Well... it doesn't get much better than tonight. We were invited to a friend's house for games with another couple that we usually hang out with. It wasn't a friend's house, it was one they were house-sitting. And I wouldn't call this a "house", either. This house is 7500 square feet, and easily... easily over $1,000,000. The kitchen was entirely commercial grade, the TV room was obscene, the pool was great. They even had a trampoline in the back yard, flush with the ground. I don't think it was made for a 200-pound man doing butt-drops on it, though. :-) I hit bottom once; not a good feeling.
So yesterday was the day of doom for driving, and I thought it was going to be the story to top all stories. Not so. My friend, who works at a bank, was robbed a couple of weeks ago. Pretty scary experience for her, and I don't blame her one bit.
Anyway, a good time was had by all, and I got to test out the new windshield wipers on the way home... it's indeed monsoon season.
Friday, July 28
Thursday, July 27
Back in Tucson, this time for good...
...but it took a long time to get there. Oh, man.
Woke up this morning to a thunderstorm outside. I figured, OK, it's early, and it never storms in the morning.
It may never storm, but by the time we got on the road at 8:30, it was still raining.
At about 8:40, my windshield wipers started to fail. So now I am driving, with a deadline, in rush hour, with limited visibility. So far, so good.
We navigate the heavy traffic and get to the hospital with time to spare. Drop Michelle off at 9:30, and we're off to Tucson!
10:30 - We're at Casa Grande, and I'm starting to regret not getting the blades at least looked at. The rain had let up for a while, but is back to being a nuisance.
10:31 - Phone call from Michelle. They're having maintenance problems with the plane that's supposed to fly Stephen, so they have to change to a chopper. No big deal, except now she can't fly with him, so can I turn around and come get her please? I ask her to call my parents, but no dice: they don't want to bring her to Tucson. Can't blame them, really.
10:40 - Go to Wal-Mart in Casa Grande and get wiper blades.
10:41 - Install wiper blades.
10:41:01 - The rain has stopped falling for the day. Haven't seen a drop since, and it's 9 1/2 hours later. Ah well.. it's not like wiper blades are a bad investment. It's bound to rain again sometime this year, right?
12:05 Arrive back at the hospital, pick up Michelle, and we're off again.
2:30 Arrive in Tucson, drop Elizabeth off at the sitter's.
3:00 Arrive at the hospital after stopping by the house, unloading the car, getting the Internet turned back on (something about a past due bill...), throwing out all the food that had spoiled in the past three weeks, and turning the swamp cooler on, as it's 90 degrees in the house.
4:30 Leave the hospital after spending some quality time with the kiddo. We're all very tired at this point, as all three of us have had big days.
After the hospital, we went grocery shopping to replace the food we had pitched, and then picked up Elizabeth. We came home, cooked and ate dinner, and are getting ready to call it a night soon, after some slight unpacking (and a lot of dishes to do).
The boy is doing very very well... survived his flight, and the nurses at his new hospital are just as good as the ones from his old hospital. We like them, and we must admit, we like the fact that our drive there dropped from 45 minutes to about 10. Can't go wrong with that.
Pretty busy day, pretty busy day...
Woke up this morning to a thunderstorm outside. I figured, OK, it's early, and it never storms in the morning.
It may never storm, but by the time we got on the road at 8:30, it was still raining.
At about 8:40, my windshield wipers started to fail. So now I am driving, with a deadline, in rush hour, with limited visibility. So far, so good.
We navigate the heavy traffic and get to the hospital with time to spare. Drop Michelle off at 9:30, and we're off to Tucson!
10:30 - We're at Casa Grande, and I'm starting to regret not getting the blades at least looked at. The rain had let up for a while, but is back to being a nuisance.
10:31 - Phone call from Michelle. They're having maintenance problems with the plane that's supposed to fly Stephen, so they have to change to a chopper. No big deal, except now she can't fly with him, so can I turn around and come get her please? I ask her to call my parents, but no dice: they don't want to bring her to Tucson. Can't blame them, really.
10:40 - Go to Wal-Mart in Casa Grande and get wiper blades.
10:41 - Install wiper blades.
10:41:01 - The rain has stopped falling for the day. Haven't seen a drop since, and it's 9 1/2 hours later. Ah well.. it's not like wiper blades are a bad investment. It's bound to rain again sometime this year, right?
12:05 Arrive back at the hospital, pick up Michelle, and we're off again.
2:30 Arrive in Tucson, drop Elizabeth off at the sitter's.
3:00 Arrive at the hospital after stopping by the house, unloading the car, getting the Internet turned back on (something about a past due bill...), throwing out all the food that had spoiled in the past three weeks, and turning the swamp cooler on, as it's 90 degrees in the house.
4:30 Leave the hospital after spending some quality time with the kiddo. We're all very tired at this point, as all three of us have had big days.
After the hospital, we went grocery shopping to replace the food we had pitched, and then picked up Elizabeth. We came home, cooked and ate dinner, and are getting ready to call it a night soon, after some slight unpacking (and a lot of dishes to do).
The boy is doing very very well... survived his flight, and the nurses at his new hospital are just as good as the ones from his old hospital. We like them, and we must admit, we like the fact that our drive there dropped from 45 minutes to about 10. Can't go wrong with that.
Pretty busy day, pretty busy day...
Tuesday, July 25
It's Monsoon Time!!
FINALLY after watching news reports for the past ten days about the EVIL monsoons and how they were raining watery doom upon the greater Phoenix area... FINALLY after enduring ten days of one hundred and ten degree temperatures... FINALLY tonight it is storming outside, the likes of which I haven't seen since the latest "Anderson Cooper is Here" special report on CNN. Heavy winds, heavy rain, and lots of thunder and lightning.
As soon as it hit, I went outside to help Dick shore up the house (i.e. shut all the windows), and then went out to the carport to observe the storm firsthand. The rain was falling so hard it was like there was a curtain of water falling from the front of the carport. I sequestered myself just beyond the splash zone and started shooting pictures... we'll have to wait until the storm dies down to see how they came out, as the picture transfer software is on Mom's computer, and since that's plugged into the wall, she doesn't want that on. I'm really grateful for the laptop, and I'm extremely grateful that I was able to get the sound working on the laptop, as I'm sitting in here listening to some good music while typing. I feel like a king right now.
Downloaded some music today -- picked up some Husker Du on the recommendation of a friend -- and holy cow, is it awesome. I also grabbed a Stone Roses song that I've been wanting to listen to for a while, and also an album by an Italian group called Finley. They're pretty good -- they sing in English as well as Italian. They're Italian stuff tends to be heavier and darker, and their English stuff pretty poppy. I burned a CD of them for the ride to the hospital tomorrow.
I'm starting to think -- especially after listening to the Finley -- that I should really focus on writing to my strengths, and there's probably a market out there for rock songs that are written around a bass line with piano/keyboards. Heck, I can do that.
Can't forget about the Stephen visit today -- Mom drove, so Michelle and I got to sleep during the ride up. We had a really quality visit, and the doctor says we should be able to transfer him to Tucson either Thursday or Friday, which will be great. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but we are really looking forward to a return to normalcy, and getting back to our own house will help that out very, very much.
I'll try to get pictures of the monsoon up later... hopefully I got at least one or two that turned out OK.
