I just love Thursdays, I always have and it's odd, I know. It's not the weekend yet but it's a day that holds so much promise. Maybe something will happen this weekend, maybe you'll have a great few days off. It's a day that gets you ready for what will come. It's a good night to watch television, to assess how the week's been, to figure out what comes next, to prepare. I can't really explain it any more than that. It's just the knowing that the week's almost complete but there's just that little bit left that can salvage it, that can make it a good week or a really good week.
I don't know what this weekend will bring. There are no plans for Friday night or Saturday (besides cleaning) or Sunday. It's all about the anticipation. I love that word.
Anticipation.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
The Mad Dash
That's right, it's crunch time for us teachers here in the year-round school system. Next week report cards come out so that means this week grades are due. Possibly Wednesday though no one seems to know for sure. But anyway I graded tonight. All night. Stopping only long enough for popcorn and some popcorn TV (The New Adventures of Old Christine which is funny). And then we tried to watch Studio 60 but it wouldn't work! That's right, the NBC station seemed broken so I have to find out how to catch it on Bravo or online this week - ugh!!!
Anyway, I've been grading rough drafts of my students short stories all day and night and am overwhelmed. Ang graded 120 tests for me. I have spelling packets and homework waiting for me in the morning. And all of this paperwork is from Thurs, Fri and today. Good lord!
But my kids are cute, and some are great writers. I had one student who woke up as George Bush. One whose family sidetracked to a town called Cockaroachie;-) Another who created her very own Shrek-like story complete with every storybook character I could think of.
So now it's off to bed before I get up and do it all again in 8 hours. Oh yeah - and I'm being evaluated tomorrow which means an 8am preconference, a 2:17pm observation, and a 4pm postconference. Let the fun begin!
Anyway, I've been grading rough drafts of my students short stories all day and night and am overwhelmed. Ang graded 120 tests for me. I have spelling packets and homework waiting for me in the morning. And all of this paperwork is from Thurs, Fri and today. Good lord!
But my kids are cute, and some are great writers. I had one student who woke up as George Bush. One whose family sidetracked to a town called Cockaroachie;-) Another who created her very own Shrek-like story complete with every storybook character I could think of.
So now it's off to bed before I get up and do it all again in 8 hours. Oh yeah - and I'm being evaluated tomorrow which means an 8am preconference, a 2:17pm observation, and a 4pm postconference. Let the fun begin!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Inspiration
This week has been a good writing week. It has also been a good television week. I believe the two are connected. I am inspired by what I see on the small screen and what I read on writer's blogs and in my screenwriting magazines, etc. So I have been writing. Big stuff happened to Patricia (the character who's story I'm finishing up) this week and she and I are figuring out what comes next. I'll keep you posted! (No, I am not crazy but I truly believe in Virginia Woolf's quote as it pertains to writing: "Arrange whatever pieces come your way." When they come, I arrange them. And add my own twist of course.
As for TV, goodness it was a good week. A light week which is good. Here's my rundown so far:
Monday was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip which I have already raved about here.
Tuesday was NCIS which we just finished. Donald Bellisario (of Jag fame) does such a great job mixing the military/federal agent stories with humor and personal stuff that it's just fun to watch. And who doesn't love Mark Harmon, I mean come on! Haven't seen the Unit or Smith yet but will give reviews when I do:-) I know you are all waiting with baited breath.
Then there was Thursday night. The night that has belonged to CSI for years. But now belongs to our crew at Seattle Grace. Rock on Grey's Anatomy! What an awesome, anticipated premiere. Such well developed characters, great laughs and then tears when Cristina told Burke to never die. So good. So good.
The Office was hilarious. Proof, once again, that it deserved it's Emmy win. How great was Michael and that kiss and I love how we feel for these characters, especially Jim. So so good. Haven't watched anything else yet but taped Earl and ER and CSI so we'll watch those soon. But we did peep Six Degrees after Grey's and can I just say - JJ Abrahms should get his name taken off the promos. It was no better than this summer's ill-fated Windfall which had at least an interesting lottery-winners premise. It was boring and did not keep my attention at all. Let's hope next week's Ugly Betty before Grey's can be something brighter.
