Hopes and dreams

Dutch begged today to be taken to "that place that had the advertising? that we saw? this morning? where you lose all your money?" by which I finally deduced that she meant a casino. After some discussion, and tears, it was determined that Dutch, on her 18th birthday, will go alone to a casino to lose all her money. (Not her "floppy" money, though, just the "hard" money. ) I am not allowed to go with her.

Anyway, we're all sick. It's been an un-fun couple of days around here. Dutch got over it pretty quickly, with just a bellyache, and I'm feeling better than I did yesterday (though I've yet to eat anything other than bread), but poor Cook is completely down for the count.