As soon as it hit, I went outside to help Dick shore up the house (i.e. shut all the windows), and then went out to the carport to observe the storm firsthand. The rain was falling so hard it was like there was a curtain of water falling from the front of the carport. I sequestered myself just beyond the splash zone and started shooting pictures... we'll have to wait until the storm dies down to see how they came out, as the picture transfer software is on Mom's computer, and since that's plugged into the wall, she doesn't want that on. I'm really grateful for the laptop, and I'm extremely grateful that I was able to get the sound working on the laptop, as I'm sitting in here listening to some good music while typing. I feel like a king right now.
Downloaded some music today -- picked up some Husker Du on the recommendation of a friend -- and holy cow, is it awesome. I also grabbed a Stone Roses song that I've been wanting to listen to for a while, and also an album by an Italian group called Finley. They're pretty good -- they sing in English as well as Italian. They're Italian stuff tends to be heavier and darker, and their English stuff pretty poppy. I burned a CD of them for the ride to the hospital tomorrow.
I'm starting to think -- especially after listening to the Finley -- that I should really focus on writing to my strengths, and there's probably a market out there for rock songs that are written around a bass line with piano/keyboards. Heck, I can do that.
Can't forget about the Stephen visit today -- Mom drove, so Michelle and I got to sleep during the ride up. We had a really quality visit, and the doctor says we should be able to transfer him to Tucson either Thursday or Friday, which will be great. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but we are really looking forward to a return to normalcy, and getting back to our own house will help that out very, very much.
I'll try to get pictures of the monsoon up later... hopefully I got at least one or two that turned out OK.
Monday, July 24
Life thoughts
No, this isn't another post on the miracle/mystery/beauty of life brought about by visiting my son in the hospital, but rather an interesting line of thought I've been pursuing over the past couple of days.
I've always believed that with God, there are to "grey areas" in life... everything is black and white, you're either following Him, or you're not. I've had some experiences with scripture recently to support this idea.
What I've determined is that everything in life is a "yes or no" question. When we pass to the other side of the veil, and we are questioned by our Savior as to the quality of our life, it's not going to be questions like "What callings have you held?", "How many children did you have?", or "How much money did you make?", but rather questions like "Did you magnify the callings you were given?", "Did you raise a righteous family/Were you a righteous and worthy parent/spouse?", or "Did you keep a responsible stewardship over that which was assigned to you?" Our status in the Lord's Kingdom depends on if we can answer these "yes or no" questions, not to which degrees we can answer them. I'm also sure that one of the questions will be "Did you serve the Lord to the best of your abilities?"
President Spencer W. Kimball (I think) said something about two questions that the Lord would ask us, and if I recall correctly, I think they were both "yes or no" type questions.
Anyway, I was thinking that that's all our life boils down to: a series of "yes or no" questions. If we live our lives so that we keep these questions in mind, it will be a lot easier. And more importantly, if we choose early on our answers to these "yes or no" questions, it makes everything that much easier in the long run.
This needs to be more organized and I need to pull some references from the scriptures to support what I've been thinking, but I honestly think I'm on to something here.
I've always believed that with God, there are to "grey areas" in life... everything is black and white, you're either following Him, or you're not. I've had some experiences with scripture recently to support this idea.
What I've determined is that everything in life is a "yes or no" question. When we pass to the other side of the veil, and we are questioned by our Savior as to the quality of our life, it's not going to be questions like "What callings have you held?", "How many children did you have?", or "How much money did you make?", but rather questions like "Did you magnify the callings you were given?", "Did you raise a righteous family/Were you a righteous and worthy parent/spouse?", or "Did you keep a responsible stewardship over that which was assigned to you?" Our status in the Lord's Kingdom depends on if we can answer these "yes or no" questions, not to which degrees we can answer them. I'm also sure that one of the questions will be "Did you serve the Lord to the best of your abilities?"
President Spencer W. Kimball (I think) said something about two questions that the Lord would ask us, and if I recall correctly, I think they were both "yes or no" type questions.
Anyway, I was thinking that that's all our life boils down to: a series of "yes or no" questions. If we live our lives so that we keep these questions in mind, it will be a lot easier. And more importantly, if we choose early on our answers to these "yes or no" questions, it makes everything that much easier in the long run.
This needs to be more organized and I need to pull some references from the scriptures to support what I've been thinking, but I honestly think I'm on to something here.
A certain disconnect
There's been a certain disconnect for me over the past week and a half or so. I usually define my days by what tasks I have to perform at work, or what baseball games are on, or what activities I have to do that evening (usually church-related). Ever since I've come up to Phoenix, I've completely lost track of the days. With Michelle being a bit under the weather yesterday, we didn't even get to go to church, so that disconnect was there again. I'm pretty sure today is Monday, and I even managed to guess correctly without even looking! Given everything that's happened recently, I'm pretty proud of that accomplishment...
Saturday, July 22
Weekend Update
Hey, look at me! I've got the laptop up and running, and I also have a wireless Internet connection, so while the rest of the family is watching a boring design show on HGTV, I get to sit here and surf the web. Rock on!
Went and visited Stephen again today. It's what we do every day, and I'm glad that we are getting time to do that. He got to meet his big sister yesterday, even though he was asleep for most of the visit. Today was just Michelle and myself, and we had a blast. Michelle got to make up for yesterday by holding him the entire visit, as she was taking care of Elizabeth, who was getting very jealous of her daddy holding a new baby. It will definitely be interesting to see how those two get along when we finally get to bring him home.
I've been doing a lot of work on the novel again... I've completely changed the idea, and have been able to get some characters created, and a bit of an outline together. I spent a couple of hours today doing research online on writing detective fiction, and I'm looking forward -- now that the Internet is working from the living room -- to spend some quality time writing.
I tell you -- between the visit to Ikea today (had to pick up a new stuffed bear for Elizabeth) and these design shows, I am really glad I don't need a lot to get by in life. Very spartan, modern, minimalist. One day, when I'm able to actually assemble a house how I want it, that's how I'm going to go. It's really the only way.
Went and visited Stephen again today. It's what we do every day, and I'm glad that we are getting time to do that. He got to meet his big sister yesterday, even though he was asleep for most of the visit. Today was just Michelle and myself, and we had a blast. Michelle got to make up for yesterday by holding him the entire visit, as she was taking care of Elizabeth, who was getting very jealous of her daddy holding a new baby. It will definitely be interesting to see how those two get along when we finally get to bring him home.
I've been doing a lot of work on the novel again... I've completely changed the idea, and have been able to get some characters created, and a bit of an outline together. I spent a couple of hours today doing research online on writing detective fiction, and I'm looking forward -- now that the Internet is working from the living room -- to spend some quality time writing.
I tell you -- between the visit to Ikea today (had to pick up a new stuffed bear for Elizabeth) and these design shows, I am really glad I don't need a lot to get by in life. Very spartan, modern, minimalist. One day, when I'm able to actually assemble a house how I want it, that's how I'm going to go. It's really the only way.
Tuesday, July 18
RMI #15 - getting caught up
Home for the evening in Tucson, and I thought I would take some of my downtime and do what I do best... write.
You know it's been a long time since you started something when the feed on the site says, "Two Months Ago, Pronoia wrote..." and then the title of the article appears: Listen to the whispers of your possessions (Exercise #15).