Okay - enough of the fictional world. Time to meet our friend Shannon's parents and then head to my massage and run some errands. And then write some more!
As for TV, goodness it was a good week. A light week which is good. Here's my rundown so far:
Monday was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip which I have already raved about here.
Tuesday was NCIS which we just finished. Donald Bellisario (of Jag fame) does such a great job mixing the military/federal agent stories with humor and personal stuff that it's just fun to watch. And who doesn't love Mark Harmon, I mean come on! Haven't seen the Unit or Smith yet but will give reviews when I do:-) I know you are all waiting with baited breath.
Then there was Thursday night. The night that has belonged to CSI for years. But now belongs to our crew at Seattle Grace. Rock on Grey's Anatomy! What an awesome, anticipated premiere. Such well developed characters, great laughs and then tears when Cristina told Burke to never die. So good. So good.
The Office was hilarious. Proof, once again, that it deserved it's Emmy win. How great was Michael and that kiss and I love how we feel for these characters, especially Jim. So so good. Haven't watched anything else yet but taped Earl and ER and CSI so we'll watch those soon. But we did peep Six Degrees after Grey's and can I just say - JJ Abrahms should get his name taken off the promos. It was no better than this summer's ill-fated Windfall which had at least an interesting lottery-winners premise. It was boring and did not keep my attention at all. Let's hope next week's Ugly Betty before Grey's can be something brighter.
Okay - enough of the fictional world. Time to meet our friend Shannon's parents and then head to my massage and run some errands. And then write some more!
Monday, September 18, 2006
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
They've done it again. Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme, writer/creator and director. Their new show, Studio 60, premiered tonight and, according to me, was an instant classic. Full of Sorkin's legendary speeches, quips, comebacks and snappy asides, not to mention Schlamme's walk and talks, and beautifully shot art, Studio 60 was true television brillance. And this coming for a writer who thinks a lot of what makes it onto the airwaves is crap. Pure, undiluted crap.
But this was good. It was pull you in, forget about everything else for 60 minutes, eyes glued, ears perked, good television.
So take my advice - check it out as it repeats this week on Bravo and then watch it. Fans of Sportsnight, The West Wing, and just plain great writing and fun filmmaking won't be sorry.
But this was good. It was pull you in, forget about everything else for 60 minutes, eyes glued, ears perked, good television.
So take my advice - check it out as it repeats this week on Bravo and then watch it. Fans of Sportsnight, The West Wing, and just plain great writing and fun filmmaking won't be sorry.
Almost a no go
I did it. I drug my butt out of bed this morning and exercised. I had plenty of excuses this morning as to why I shouldn't: I woke up at 5:25am, 5 minutes before my alarm, so I decided I deserved to sleep in. Then I thought about the nightmare I'd had and decided I deserved to stay in bed instead, then I thought about writing instead, I eventually did get up, and decided to check my email, more procrastination. Then as I walked downstairs, my knee hurt and I thought - maybe I shouldn't exercise because it might do permanent damage. But I finally ran out of excuses and walked 2 miles and did weights and did 25 crunches and a few sit-ups. And guess what?
My knee felt better, I felt better, and tonight I wasn't tired. Yeah so everything they say about exercise...
It's true.
Just do it. :-)
My knee felt better, I felt better, and tonight I wasn't tired. Yeah so everything they say about exercise...
It's true.
Just do it. :-)
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The Week in Review
It's been a busy one here at Camelot. My mom was here until yesterday which was great. She cooked and took care of Ang and hung out with me at night. It was so nice to have her here so I wasn't worried about everything myself (and coming home one night to sugar cookies, turkey crunch, and cheesey potatoes wasn't bad either!).
