thought we'd be fine. We drove all the way there with no problem.


Shortly, Sarah went across the street to teach her piano student and when she got home Evelyn Raymond was here with her son, Blake, delivering tonight's dinner. (The ladies of our church bring dinner on Tuesday so Bryan can eat as soon as we get home and Sarah can concentrate on watching/teaching children rather than having to prepare a meal. Thank you, ladies!) While assembling the meal in the kitchen, Sarah and Evelyn heard Grace crying and Hannah screaming about Grace bleeding. They had been playing in the basement with James, Daniel and Blake.

Sarah phoned me in Renton to tell of the situation and we decided Grace should go to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital for stitches after cracking her forehead open on a can of tomatoes. Providentially, Evelyn was still at our house so the three of them took off to the ER, and Jonathan and David manned the fort. Three and one half hours later, and 8 stitches to close the gash to the bone, they returned home. Here is Grace's interpretation of the event:


I wish I didn't get that blood. I shouldn't have been jumping on the futon. I got the blood on my hands and my arm and my other hand. And I got some stitches on my forehead and when they put them in it hurted. When it hurted, it hurted really bad. It sort of stinged like a bee. I hope you had a good day today. My head got knocked on a can. When I was laying down it sort of looked like I was crying, but I wasn't crying and then I knocked my head on the big tomato can that we get at Costco. I hope my whole family is doing good. And I got some stickers and some crayon bandaids. I'll be better soon, but not today, but I'll be better some other day!


We finished chemo a little later today. When we got out to the car it started up with no problems. We drove a short distance to Southcenter Mall and as I was driving through the parking lot, it died. By God's grace, there was an empty parking spot that I was able to turn into with the momentum of the car. We sat for a minute and then it started up again and got us on home! I think we need to get this checked out.


As if this isn't enough adrenaline for the day--two young men attempted to enter the now dog free property. Jonathan called the landlord (which he requested if we saw anything strange). Bryan and I walked in from chemo as the phone was ringing--the police calling to speak with Jonathan since the landlord called them. Not long after did the police arrive and with guns drawn they apprehended these guys, much to our surprise. We thought they had left, but they must have entered the house through a back window or door. The children couldn't decide which was more exciting, Steve McQueen on his motorcycle in The Great Escape (the movie they were watching at the moment)or the police activity outside. They kept running back and forth between movie and window! Both young men were arrested and rode off in the police car. We all celebrated because justice had been done! Evelyn decided that after six hours of ministering to the Pollocks it was safe for her to venture out the front door and return home to the safety of Bonney Lake!


We have eaten dinner and things are calmer here. Shortly, I need to pickup David from his Tacoma Police Explorer Scout meeting. He had his oral boards tonight; I pray he passed. Living in our neighborhood has given him the opportunity to know what police work is all about. I only wish he had been here for the arrest this evening, he would have enjoyed it. Jonathan will go with me just in case I have car trouble!


Bryan's chemo went well. He didn't gain the weight the doctors wanted but he held his own so we are still thankful for that. We have a better plan for nausea this week, please pray it works. It is difficult to eat when one's stomach is upset. Sunday was his best day of the past week--he preached for 40 minutes and had two counseling sessions. He had no nausea on that day, either. He had some nausea yesterday which they call anticipatory nausea or nausea caused by the anticipation of chemo; this is very common. Please pray it is a better week for Bryan nausea wise. He also feels he is brewing the cold that has been plaguing the family this past week. Please keep him in your prayers!

PS David passed and we got home with no car trouble!