This is something that I'm very keen on. I have long thought of myself as someone who does not have a lot of possessions, nor do I need a lot of possessions. I enjoy going through my life, leaving what I call a "small footprint" behind. I don't take up much space, I just go through and try to get the most accomplished and the most good done for myself, my family, and other people as possible.
Occasionally my possessions will tell me "You are not using me as much as you can be," or similarly "You are not using me as much as you thought you would." At this point, I start evaluating: is this something I currently use, is this something I am going to use in the future, or more likely, is this something I bought on a whim a long time ago with some grandiose design or mildly unreachable goal in mind, and should I refocus on that goal or cut said possession loose?
I'll admit that there is nothing really screaming at me right now to do anything about... the only exception I can think of would be my guitar, which occasionally tells me that I'm not being creative enough, yet sometimes I just haven't felt that fire. I think my life is pared down enough to the point where I feel the voices of my inner creativity calling me more than the voices of any individual possessions I have. And I think that's a good thing.
You know it's been a long time since you started something when the feed on the site says, "Two Months Ago, Pronoia wrote..." and then the title of the article appears: Listen to the whispers of your possessions (Exercise #15).
This is something that I'm very keen on. I have long thought of myself as someone who does not have a lot of possessions, nor do I need a lot of possessions. I enjoy going through my life, leaving what I call a "small footprint" behind. I don't take up much space, I just go through and try to get the most accomplished and the most good done for myself, my family, and other people as possible.
Occasionally my possessions will tell me "You are not using me as much as you can be," or similarly "You are not using me as much as you thought you would." At this point, I start evaluating: is this something I currently use, is this something I am going to use in the future, or more likely, is this something I bought on a whim a long time ago with some grandiose design or mildly unreachable goal in mind, and should I refocus on that goal or cut said possession loose?
I'll admit that there is nothing really screaming at me right now to do anything about... the only exception I can think of would be my guitar, which occasionally tells me that I'm not being creative enough, yet sometimes I just haven't felt that fire. I think my life is pared down enough to the point where I feel the voices of my inner creativity calling me more than the voices of any individual possessions I have. And I think that's a good thing.
Monday, July 17
Random Thoughts on a Lonely Monday Night
Michelle and I are both home from the hospital, and after having had to run to the pharmacy for supplies for Michelle, I find myself "out of a job" again. Michelle is resting comfortably on the couch, my parents are watching TV, and Elizabeth is sleeping. I, therefore, have nothing to do, and no role to fill currently. So, I'm typing on the compuer. This is going to be a lot more stream-of-consciousness than I am used to.
I am wearing hospital bracelets on my left wrist, both of which provide me with full, unrestricted access to my child at my whim. If you've read the blog earlier, you know that on May 15, I stopped wearing a watch completely. For the past few days now, I'm finding myself randomly looking down at my wrist, expecting it to tell me something other than coded data about my son, known on my wrist as "Boy Calabresi". It's annoying, as I seem to have developed a nervous tic with glancing at my wrist frequently, yet knowing there's nothing there. I wonder if it's the same thing as randomly checking the refrigerator when one is hungry, although there is obviously nothing materializing behind the door.
I found myself thinking a lot recently about my need for personal time on a daily basis, and I hope that my family can understand that I need some time every day to just be with myself. It's not that I don't want to spend time with them -- although sitting in front of the television watching what passes for "situation comedy" does not appeal to me in the least -- but rather a need to just go off and be alone for a while. I'm glad that that is being respected so far, especially after a week of not really taking any time for myself at all.
I'm still gathering ideas for characters for a story... there's a person sitting in my head now, and has been for a while, that is aching to get out and be put on paper. I'm not sure how well I know this person yet, or even how he's going to be in the long run, but I know some aspects of him, and he seems to be a generally good guy. I'm going to spend some time tomorrow getting to know him, I think, and then see what I can put down about him.
One of the things I'm looking forward to about getting a laptop is combining my alone, my creative time with time spent with my family. I can sit in front of the TV and tune it out while physically being in the same room as my family, yet be focused on getting ideas down and meeting new people at the same time. I do see myself as a writer... a writer of music, a writer of words... it's definitely an artistic side of me that I do love exploring...
I am so looking forward to a decent shower and shave tomorrow morning. There are a couple of telephone calls that I need to make, and some errands that need need need to be run first thing in the morning, before anything else, even before going to the hospital. I'm thinking we should start brown-bagging our lunch from here, and using our funds wisely, namely, for gasoline. The funds that were collected from my co-workers were magical and timely, and lasted just until Michelle's hospital stay ended. I ate very little, too!
I had come up with an alternate title for my blog, since "A Year In the Life" isn't going to cut it, as I have officially decided to keep this going beyond one year. However, I have forgotten it. Here's hoping that I will be able to creatively pursue this and remember my original title.
Hope everything is going well on the home front. I am expecting a package from Germany, and do not want that to stall at the post office. I may have to return to Tucson sooner than expected, if anything just to get some supplies. Plus, returning to Tucson will break the monotony for me, and allow me to feel more in my element by helping others out. Although, to be honest, the drive is going to KILL me. Especially with how hot it has been up here, and in the States overall. The weather report just came on the television today, and the high temperature today was a whopping 111ºF. Pretty hot day, pretty hot day...
I am wearing hospital bracelets on my left wrist, both of which provide me with full, unrestricted access to my child at my whim. If you've read the blog earlier, you know that on May 15, I stopped wearing a watch completely. For the past few days now, I'm finding myself randomly looking down at my wrist, expecting it to tell me something other than coded data about my son, known on my wrist as "Boy Calabresi". It's annoying, as I seem to have developed a nervous tic with glancing at my wrist frequently, yet knowing there's nothing there. I wonder if it's the same thing as randomly checking the refrigerator when one is hungry, although there is obviously nothing materializing behind the door.
I found myself thinking a lot recently about my need for personal time on a daily basis, and I hope that my family can understand that I need some time every day to just be with myself. It's not that I don't want to spend time with them -- although sitting in front of the television watching what passes for "situation comedy" does not appeal to me in the least -- but rather a need to just go off and be alone for a while. I'm glad that that is being respected so far, especially after a week of not really taking any time for myself at all.
I'm still gathering ideas for characters for a story... there's a person sitting in my head now, and has been for a while, that is aching to get out and be put on paper. I'm not sure how well I know this person yet, or even how he's going to be in the long run, but I know some aspects of him, and he seems to be a generally good guy. I'm going to spend some time tomorrow getting to know him, I think, and then see what I can put down about him.
One of the things I'm looking forward to about getting a laptop is combining my alone, my creative time with time spent with my family. I can sit in front of the TV and tune it out while physically being in the same room as my family, yet be focused on getting ideas down and meeting new people at the same time. I do see myself as a writer... a writer of music, a writer of words... it's definitely an artistic side of me that I do love exploring...
I am so looking forward to a decent shower and shave tomorrow morning. There are a couple of telephone calls that I need to make, and some errands that need need need to be run first thing in the morning, before anything else, even before going to the hospital. I'm thinking we should start brown-bagging our lunch from here, and using our funds wisely, namely, for gasoline. The funds that were collected from my co-workers were magical and timely, and lasted just until Michelle's hospital stay ended. I ate very little, too!
