Saturday, 11 June 2011
Howdy.
So, I’m writing today – June 11, 2011. As you can tell, this is not the next consecutive day in my blog posting, but I’m taking a breather here.
Of course, I have plenty I could write about – such as an excerpt from my book being accepted for publication in a magazine & my son’s first loose tooth – but I’m too stressed out right now and not in the right frame of mind. I think I need to curtail a couple of activities that, despite what I may like to believe are not, in fact, priorities (e.g., this blog).
Since my last post I have had a very busy week at work. Came home on Monday to a sick son. His fever was high and the heat (>100 degrees) and humidity weren’t helping any. I began my accelerated summer class at Hamline on Monday and, as I drove there at 6:00 PM, I received a call from my wife telling me I was needed back at home. Owen’s fever was getting higher. I eventually made it to class (even one absence in an accelerated class is enough to significantly drop a grade) ten minutes late. Got back home that evening, nearly killed a family of birds, then took Owen to the emergency room. Got home at midnight, couldn’t sleep due to heat + worrying about my son + worrying about the new class + concern for the birds.
Owen missed school Tuesday, too. This, plus the medicine for strep was really stressing him out. I missed work on Tuesday & had no time to do my homework. Laid around in 100+ degree weather trying to stay cool. Failed. The only relaxing part of the day was when I was at the dentist.
Wednesday: Owen began developing blisters on his face and extremities. Jennifer took him to urgent care where they declared he was allergic to the penicillin. Gave him different medicine. They got home at midnight. I got about four hours of sleep.
Thursday, rushed to finish some homework. Jennifer took Owen to the doctor’s again, as he was not clearing up. Turns out he never had strep and never needed the medicine that they prescribed. Instead, he had hand, foot and mouth disease and told all that was needed was some time to heal. Told he was contagious and, thus, would have to miss school on Friday, too (his fifth in a row). I went to class, Owen, still sick, stayed home and missed the end-of-the-year picnic.
Friday: after about 5 hours of sleep, had a crazy busy day at work. During lunch, squeezed in some homework time. Came home to a stir-crazy son and feverish daughter.
Saturday (today): Owen is so stir crazy he’s entirely obnoxious (though he has channeled some of this nervous energy into drying the dishes and folding the laundry). He was invited to spend the day with a class mate but, of course, had to decline the invite. Isla has been whining and crying all day. Nursing doesn’t make her feel better, as her throat is scratchy, and this just frustrates her. I’m trying to read some homework, but I’m just not ‘getting’ it. Today being my birthday, Jennifer went out and bought me dinner, beer, cake, and lottery tickets.
Anyway, ask me in person if you want any more details on any of the above stuff (and there’s more, too, but I left out some of it). As I said above, I’m taking a hiatus. Unless something major and unexpected occurs in the next 18 days, I will commence the daily postings again beginning on June 29th.
My wife and son are preparing to sing me “Happy Birthday” and present me with a pound cake topped with candles. So…gotta go. Happy birthday to me.