You Get a D for Deficiency

I don't get out much.

It has been very cold from November until, well, just a few weeks ago. Now, even though it is warmer, it pours.

On Monday, a black cloud crept toward our back yard from the west. It brought a short, but active storm with lightning and some of the loudest, longest explosions of thunder I've ever heard. One crash lasted long enough for me to think, "Maybe a bomb went off. Maybe that wasn't the storm. Maybe we've been attacked." (Another reason I should stop watching the news.)

The strange thing about spring in Seattle is that the rain this time of year is bigger, heavier, wetter than the icy mist we get in the winter. And it's more erratic, too.

But this evening, it was only dark and cloudy with dry pavement, so I buckled T Junior in the BOB. And, ignoring past walking, er, pulling experiences, I decided to take Annie. She was giddy. She could not hold still, making it difficult for me to adjust her collar. I think she was antsy to get out the door and into the garage before we were discovered by the other two who were upstairs dancing around Mr. T's feet while he practiced his bagpipes.

The outing was not relaxing.

The dog did not do anything to help her "Why We Don't Take Annie For a Walk" case. And, when a black lab without an owner trotted up to us, I had to hang on to the leash for dear life while trying not to let go of T Junior's wily stroller.

Lucky for me, we weren't very interesting and she loped away with joie de vivre. She looked so carefree it made me smile, but she was an escapee. The whisps of honeydew-colored moss hanging from her collar gave her away. That's when it hit me. I knew this dog. I'd just never seen her with her nose in the air and tail wagging.

My cell was in the pocket behind T Junior, so I called his day care provider. Her pre-teen son answered and confirmed it was Brandy. The search was on, but the dog was nowhere to be found. "The vet will probably find her," I was told by the 12-year-old boy in flip flops.

We were headed home after the adventure when my phone rang. I fished around for it in the pocket, thinking it was Mr. T.

It was my doctor's office. Adrenaline shot through my core.

Last week, I had my blood drawn to test my TSH (again), so I was worried something showed up. Or I was relieved. I can't decide.

"Everything looks fine," said the nurse. I could tell there was a "but" coming. "But, you have a Vitamin D deficiency."

"Is that the sun one?"

She laughed. "Yes. Very common."

I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "That's not a surprise."

Who else is deficient?