I had come up with an alternate title for my blog, since "A Year In the Life" isn't going to cut it, as I have officially decided to keep this going beyond one year. However, I have forgotten it. Here's hoping that I will be able to creatively pursue this and remember my original title.
Hope everything is going well on the home front. I am expecting a package from Germany, and do not want that to stall at the post office. I may have to return to Tucson sooner than expected, if anything just to get some supplies. Plus, returning to Tucson will break the monotony for me, and allow me to feel more in my element by helping others out. Although, to be honest, the drive is going to KILL me. Especially with how hot it has been up here, and in the States overall. The weather report just came on the television today, and the high temperature today was a whopping 111ºF. Pretty hot day, pretty hot day...
Update from the hospital
Turns out the hospital computer room is closed on the weekends, so I have been shut in here with Michelle for the past couple of days with no way to contact people. But, other than that (and the crushing loss the Diamondbacks suffered last night) it's been a good weekend. We visited Stephen a few times and Michelle even found the strength to walk down to the NICU. Michelle gets her staples out today and even gets to go home later this afternoon! This is a wonderful development, and we are all looking forward to some semblance of normalcy returning to our lives. Michelle won't be able to lift heavy weights or drive a car for a few weeks, but that's what I'm for, right?
Stephen is doing very, very well... he's as happy as a clam and has some wonderful nurses taking care of him. Both Michelle and I took a lot of time yesterday to hold him and just rock him for a little bit, and today he's getting a bath, which Michelle wants to be present for.
All in all, it's been a great weekend with much progress made by all involved. I won't miss sleeping on the cot in the hospital room, either! Or the hospital food, or the limited selection of channels on the television, or no internet, or... but I'm not complaining. :-)
Stephen is doing very, very well... he's as happy as a clam and has some wonderful nurses taking care of him. Both Michelle and I took a lot of time yesterday to hold him and just rock him for a little bit, and today he's getting a bath, which Michelle wants to be present for.
All in all, it's been a great weekend with much progress made by all involved. I won't miss sleeping on the cot in the hospital room, either! Or the hospital food, or the limited selection of channels on the television, or no internet, or... but I'm not complaining. :-)
Saturday, July 15
Picture of Stephen
Here he is! He was doing better yesterday, had the C-pap removed and that was replaced by a pacifier roughly the size of his face. Mom, Dad, and Grandma all got to hold him.
The network at Mom's is wonko this morning. I'm going to end this quickly and not push my luck. Hopefully I'll be able to update at the hospital this weekend; I don't know the hours of the computer lab there on weekends.
Friday, July 14
Update from Phoenix
Michelle's parents and grandfather showed up, having driven all night from Texas, about twelve minutes before the decision was made to go get the baby. It was really good that they got to spend some time together before the c-section, and I know that out of everything that could have possibly happened with this pregnancy, this was the thing that pleased Michelle the most.
I had prayed very, very hard to not faint and not fall apart during the c-section, so I refused to press my luck and watch the proceedings. I did hazard a glance as they removed little Stephen from Michelle's tummy, and the first thing he did was go to the bathroom. Me (sotto voce): "Hey honey, he's taking a leak!" Nurse (loudly): "His plumbing works!"
They prepped him and put him in a crib while they finished up with Michelle, and I accompanied him to the NICU. Once there, they spent about half an hour getting some blood drawn, putting some lubricant in his lungs, getting excess air and fluid out of his stomach, and starting an IV with some nutrients in it. They also had to put him on "continuous positive air pressure", meaning they were keeping his lungs inflated so they wouldn't stick together.
After that, it was an adventure finding Michelle in the recovery room, so much so that I actually ran into all the parents and Elizabeth beforehand. I held my little girl for a while, then went off to find Michelle. I got there just in time: they were moving her out of recovery and into her own room in with all the regular patients. I followed her up to her room, went back to the waiting room to find my parents and Elizabeth, directed them to Michelle's room, then down to the cafeteria to find Michelle's parents and direct them to Michelle's room, but also take them to see Stephen. I found time to grab some lunch while I was down there.
After going back up, Michelle's parents elected to stay with her, so I took my parents down to see the boy and was also stopped to fill out some paperwork. I got that taken care of, and by the time that was over everyone was ready to go to a hotel and crash out. I spent the night with Michelle, watching some baseball on TV, and helping her get more and more mobile as she recovered from the surgery.
Today, Stephen is off the "C-Pap", and Michelle's family is with her and Elizabeth. I took this morning to make arrangements with work -- they're going to let me work remotely for the next couple of months, which is good. I'm very pleased about that. A sub will be found for Primary as well, which I'm infinitely grateful for.
It's strange -- now that I think about it, I don't think that Michelle's parents have seen Stephen yet. They should probably hurry it up, as the NICU is going to be closed for an hour and a half before visiting hours end. It's a shame that they don't really like me or seem to want me to show them the baby. They saw him immediately after surgery, in the corridor between the OR and the NICU, but haven't since then, and he looks a LOT better. It's a very sad situation, but I should be grateful at least that they showed up at all.
Tonight I'm staying with my parents again, and then we are all going to come up tomorrow. I think that I will stay a while with Michelle again, just to give her a hand while she goes through the discharge procedure. Plus, we have all of these wonderful board games to play together. It's almost like going on a date, except there are no movies, and the food isn't all that great. :-)
More later. I don't know what time Michelle's parents are planning on leaving, but I am planning on staying out of the picture for a while. I'm going back down to the caff to get something to eat, and hopefully Michelle will take the cue and give me a call when it's time to get Elizabeth.
I'm really glad that everything is going well... it's really a miracle the way that everything is working out, and we know a lot of that is due to the prayers and faith of friends, family, and loved ones. Overall, this has been a good experience, despite all the trials we had to get through to get here -- or more likely than not, BECAUSE OF all the trials we had to get through to get here.
I had prayed very, very hard to not faint and not fall apart during the c-section, so I refused to press my luck and watch the proceedings. I did hazard a glance as they removed little Stephen from Michelle's tummy, and the first thing he did was go to the bathroom. Me (sotto voce): "Hey honey, he's taking a leak!" Nurse (loudly): "His plumbing works!"
They prepped him and put him in a crib while they finished up with Michelle, and I accompanied him to the NICU. Once there, they spent about half an hour getting some blood drawn, putting some lubricant in his lungs, getting excess air and fluid out of his stomach, and starting an IV with some nutrients in it. They also had to put him on "continuous positive air pressure", meaning they were keeping his lungs inflated so they wouldn't stick together.
After that, it was an adventure finding Michelle in the recovery room, so much so that I actually ran into all the parents and Elizabeth beforehand. I held my little girl for a while, then went off to find Michelle. I got there just in time: they were moving her out of recovery and into her own room in with all the regular patients. I followed her up to her room, went back to the waiting room to find my parents and Elizabeth, directed them to Michelle's room, then down to the cafeteria to find Michelle's parents and direct them to Michelle's room, but also take them to see Stephen. I found time to grab some lunch while I was down there.
After going back up, Michelle's parents elected to stay with her, so I took my parents down to see the boy and was also stopped to fill out some paperwork. I got that taken care of, and by the time that was over everyone was ready to go to a hotel and crash out. I spent the night with Michelle, watching some baseball on TV, and helping her get more and more mobile as she recovered from the surgery.
