Today started out as it normally does, me fighting with Maggie to get dressed and off to school but because Maggie’s been sick for the last 3 days, she didn’t go today and together we went to pick up Gandalf. When we got him into the van, the first thing I noticed was the greenish tinge in his face and his shaking hands. I asked him what was wrong and he told me he ran out of the painkillers the hospital gave him and he was in a world of hurt. He tried to take a bite of mashed potatoes and a sip of water and it sent his pancreas into a world of hell. He’s pretty much on an all liquid diet but every now and then, he gives in to his cravings for food.

I ran him up to Catholic Community Services for bus tickets because he has to go to a hospital in downtown Seattle known as Harborview tomorrow but that’s if he isn’t hurting so bad or has a seizure and gets taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. He had a prescription that needed to be filled and since he has no insurance, I told him I would pay to get it filled. We drove up the hill to Walgreen’s and dropped it off and had to wait until 2 pm to pick it up. Once it was ready, we returned to the library and the first thing I saw were several homeless youth standing together and a police officer putting Lucas into cuffs. Lucas saw my van and called out to me: “Carey! They’re arresting me for trespassing but I never got a warrant or any citation that I was trespassed!” I recorded the arrest because this isn’t the first time Kent police officers have arrested youth and then nothing show up on record.

I dropped Gandalf off at the library for awhile knowing he had a few errands to do and “Kid” had agreed to tune up my van so we drove back up the hill to an auto supply store and got what we needed. “Kid” wasted no time getting to work eplacing spark plugs, wires, etc. When we got back down the hill to the library just before it closed, “Kid” traded places in the passenger seat with Gandalf. My 8 year daughter helped him get into the van and put the seatbelt around Gandalf. Just prior to getting in, Gandalf went on camera for me and I warn you now, what he says may pull at your heart strings. He asks the viewer to please forgive him for crying….