Sorry, No Calamine Lotion

I went home to my apartment for lunch today. I’ve been doing it all week. For my own mental health I’m going to make it a habit. I want to break up the workday and see the outdoors, at least for a few minutes. I told Dan, my boyfriend, that I would be going home at noon every day, or at least most days.

Today as I was arriving at my apartment a few minutes after noon, I saw a work truck in one of my two parking spots. I recognized the company name on the side of the truck, and then I recognized one of the guys in the truck. It was Dan. He was not alone. He had a coworker with him; his helper on the job. I’m sorry to say that my first thought upon seeing them went something like; Oh crap, what is this about? I thought I might have to come up with three lunches or something.

It turned out that Dan had been working in the area (well, sort of) and he had been stung by bees. Dan repairs and replaces overhead doors, and apparently he had been working at this house that had not been occupied for a while, that is, except for a hive of bees that found a home up behind the garage door. Dan was not going to die. He had been stung three times, on the forehead, neck, and wrist. His helper escaped unscathed. Apparently he runs faster than Dan.

Anyway, Dan wanted to know if I had anything that would help. I told them to come on in, that I had some ointment in a cabinet that would do the trick. Dan said that yes, some calamine lotion would really help. I almost stopped dead in my tracks. It was as if I were hearing my mother. I fun-lovingly informed Dan that I did not have any calamine lotion, nor did I have castor oil, or Vicks Vapor Rub. I did have a small tube of hydrocortisone cream (it had an expiration date of Oct/12, but who has to know?).

Dan and his coworker were due at another job at about 1 o’clock, so I did not have to make three lunches, thank god, just dab on some ointment onto some bee stings. I should add that I was a little startled as to my immediate feelings when I first saw Dan and his truck earlier today parked in front of my apartment. I am not about to complain, still, I guess I am not quite ready for him to show up unannounced at my door, at least not as a regular thing.