I also got my permanent crown and have had to retrain myself to eat on that side of my mouth which sounds ridiculous but is true. Still doesn't work all the time.
Then I had to give midterm grades and tell 3 of my students they got Fs in my class and a BUNCH more they got Ds and Cs. That was received well, let me tell you.
Then there's the saga of my VUE. My red VUE that I have loved and cared for since the first day I got it in 2002 right after graduation. The red VUE I have only 10 more payments on and then it's mine, all mine. The VUE that has had every maintenance request and every service job done that has been required, that has had it's oil changed religiously almost to the mile according to those little stickers they put up in the corner of the windshield.
When I was driving it across country this summer, the 'service engine soon' light came on in St. Louis (yes, on the first day of our multiple-week trip). Now remember, I am fanatical about my car. I had it checked out and serviced just before I left.
So the light comes on and no one will look at it. The GM dealership I find doesn't have time but tells me it's probably just the gas cap not on correctly. So I drive on. It has gas and oil and doesn't seem to be overheating, though I am by this point. It goes off eventually and we move on.
Then once I get to Arizona it starts it again so I take it to the GM dealership here in town as the closest Saturn dealer is 3 hours north (Phoneix) or 3 hours west (San Diego) of here. They say the sensor is broken and they order a new one and voila! 7 days later I get my car back and it only costs me 300 some bucks. Fine.
Then last Friday morning I pick my mom up at the airport and as I pull into the hospital, it starts to chug ("Like a Model-T," according to my mom) and the light pops back on. I am MAD.
Of course the service tech's out till Monday, blah blah so I take it back. They call me on Thursday and report that it's something to do with the transmission and they can't go any further. They don't have the code books and suggest I take it to a Saturn dealer or a transmission specialist. I ask if I can drive it the 3 hrs to a dealer and the guy says "I'd only drive it in town." Great, lovely, terrific. I call the Saturn of San Diego and they can't help me over the phone. All my codes tell them is it's something internal having to do with the transmission. Wonderful.
So here's my plan - I'm going to drive my little red VUE until it dies. I'm just going to forget about it until October when we have our break and pretend like my VUE is fine. Then in Oct we'll caravan to San Diego, Ang following me the whole way, wasting tons of gas and time, to leave it at the Saturn of El Cajon. And I may just go back for it. Or cut my losses.
All I know is the car's 4 years old and I don't think 4 year old cars should give you this kind of headache. But apparently I know nothing:-)
So then there's the saga of the dryer. Some of you already know how Ang bought a brand-new washer and dryer last year when she moved in. Well from moment one the dryer has never worked correctly. It leaves grease marks on EVERYTHING (see my new sheets, my pjs, my tank tops, my shorts, everything). So after 2 servicemen have reported there's not much they can do (oh wait - the last one, who I paid 60 bucks to this week said he could fix it for over 200 dollars, great!) Ang and my mom went and bought a new one. To be delivered yesterday between 8 and 12. So Ang stayed and waited while I took my mom to the airport. I came home and we waited. And waited. And waited.
And at 4:10 they arrived. Nice. Isn't life just peachy at times?
But the excellent news is that we washed towels and no new grease marks! WOO HOO!!!
Other excitement from the week:
Netflix reviews: We watched Akeelah and the Bee again, with my mom and it's still so good. Rent it! We also watched Friends with Money, an independent that wasn't as good as I'd heard which was disappointing with so many wonderful actresses in it. And we saw In Her Shoes which is a great sister/chick flick. I loved the old ladies, they were fabulous (esp. Shirley MacLaine and her friend). Friday we saw RV with Robin Williams which was pretty funny too. So a good movie week. Oh, and Grey's Anatomy season 2 came out which we picked up (thanks to Ang's birthday gift certificates) and are moving swiftly through. AND my mom got me a gift this week, the Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack, Vol. 2 which ROCKS! Thanks Mom.