Today, Stephen is off the "C-Pap", and Michelle's family is with her and Elizabeth. I took this morning to make arrangements with work -- they're going to let me work remotely for the next couple of months, which is good. I'm very pleased about that. A sub will be found for Primary as well, which I'm infinitely grateful for.
It's strange -- now that I think about it, I don't think that Michelle's parents have seen Stephen yet. They should probably hurry it up, as the NICU is going to be closed for an hour and a half before visiting hours end. It's a shame that they don't really like me or seem to want me to show them the baby. They saw him immediately after surgery, in the corridor between the OR and the NICU, but haven't since then, and he looks a LOT better. It's a very sad situation, but I should be grateful at least that they showed up at all.
Tonight I'm staying with my parents again, and then we are all going to come up tomorrow. I think that I will stay a while with Michelle again, just to give her a hand while she goes through the discharge procedure. Plus, we have all of these wonderful board games to play together. It's almost like going on a date, except there are no movies, and the food isn't all that great. :-)
More later. I don't know what time Michelle's parents are planning on leaving, but I am planning on staying out of the picture for a while. I'm going back down to the caff to get something to eat, and hopefully Michelle will take the cue and give me a call when it's time to get Elizabeth.
I'm really glad that everything is going well... it's really a miracle the way that everything is working out, and we know a lot of that is due to the prayers and faith of friends, family, and loved ones. Overall, this has been a good experience, despite all the trials we had to get through to get here -- or more likely than not, BECAUSE OF all the trials we had to get through to get here.
Tuesday, July 11
Life Happens, Part II
I apologize profusely to Cris, to whom I had promised something with the statement "I don't have anything else to do tonight." Because oh yes, yes I did have something to do tonight. This is what I have accomplished since 5 PM:
Great job, eh? Unfortunately, that's not all that I had to do. I still have to:
So yeah... pretty big day, pretty big day.
- Cooked and ate dinner while relaxing in front of the All-Star Game.
- Found a substitute teacher for Primary on Sunday, and dropped off the manual.
- Taught a darn good bass guitar lesson, if I do say so myself. This included collecting my student from his Tae Kwon Do class, as he had forgotten about bass tonight.
- Dismantled the toddler bed in Elizabeth's room. Reassembled it as a crib in the computer room/nursery.
- Went to the bank.
- Ensured that I will be able to work for a little while when I am up at my parents' house. And by "work", I mean "make sure all the paperwork is turned in on time for me to get paid."
- Dragged the bed frame and mattress into the house from the garage. Assembled it in Elizabeth's room, and rearranged the furniture that was displaced by the bed.
- Swept the floor.
- Did the dishes.
- Assembled a huge ginormous pile of stuff that I need to take to work tomorrow.
- Put that pile of stuff I moved out of the computer room into the garage. Covered all the electronic equipment with plastic so it doesn't get attacked by dust.
- Packed one week's worth of clothing into a teeny tiny suitcase.
Great job, eh? Unfortunately, that's not all that I had to do. I still have to:
- Return my library books to the library after renewing them twice and having them STILL sit on my desk, unread.
- Switch the futon and the recliner, and put the boxes which will be in the futon's way into the garage. This will require two people.
- Sort through the mail.
- Call Michelle's boss and inform her of the situation and the fact that Michelle cannot return to work.
- Pack last-minute items I will need tomorrow morning.
So yeah... pretty big day, pretty big day.
Life Happens When You Plan
This was said to me many times by an ex-girlfriend of mine. I've always hated it because she would generally use it as an excuse to be a jerk and stop whatever I was doing at the time, or planning on doing. However, six years later, it fits.
Michelle's vacation? Scrapped. Instead, she is in a Phoenix hospital with contractions and all of the symptoms of preeclampsia, expecting to have a baby by the end of the week. Instead of me accomplishing many things, I'm rushing around to be sure that I am at least prepared to go to Phoenix tomorrow, and remain there for at least two weeks. It's crazy.
Thankfully, we've had a lot of support from our friends and family. One friend gave us a spare cell phone that they had laying around so I can be gotten in touch with while I am travelling. Another gave us a book on premature children and will give us a whole bunch of preemie-sized clothes (they went through a similar experience). Work is being nothing short of phenomenal with their flexibility, allowing me to juggle sick, vacation, and flex time in order to get things done and stay with Michelle. My parents are happily watching Elizabeth, and we have had more offers to babysit down here than I can count on two hands. Heck, even our bank account seems to be heavier than it should, although I can probably chalk that up to me losing track of something. Oh wait, shoot, I know exactly what that was. Yep, we're in the hole again. Figures. Good thing I got paid tonight for the gas money; I'm going to have to go put some money in later on tonight though. Argh!
So yeah, this is a positive thing. Honest, it is. Our friends are supporting us, both Michelle and I are confident that we will be able to get through this together and come out the other side better people. That's the whole point of life, right? Get through it and come out the other side a better person. I can deal with that.
Time to go sort through that pile of mail on the coffee table, going to have to see what will happen in two weeks when we can actually pay some of those bills. I'm also prepping a bunch of furniture for the nursery -- have to bring that into the garage, and bring a whole bunch of stuff out of it.
It's 9:25 PM, and I've got a busy night ahead of me. I'm going to get started.
Michelle's vacation? Scrapped. Instead, she is in a Phoenix hospital with contractions and all of the symptoms of preeclampsia, expecting to have a baby by the end of the week. Instead of me accomplishing many things, I'm rushing around to be sure that I am at least prepared to go to Phoenix tomorrow, and remain there for at least two weeks. It's crazy.
Thankfully, we've had a lot of support from our friends and family. One friend gave us a spare cell phone that they had laying around so I can be gotten in touch with while I am travelling. Another gave us a book on premature children and will give us a whole bunch of preemie-sized clothes (they went through a similar experience). Work is being nothing short of phenomenal with their flexibility, allowing me to juggle sick, vacation, and flex time in order to get things done and stay with Michelle. My parents are happily watching Elizabeth, and we have had more offers to babysit down here than I can count on two hands. Heck, even our bank account seems to be heavier than it should, although I can probably chalk that up to me losing track of something. Oh wait, shoot, I know exactly what that was. Yep, we're in the hole again. Figures. Good thing I got paid tonight for the gas money; I'm going to have to go put some money in later on tonight though. Argh!
So yeah, this is a positive thing. Honest, it is. Our friends are supporting us, both Michelle and I are confident that we will be able to get through this together and come out the other side better people. That's the whole point of life, right? Get through it and come out the other side a better person. I can deal with that.
Time to go sort through that pile of mail on the coffee table, going to have to see what will happen in two weeks when we can actually pay some of those bills. I'm also prepping a bunch of furniture for the nursery -- have to bring that into the garage, and bring a whole bunch of stuff out of it.
It's 9:25 PM, and I've got a busy night ahead of me. I'm going to get started.
Monday, July 10
Another interesting day
Today's project: the computer room.
BEFORE:
It was looking pretty junky -- bookshelves never got used (even after I fixed them), a couple of boxes that never got unpacked sitting uner the desk segment, a pile of paper in front of the keyboard, a printer stacked on books to elevate it over the piano that was plopped on the desk. We won't even mention the cords.
