"Coughing" Up the Football?

Tonight I think I am taking Jennifer into the emergency room to have her checked out for the coughing episodes she’s been having for over a month, now. For a while it was just an annoying cough that sometimes made her short of breath; but more recently, she has had more and more pain develop in and around her side, rib, and chest area. Last night it was getting worse for her as it crept around to her back and made her stiff and in even more pain. Two nights ago we had the choice to either take her to the hospital or tough it out another night. That night we chose to stay in and see what happened in the next 24-36 hours while resting, stocking up on tea and Gatorade, and staying warm. It worked for a while got went downhill again last night, so we’re getting her checked out. I hope it isn’t anything serious. It may be a torn muscle from coughing all the time – this is what most people seem to think it is after first hearing about the issue. However, the heavier pain she’s been feeling makes us think it might either be a rib issue or something more serious. But hopefully it is nothing more than a bad cough and some stress on the rest of her body because of it.

The Wayne County Fair, famous as one of the best fairs in the state of Ohio, came to an end last night. While it was going on, though, Jennifer was able to get a taste. Saturday after the Buckeyes beat Miami, FL (woot woot!), we headed on over to the fair to check out all the vendors and get some fair food. She had never had Lerch’s donuts, so that was the first local delicacy to which she was introduced. Actually, she had eaten some before at the vendor by the old Hawkins Market; but this was real fair food, and nothing beats that! Afterward, we walked around some more, checking out tractors and livestock, until it was time to head back home. Sunday we went to church, came back home to watch the Browns and her Steelers (ugh), then headed back to the fair to get more of a glimpse in the daytime. We ended up getting some Smith’s Ruggles ice cream before heading back to her place Sunday evening. Overall, she said she really enjoyed the fair and had a lot of fun.

The Triway football team got a win last Friday against Waynedale. The Golden Bears are now 0-3, so it wasn’t that impressive for us, especially since we only won by 7 (41-34), but they have been in every game competitively, plus they are a backyard rival of ours. This week we start PAC-7 play against Tuslaw at home. The Mustangs are 2-1 like us and have a big-time passing offense like us. It looks as if the weather will hold out and allow both teams to impose their will on the other (if they so choose). If neither team’s defense steps up, there could be some rather large numbers put up on the scoreboard. I just hope we have a bigger number!

The Browns lost Sunday after starting the game looking like a legitimate NFL football team. But that didn’t last long, and the Browns eventually faded in their loss to Tampa Bay. The weekend was all good, though, since the Buckeyes beat Miami, FL on Saturday in a marquee college football match-up. The Bucks are not yet where they need to be to win the national championship (or even make it there), but the win over Miami, even with all the interceptions we needed to win, was a big confidence booster for our team. I just hope we don’t have a big let down like last year against Purdue. There are some tough games on our schedule, so it’ll be a meat grinder once we get into Big 10 play. It’s fall, so there is lots of football going on wherever you look, and I love it!

Smile! May God continue to bless you.