In other news:
We played Scrabble Friday night and my mom beat both Ang and I twice! You go Mom! And we found out Ang is a rules nazi and won't let us read the dictionary during non-turns. I tried and tried and got yelled at and yelled at.
Ok, so that's the week. This week should be a little less crazy we hope. Though I do have to make chicken chili for the Crane Chili Cook-Off on Wed at school. And the new TV season kicks off this week.
More later....
I also got my permanent crown and have had to retrain myself to eat on that side of my mouth which sounds ridiculous but is true. Still doesn't work all the time.
Then I had to give midterm grades and tell 3 of my students they got Fs in my class and a BUNCH more they got Ds and Cs. That was received well, let me tell you.
Then there's the saga of my VUE. My red VUE that I have loved and cared for since the first day I got it in 2002 right after graduation. The red VUE I have only 10 more payments on and then it's mine, all mine. The VUE that has had every maintenance request and every service job done that has been required, that has had it's oil changed religiously almost to the mile according to those little stickers they put up in the corner of the windshield.
When I was driving it across country this summer, the 'service engine soon' light came on in St. Louis (yes, on the first day of our multiple-week trip). Now remember, I am fanatical about my car. I had it checked out and serviced just before I left.
So the light comes on and no one will look at it. The GM dealership I find doesn't have time but tells me it's probably just the gas cap not on correctly. So I drive on. It has gas and oil and doesn't seem to be overheating, though I am by this point. It goes off eventually and we move on.
Then once I get to Arizona it starts it again so I take it to the GM dealership here in town as the closest Saturn dealer is 3 hours north (Phoneix) or 3 hours west (San Diego) of here. They say the sensor is broken and they order a new one and voila! 7 days later I get my car back and it only costs me 300 some bucks. Fine.
Then last Friday morning I pick my mom up at the airport and as I pull into the hospital, it starts to chug ("Like a Model-T," according to my mom) and the light pops back on. I am MAD.
Of course the service tech's out till Monday, blah blah so I take it back. They call me on Thursday and report that it's something to do with the transmission and they can't go any further. They don't have the code books and suggest I take it to a Saturn dealer or a transmission specialist. I ask if I can drive it the 3 hrs to a dealer and the guy says "I'd only drive it in town." Great, lovely, terrific. I call the Saturn of San Diego and they can't help me over the phone. All my codes tell them is it's something internal having to do with the transmission. Wonderful.
So here's my plan - I'm going to drive my little red VUE until it dies. I'm just going to forget about it until October when we have our break and pretend like my VUE is fine. Then in Oct we'll caravan to San Diego, Ang following me the whole way, wasting tons of gas and time, to leave it at the Saturn of El Cajon. And I may just go back for it. Or cut my losses.
All I know is the car's 4 years old and I don't think 4 year old cars should give you this kind of headache. But apparently I know nothing:-)
So then there's the saga of the dryer. Some of you already know how Ang bought a brand-new washer and dryer last year when she moved in. Well from moment one the dryer has never worked correctly. It leaves grease marks on EVERYTHING (see my new sheets, my pjs, my tank tops, my shorts, everything). So after 2 servicemen have reported there's not much they can do (oh wait - the last one, who I paid 60 bucks to this week said he could fix it for over 200 dollars, great!) Ang and my mom went and bought a new one. To be delivered yesterday between 8 and 12. So Ang stayed and waited while I took my mom to the airport. I came home and we waited. And waited. And waited.
And at 4:10 they arrived. Nice. Isn't life just peachy at times?
But the excellent news is that we washed towels and no new grease marks! WOO HOO!!!
Other excitement from the week:
Netflix reviews: We watched Akeelah and the Bee again, with my mom and it's still so good. Rent it! We also watched Friends with Money, an independent that wasn't as good as I'd heard which was disappointing with so many wonderful actresses in it. And we saw In Her Shoes which is a great sister/chick flick. I loved the old ladies, they were fabulous (esp. Shirley MacLaine and her friend). Friday we saw RV with Robin Williams which was pretty funny too. So a good movie week. Oh, and Grey's Anatomy season 2 came out which we picked up (thanks to Ang's birthday gift certificates) and are moving swiftly through. AND my mom got me a gift this week, the Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack, Vol. 2 which ROCKS! Thanks Mom.