BEFORE PROGRESS GOT STARTED:
Right when I was about to buckle down to work, I got a sad phone call -- Michelle has gotten worse and was admitted to the hospital in Phoenix this evening after a lengthy stay in the emergency room for tests. She's going to be there at least overnight, possibly for two days. She's obviously going to miss her flight tomorrow, and hopefully the airline will accomodate her and move the dates of her trip. She needs to be in the hospital until her blood pressure stabilizes, and since that has always been somewhat of an issue with her, I don't see that happening anytime soon, especially with the advanced pregnancy. I feel very very bad that she is not going to leave on time for her trip, and I also have the sinking feeling that she is going to be sent home (to Tucson) with orders to remain on strict bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. That's really sad, because I know she was looking forward to going out there and spending time with her family.
Really tough situation. I think this means that this one is going to be our lats child. We were planning on stopping for a while, but Michelle has had a relatively difficult pregnancy this time around, and I'm not sure I want her to go through that again.
Anyway, I'm awaiting word from her -- she's supposed to call tonight -- to see what the next step is, and if I need to go up there. If they get her stabilized and the flight can be moved, it won't be necessary. If I need to come collect my wife, then obviously it will be. Yikes.
While I was waiting for updates and watching the home run derby on TV, I managed to get the room straightened up to the point of acceptability and get the kitchen cleaned up, too. I finally ate dinner at about 10:20 PM, and am sitting here now too awake to sleep but not really motivated to do anything else.
More news tomorrow as the story develops.
BEFORE:
It was looking pretty junky -- bookshelves never got used (even after I fixed them), a couple of boxes that never got unpacked sitting uner the desk segment, a pile of paper in front of the keyboard, a printer stacked on books to elevate it over the piano that was plopped on the desk. We won't even mention the cords.
BEFORE PROGRESS GOT STARTED:
Right when I was about to buckle down to work, I got a sad phone call -- Michelle has gotten worse and was admitted to the hospital in Phoenix this evening after a lengthy stay in the emergency room for tests. She's going to be there at least overnight, possibly for two days. She's obviously going to miss her flight tomorrow, and hopefully the airline will accomodate her and move the dates of her trip. She needs to be in the hospital until her blood pressure stabilizes, and since that has always been somewhat of an issue with her, I don't see that happening anytime soon, especially with the advanced pregnancy. I feel very very bad that she is not going to leave on time for her trip, and I also have the sinking feeling that she is going to be sent home (to Tucson) with orders to remain on strict bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. That's really sad, because I know she was looking forward to going out there and spending time with her family.
Really tough situation. I think this means that this one is going to be our lats child. We were planning on stopping for a while, but Michelle has had a relatively difficult pregnancy this time around, and I'm not sure I want her to go through that again.
Anyway, I'm awaiting word from her -- she's supposed to call tonight -- to see what the next step is, and if I need to go up there. If they get her stabilized and the flight can be moved, it won't be necessary. If I need to come collect my wife, then obviously it will be. Yikes.
While I was waiting for updates and watching the home run derby on TV, I managed to get the room straightened up to the point of acceptability and get the kitchen cleaned up, too. I finally ate dinner at about 10:20 PM, and am sitting here now too awake to sleep but not really motivated to do anything else.
More news tomorrow as the story develops.
the Fibonacci Workout
I've been reading in various articles recently about Phi and its occurrences in various locations throughout the universe, as well as its relationship with the Fibonacci series. I figure now is as good a time as any to try something out, and that would be what I've called "the Fibonacci Workout." It's essentially the same thing as the old Navy Seal workout that I used to do in France, except the reps are based on the Fibonacci series, rather than incrementing by one or two or however many. Tried it this morning with pushups and situps, it should be a decent workout. I'll add pullups tomorrow.
My "starting weight" for this vacation is 207. I don't have any real goals, although to get under 200 for the first time in forever would be a very nice thing.
So: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday would be the pushups/situps portion of the workout, and Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday would be the pullups/running portion. I'm doing elevated pushups, crunches, side leg lifts, and turning crunches. I'll probably be adding more as the days pass.
Also, I've kept the swamp cooler off in the house, relying only on fans. It was 88 when I left the house this morning, down from 90 last night. Wow. Well, if I keep the temperature high, that should help me sweat off some weight, right? I'm going to be drinking one glass of water for every hour I'm awake, too, to keep me hydrated.
----
Another Fibonacci Idea: [from the creativity department]
I was laying awake in bed last night and pondering other applications of the Fibonacci series in my life. It should be noted that I'm a math person from waaaaaay back, losing my taste for it in college (as I did so many other things). I'm not a mystic or anything like that... I don't have a slavish devotion to this "new" numerological philosophy I stumbled upon last week. But, being fascinated by this stuff, I figured I'd give it a shot.
There is a form of Hebrew poetry called "chiasmus" that I am also interested in, where the ideas in the first part of the poem are literally reflected in the second part. It's used a lot in scriptures and other oral traditions that are passed down, with the repetition making it easier to remember.
I was considering combining the Fibonacci series, phi, and chiasmus into an art form, be it poetry, music, or both, with each successive line containing the number of syllables from the Fibonacci series, having the turning point of the chiasmus be at the phi point of the number of syllables, having the number of syllables be a "mirror" (I don't want to write a 55-syllable line seven, for example)... things like that.
So for example, an eleven-line FPC (Fibonacci, phi, Chiasmus) poem would be laid out like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, with the turning point of the chiasmus being at the 19th or 20th syllable, or at the end of the longest line. We'll see how it works. I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this, but I believe this is going to be an interesting exercise in creativity.
My "starting weight" for this vacation is 207. I don't have any real goals, although to get under 200 for the first time in forever would be a very nice thing.
So: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday would be the pushups/situps portion of the workout, and Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday would be the pullups/running portion. I'm doing elevated pushups, crunches, side leg lifts, and turning crunches. I'll probably be adding more as the days pass.
Also, I've kept the swamp cooler off in the house, relying only on fans. It was 88 when I left the house this morning, down from 90 last night. Wow. Well, if I keep the temperature high, that should help me sweat off some weight, right? I'm going to be drinking one glass of water for every hour I'm awake, too, to keep me hydrated.
----
Another Fibonacci Idea: [from the creativity department]
I was laying awake in bed last night and pondering other applications of the Fibonacci series in my life. It should be noted that I'm a math person from waaaaaay back, losing my taste for it in college (as I did so many other things). I'm not a mystic or anything like that... I don't have a slavish devotion to this "new" numerological philosophy I stumbled upon last week. But, being fascinated by this stuff, I figured I'd give it a shot.
There is a form of Hebrew poetry called "chiasmus" that I am also interested in, where the ideas in the first part of the poem are literally reflected in the second part. It's used a lot in scriptures and other oral traditions that are passed down, with the repetition making it easier to remember.
I was considering combining the Fibonacci series, phi, and chiasmus into an art form, be it poetry, music, or both, with each successive line containing the number of syllables from the Fibonacci series, having the turning point of the chiasmus be at the phi point of the number of syllables, having the number of syllables be a "mirror" (I don't want to write a 55-syllable line seven, for example)... things like that.
