Last week,

something happened that has only happened three times in my adult life.

Now, I know all of the guys out there are laughing, but I'm not talking

about that.

Last week I

had the sinus-sore-throat-coughing-chest-congestion plague that's going

around, and it got me good. So good in fact, that for the third time in

my life, I had to call in sick at work.

That's right,

poor Fireman Rick got sick and could not ride in his fire truck. No pulling

people out of burning buildings. No un-trapping people trapped in crumpled

cars or even getting cats out of trees. Instead, he stayed at home brought

down to his knees by a simple, infectious little bug.

The Wife took

one look at me that morning and said, "Rick, you look really sick."

Okay, now all you women can stop laughing. The Wife told me to get into

the car. "We're going to see the doctor, and get a prescription for

your sinus-sore-throat-coughing-chest-congestion plague."

I told her,

"We don't have to see the doctor, and I don't need a prescription

all we needed to do is go to the grocery store." As she drove, The

Wife looked at me like I was delirious - which, of late is quite often

- so I explained.

When growing

up, any time us four boys or The Sister were sick, Mom knew just what

to do so we'd get well. Mom bypassed the doctor's office and simply made

a trip to the grocery store instead. This was back when there were no

banks or drug stores in the grocery stores just groceries. Buying only

food and drinks at a grocery store a novel concept that somehow has been

discarded and pushed aside in the name of progress.

Arriving at

the grocery store, Mom searched the aisles for the miracle cure of the

South. She picked up the two items that were considered the cure-all for

anything that ails ya. This miracle cure has been passed down in our Georgia

family for over 100 years. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find a family

in Georgia not familiar with it. It's been widely known around these parts

that a tall glass of Coca-Cola on ice and saltine crackers can cure just

about anything.

Yes, before

the age of PPOs, HMOs, formulated and non-formulated drugs, deductibles

and co-pays, there was Coca-Cola and saltine crackers. The Wife tells

me up North the miracle cure was ginger ale and saltine crackers - least

they got half of it right.

When Mom returned

from the grocery store and came into the room with Coca-Cola on ice and

a plate full of saltine crackers, you just knew you were gonna pull through.

If we were really sick, she'd place a cold compress on our foreheads and

replace it every 20 minutes. If that didn't work, Dad would come in with

his cure - which never worked.

Dad's cure

was to use Vicks Vapo-Rub and not just a little bit either. He'd get a

tub of vapor rub from the army P.X., and with a spatula from the kitchen,

spread an inch of the sticky smelly stuff on our chest. When he was through,

he would always make us eat a spoonful of it. When we complained he'd

say, "Ahh it's good for you. It'll make your sore throat go away."

Got news for you Dad, my sore throat never went away - it just went numb.

Soon after

eating a spoonful of Vicks Vapo-Rub, we really needed to see the doctor,

so Mom would make the call. The doctor on call at the office would make

a house call and give us a shot of some medication that somehow cured

us, but I know differently. It wasn't the shot that cured us, it was the

old family cure: Coca-Cola on ice and saltine crackers that mom gave us

after he left. Doctors' house calls another novel concept that has gone

After leaving the doctor's office, The Wife and I went

to the grocery store so we could

get my medication. While she was at the drug counter filling my prescription,

I was filling the shopping cart with the ingredients for our old family

cure - Coca-Cola and saltine crackers. Upon arriving back at the house,

a small charcoal kitten had taken up residence on our front steps.

In this life

you're either a cat person or dog person. The Wife's a cat person. I'm

not.

"Isn't

she cute?" Before I could answer her, it started to rain and the

cat started to purr. "We can't just leave her out here all alone

in the rain. Can't we keep her?"

In my weakened

state, I said yes, and now we're the proud parents of a charcoal kitten

called Cinder. When I get better, I'll make a trip