In other news:
We played Scrabble Friday night and my mom beat both Ang and I twice! You go Mom! And we found out Ang is a rules nazi and won't let us read the dictionary during non-turns. I tried and tried and got yelled at and yelled at.
Ok, so that's the week. This week should be a little less crazy we hope. Though I do have to make chicken chili for the Crane Chili Cook-Off on Wed at school. And the new TV season kicks off this week.
More later....
Monday, September 11, 2006
The Chaos Theory
Yes, last Thursday and Friday was an experiment in the chaos theory for me and I am happy to report that I, and everyone else in my reach, survived.
I'll start from the beginning to keep everyone up on what's been happening:
It begins Wednesday night really. We had a huge rain and electrical storm about 2am. It woke us up and the power went off for a bit and I didn't realize that my alarm has no backup battery. So around 6am Ang came in my room to wake me up. She crawled into my bed, which is oh so comfortable since I have a twin bed, and tells me she is sick. Her stomach hurts and she hasn't slept since the storm. I offer to call the sub line but she says she can make it and we head to school. I know she's not well (she makes oatmeal but doesn't attempt to eat much of it and she has zero energy, less than usual in the morning) but we plug along. We hang out at school in Antartica for a while (our friend Shannon's room) discussing the movie we watched the night before and want her to watch Akeelah and the Bee (an awesome movie, rent it tonight! make your kids watch it and start drilling them with the dictionary!). We head back to our respective European and North American continents and I don't really register the fact that Ang has veered off to the nurse's office. Moments later she comes into my classroom and wants me to press down on her abdomen, hard. So she lies on the floor and I do, just a tad bit irritated that the medical professional in the building couldn't have handled this. Once I do it though, she nearly passes out from pain and can't get off the floor without help. So we decide to go to the emergency room.
All of this happens before 8:30am. And I am not ready for the school day to start yet.
So we go, I drop her off, call my mom, go back in to check on her, and before 8:55 she is taken back to an ER room. I leave her, worried but knowing I need to handle things at school for a bit.
So all day there is chaos in my brain, not necessarily in my outward appearance but in my brain nonetheless. I have my cell phone on, something I never do, and explain to the kids I'll have to take calls during their time. They seem okay and very worried about the other Miss Knapp. They behave so well - I am so proud of them. I only have to bring on kid into the hall when I am on my phone, for throwing a paper ball but I lecture him and he returns to work quietly. My kids are unusually quiet today, which is a relief. They spend the majority of the time reading with each other, cuddling the stuffed animals I have just introduced to our room. They are happy. So am I. But I am worried.
Ang calls around 11 and tells me they are doing a CAT scan and blood work. Then I don't hear from her again. I am getting calls from my parents, inquires from work and friends and I know nothing. I make it through the day and it goes well. Despite the fact 1) that we have a surprise lockdown drill and 2) the air conditioning in my room has broken. Life is insane isn't it?
At 4 o'clock I bust out of school and am to the hospital by 4:10. Ang calls as I am driving into the parking lot to tell me they are sending a surgeon in shortly. I find her and we sit in the ER room, waiting.
Then her surgeon, Dr. Fletcher who is awesome, comes in and says that her appendix is enlarged despite what the radiologist and the ER doc say and he wants to do surgery. So he says they'll send us to pre-op. I call friends and my parents and we wait some more. By this point she's in pretty heavy pain but has been on morophine most of the day (thus the no calls for 6 hrs). They also won't give her anything to drink which pisses her off. Adding insult to injury;-)
We head up to pre-op and we wait. They get her ready and we wait some more. She sleeps a lot. I read stories from my kid's textbook which I stuck in my bag to pass the time. (Can I tell you I am not a fan of dragon stories and the one we have to read next is like 10 pages long? Ugh!)