So for example, an eleven-line FPC (Fibonacci, phi, Chiasmus) poem would be laid out like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, with the turning point of the chiasmus being at the 19th or 20th syllable, or at the end of the longest line. We'll see how it works. I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this, but I believe this is going to be an interesting exercise in creativity.
Sunday, July 9
It has begun
16, maybe 17 days of nose-to-the-grindstone, pedal-to-the-metal productivity here. As an extension of a previous (missed) goal, I'm sitting down now and dividing my goals into two categories: inside goals, and outside goals. The "outside" goals are things that take place outside, of course, and the "inside" goals are things I can do in the house (i.e. with the cooler running). I'm making a list of dependencies, as well, so I don't wind up doing things in the wrong order... I can just go through and get things done systematically. This way, I know where I stand, and most importantly, I'll always know what exactly the "next step" is going to be.
OUTSIDE TASKS:
The good news about these is that they are more or less non-dependent on each other. However, accomplishing some of the inside tasks is dependent upon a clean garage, so that's the only foreseeable obstacle.
INSIDE TASKS:
These are numbered because these are the things I need to get done in a certain order. Everything else is non-dependent, or dependent upon a certain number of steps being completed (in parentheses).
That's not too much for 16 days, is it? We'll see how things get going, and I will be able to keep a daily update as to my progress!
OUTSIDE TASKS:
- Clean garage
- Resurface front yard
- Resurface back yard
- Resurface alley
The good news about these is that they are more or less non-dependent on each other. However, accomplishing some of the inside tasks is dependent upon a clean garage, so that's the only foreseeable obstacle.
INSIDE TASKS:
- Clean bookshelves in computer room
- Unpack boxes in computer room
- Empty borrowed totes
- Unpack Arizona room
- Level the dryer/put wastebasket in laundry room
- Install shelf in laundry area
These are numbered because these are the things I need to get done in a certain order. Everything else is non-dependent, or dependent upon a certain number of steps being completed (in parentheses).
- Child latches on cupboard doors/replace bumpers
- Make plans for office after baby is born (4)
- Repaint dining room to get rid of grease spots on walls, put a chair rail up
- Various writing and music creative activities
- Scan cookbooks
- Assemble vital documents
- Plan and assemble 72-hour kit
- Plan and assemble one month food storage
- Install shelf above sink in bathroom
- Replace crib with bed (4)
- Install phone jack in master bedroom
That's not too much for 16 days, is it? We'll see how things get going, and I will be able to keep a daily update as to my progress!
Weel in Review, Week Ending 7/7/06
Wow, what a week.
Goals? Missed. All of them. I don't even know what exactly they were, but I know there were three, two of which were scripture reading and buying a bus pass, and my scriptures sat untouched on my dresser most of the week, and the bus pass is still safely at the grocery store. Instead, I spent the week trying to run a barbecue (I would like to thank my friend for lighting the coals with his plumber's blowtorch), hoping the toilet wouldn't overflow again, and taking care of a severely ill wife and a slightly-less-ill daughter. I'm pooped.
Last night Michelle woke up around 1:30 and announced that she thought Elizabeth had stopped breathing for a bit, her temperature was over 105 degrees, and we needed to go to the emergency room right this minute. I loaded the car seat into the car after getting dressed, and came back to the bedroom. Elizabeth was sound asleep, Michelle was now finding her temperature to be 99, and she was very frustrated and didn't know what to do.
It was about this time I realized that we should probably pray for some guidance. I know it's something we teach our Primary kids to do, but rarely put it into practice. Michelle collected Elizabeth and sat down on the bed, and I offered a sincere prayer to Heavenly Father for guidance. In the past I have had experiences in this situation where I receive the necessary guidance during the prayer as opposed to after it, and this was similar. I felt strongly impressed that what Elizabeth needed was a priesthood blessing and not another trip to the hospital where she would wait in the emergency room for a few hours and we would all be tired and cranky from the experience.
Michelle felt the same way as I, so I gave Elizabeth a blessing, and then we all went back to bed. Elizabeth fell immediately asleep and slept for maybe seven hours afterwards. Now she's awake and a feeling a lot better, although her nose is still a bit runny. Her cough is almost gone and her fever is definitely gone. We're both very thankful for that, although now Michelle is feeling her daily aftereffects of her hospital visit on Thursday. Sigh.
On a "getting things done" note, I completed an arrangement of the hymn Faith in Every Footstep which will be performed by the choir in a couple of weeks. I feel good about it, although I know it can be improved, it is still a wonderful sense of accomplishment.
Goals? Missed. All of them. I don't even know what exactly they were, but I know there were three, two of which were scripture reading and buying a bus pass, and my scriptures sat untouched on my dresser most of the week, and the bus pass is still safely at the grocery store. Instead, I spent the week trying to run a barbecue (I would like to thank my friend for lighting the coals with his plumber's blowtorch), hoping the toilet wouldn't overflow again, and taking care of a severely ill wife and a slightly-less-ill daughter. I'm pooped.
Last night Michelle woke up around 1:30 and announced that she thought Elizabeth had stopped breathing for a bit, her temperature was over 105 degrees, and we needed to go to the emergency room right this minute. I loaded the car seat into the car after getting dressed, and came back to the bedroom. Elizabeth was sound asleep, Michelle was now finding her temperature to be 99, and she was very frustrated and didn't know what to do.
It was about this time I realized that we should probably pray for some guidance. I know it's something we teach our Primary kids to do, but rarely put it into practice. Michelle collected Elizabeth and sat down on the bed, and I offered a sincere prayer to Heavenly Father for guidance. In the past I have had experiences in this situation where I receive the necessary guidance during the prayer as opposed to after it, and this was similar. I felt strongly impressed that what Elizabeth needed was a priesthood blessing and not another trip to the hospital where she would wait in the emergency room for a few hours and we would all be tired and cranky from the experience.
Michelle felt the same way as I, so I gave Elizabeth a blessing, and then we all went back to bed. Elizabeth fell immediately asleep and slept for maybe seven hours afterwards. Now she's awake and a feeling a lot better, although her nose is still a bit runny. Her cough is almost gone and her fever is definitely gone. We're both very thankful for that, although now Michelle is feeling her daily aftereffects of her hospital visit on Thursday. Sigh.
On a "getting things done" note, I completed an arrangement of the hymn Faith in Every Footstep which will be performed by the choir in a couple of weeks. I feel good about it, although I know it can be improved, it is still a wonderful sense of accomplishment.
Friday, July 7
Monsoon season is HERE
And not a moment too soon. Well, scratch that, actually this is rather early for monsoons to hit. As we batten down the hatches, we find that the backyard is already beginning to flood. Good thing I got home from work early today.
And speaking of good things, I got a webcam and microphone today. Finally dragging myself kicking and screaming into the 2000's, I can now do voice and video chat with my friends around the world! W00t!
Hey look... stress!
Apparently the major cause behind Michelle's episode yesterday was stress, so the vacation will be encouraged, which is good... she really needs one. No more work for her, though, which is also a good thing, as she has been very stressed about her job, too, and I think her body finally telling her to stop it is one of the better things that could have happened.
Thursday, July 6
A Busy Day
Elizabeth has once again established her domination over the household by refusing to sleep a regular schedule. Now she comes into our room about 2:30 every morning, and promptly kicks me out of bed. Consequently, I've gotten maybe 3 hours of sleep each of the last two nights, and I'm about to hit a wall.
I was in my normal semi-weekly meeting with Randy this morning, when Crystal came and informed me that Michelle needed to contact me urgently. I called her, and it turns out that she's been having chest pains, shortness of breath, and a dip in blood pressure... all this in addition to the contractions and freakishly swollen ankles she's had for the past week or so. A quick call to the doctor determined that I needed to take her to Labor and Delivery immediately, so I sped home, loaded the girls into the car, and drove to the hospital. Michelle was admitted immediately for evaluation, and after an hour a nurse came out and told me it would be at least two more hours as the doctor wanted to run some tests. I took Elizabeth home so she would be entertained, and we're both sitting here waiting for some word or update: her sleeping on the futon, and me sitting her on the computer updating my arrangement and chatting with friends.
Everything looks to be OK, but I am still worried that Michelle is not going to get to go to Texas and see her family. Hopefully this is just a one-time affair.
I was in my normal semi-weekly meeting with Randy this morning, when Crystal came and informed me that Michelle needed to contact me urgently. I called her, and it turns out that she's been having chest pains, shortness of breath, and a dip in blood pressure... all this in addition to the contractions and freakishly swollen ankles she's had for the past week or so. A quick call to the doctor determined that I needed to take her to Labor and Delivery immediately, so I sped home, loaded the girls into the car, and drove to the hospital. Michelle was admitted immediately for evaluation, and after an hour a nurse came out and told me it would be at least two more hours as the doctor wanted to run some tests. I took Elizabeth home so she would be entertained, and we're both sitting here waiting for some word or update: her sleeping on the futon, and me sitting her on the computer updating my arrangement and chatting with friends.
Everything looks to be OK, but I am still worried that Michelle is not going to get to go to Texas and see her family. Hopefully this is just a one-time affair.
Monday, July 3
Another zoo picture
I forgot about this one -- nice picture of a turtle poking its nose out of the water.
Trip to the Zoo
Went to the Tucson Reid Park Zoo today, and took a few (more than a few, actually) photos. Pretty good stuff, if I do say so myself. Of course, when you take 50 photos, there's bound to be at least one good one in there, right?
And yes, the reflection of myself is intentional.
I hate bees. Hate hate hate hate HATE them. I took this picture very gingerly, and got the heck out of there.
There were peacocks EVERYWHERE. I managed to get up close and personal with this one. It stopped long enough to be photographed, as it was being chased by a rather aggressive peahen.
I always wonder what goes through people's minds when something like this happens. "OK, you can have anything you want put on your commemorative plaque. Every visitor to the zoo is going to see this. What would you like it to say?" "HOOAH!"
Sunday, July 2
Vacation Schedule!
As things work better when you write them down, here is the schedule I am planning on working from July 11-July 24.
5:45 Arise, stretch, exercise, eat breakfast, and do daily summer reading project.
7:20 Leave for work.
8:15 Arrive at work.
4:30 Leave work.
5:15 Arrive home. Cook dinner. Eat. Clean up.
6:00 Buckle down for a long night working on whatever project I have scheduled for that night.
12:00 Quitting time. Go to bed, dangit.
This may be altered by other mitigating factors such as: "I don't want to take the bus today", "I'm bored and want to go home early" (thus allowing me to work from home), and "I think I'm just going to work through my lunch break today." Because let's face it, it's pretty darn depressing seeing how much time I spend "at work" while walking to the bus stop and actually on the bus. Yeah, it's saving money and everything, but... that's an extra hour in my day that I could have! Ah well. I suppose I would be goofing off for that hour anyway, and is my "hourly rate" (money I would spend by taking the car instead of the bus) worth it?
I think I'm starting to take this a bit too seriously. I should work on that.
5:45 Arise, stretch, exercise, eat breakfast, and do daily summer reading project.
7:20 Leave for work.
8:15 Arrive at work.
4:30 Leave work.
5:15 Arrive home. Cook dinner. Eat. Clean up.
6:00 Buckle down for a long night working on whatever project I have scheduled for that night.
12:00 Quitting time. Go to bed, dangit.
This may be altered by other mitigating factors such as: "I don't want to take the bus today", "I'm bored and want to go home early" (thus allowing me to work from home), and "I think I'm just going to work through my lunch break today." Because let's face it, it's pretty darn depressing seeing how much time I spend "at work" while walking to the bus stop and actually on the bus. Yeah, it's saving money and everything, but... that's an extra hour in my day that I could have! Ah well. I suppose I would be goofing off for that hour anyway, and is my "hourly rate" (money I would spend by taking the car instead of the bus) worth it?
I think I'm starting to take this a bit too seriously. I should work on that.
Goals, Week Ending 7/7/2006
- Read D&C 77-87. This sounds like a minor reprieve, as I know that Section 88 is ginormous.
- Get caught up with the summer reading project as well, which will take me through Alma 8.
- This week is going to be very busy, even with a "long weekend", with friends and parents coming down for a couple days. That takes me through Tuesday night, with Wednesday night being taken by Mutual. So, Thursday and Friday free only. In that time, I need to buy a bus pass for July, but be able to use it starting on Wednesday. Ah well... it's not like I'm not taking time away from other things for other obligations as it is.
- These are the only three things that I can think of, and quite possibly the only three things I will accomplish this week, as I have the feeling I am going to get pulled in many directions this week. So, pro-active lowered expectations.
Week in review, Week Ending 7/1/2006
- I completed my reading goal.
- Unfortunately, the only thing I wound up doing to the list was adding to it. I need to put a "stop date" on it (like, YESTERDAY) and get everything hammered out.
- I didn't get a chance to go through the blog, but I was able to remember some projects that I had started earlier in the year, namely, the 500 Greatest CDs project, the physical fitness project, the novel, and the creative project once every two weeks.
- The 500 Greatest CDs Project has been officially abandoned due to lack of interest in many of the remaining CDs as well as no time or real desire to listen to any of the CDs that I have borrowed and sitting around. I'm in an interesting place with music now, and I don't want to leave that groove by auditioning albums which are definitely not in a certain style of music.
- The physical fitness project has been replaced by walking to and from the bus stop each day. That's an acceptable replacement for now, although in the next two weeks I am going to get that taken care of, as well.
- I decided that as much as I love the genre, a murder mystery just wasn't for me. I have at least one other idea for a book, and I am working on fleshing that out. That's one of the vacation projects, actually.
- The creative project once every two weeks, I felt had to go by the wayside at the expense of the novel project. I do continue to search for inspiration on a daily basis, and try to come up with new things as I see fit.
- My workspace has indeed been "relaxified."
- Benefits have been signed up for.
- Haven't set the savings account up yet. I'm waiting for the Great Filing Project (vacation project) to happen before I get Quicken back up to speed.
And that's it! Wow... time really flew by last week, but I managed to get a lot done, as well as letting some other stuff fall by the wayside. I am looking very much forward to getting vacation off the ground and getting some of this stuff turned around, though!
Saturday, July 1
Ten minutes until match time
versus
I'm stoked. This is going to be a good match. Hopefully France decides to show up and play, and the referee stays far enough out of the way to be a non-factor.
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