At this point I just want to say how great our new Yuma friends are. My team leader from school brings me a sandwich so I can keep my strength up and sits with me while I eat and Ang sleeps. That was so great. I hadn't even thought of food and it was already 8 o'clock.
At 10 o'clock they wheel her away and I head to the waiting room. The surgeon promises to find me in an hour or an hour and a half.
I sit. Animal Planet is blaring out of the TV I can't reach to turn off. A 7th grader from my school, from Ang's team, is there too with her family - her older sister is having the same surgery. She tells me all about her classes and asks me random questions about the word of the week. She's so cute. Nervous but obviously glad to have found someone who will pay attention to her for a little bit.
The doctor comes out in less than an hour, about 55 minutes and tells me Angela has done excellently! She did have appendicitis so it's good he went in. There is no definitive test so he wasn't 100% sure when he cut her but he says it was getting infected and needed to come out now. Whew!
Around midnight I get to go back and see her in her room. She's been put in the new part of the hospital, the cardiac unit, as surgery's full. She has her own room and it's nice. There's a chair that reclines and I am invited to spend the night.
For a while I help her get some water and she's a bit out of it. The funny thing is that they make you sign all these papers and listen to all this crap and you've just had surgery! The nurse is reviewing paperwork and then asks Ang if she has a living will. She says yes. The woman says do you have paperwork on whether you want to be revived. Ang says she has a DNR. The nurse turns and looks at me and I look and Ang and I say no.
At this point Ang gets a bit beligerent. She says she has a DNR, she doesn't want to be revived. I say, yes you do. If something happens tonight we want them to do all they can to save you. She shakes her head. I look at the nurse and say yes, save her. We decide that the DNR is only for it you are in a permanent vegetative state or 99 years old. It's not for tonight. Ang says fine and resigns herself to our decision:-) Wow. Life is never dull!
At 1:30 Ang and I are figuring out her lesson plans for Friday and discussing what I need to do to take care of her kids. Luckily I have already done mine and called for subs for us both. I've also read 3 stories and graded 60 unit tests. Guess I was a bit nervous!
I hang out until 2:30 but can't sleep and am terribly uncomfortable so I head home.
At 7am Ang calls me and tells me she's ok but in a lot of pain. Last night she thought she was ready to go home, not today.
Friday was crazy as well. I attend a staff meeting, prep both our rooms, brief the subs who will teach our kids for the day, go home get Ang clothes, head to the hospital, then pick my mom up from the airport at 12:30.
People were so great though - thank you to all of you for well wishes, prayers and your love!
Friends brought her flowers and visited her, our pastor came by the hospital and prayed with all 3 of us. The calls and emails have meant so much.
Today I had a sub too. I think we are all exhausted and there was still a bunch of little stuff to do and help Ang with. I'll head back to work tomorrow but my mom will be here all week. Thank God for moms!
So yeah - the chaos theory. Gotta love it!
I'll start from the beginning to keep everyone up on what's been happening:
It begins Wednesday night really. We had a huge rain and electrical storm about 2am. It woke us up and the power went off for a bit and I didn't realize that my alarm has no backup battery. So around 6am Ang came in my room to wake me up. She crawled into my bed, which is oh so comfortable since I have a twin bed, and tells me she is sick. Her stomach hurts and she hasn't slept since the storm. I offer to call the sub line but she says she can make it and we head to school. I know she's not well (she makes oatmeal but doesn't attempt to eat much of it and she has zero energy, less than usual in the morning) but we plug along. We hang out at school in Antartica for a while (our friend Shannon's room) discussing the movie we watched the night before and want her to watch Akeelah and the Bee (an awesome movie, rent it tonight! make your kids watch it and start drilling them with the dictionary!). We head back to our respective European and North American continents and I don't really register the fact that Ang has veered off to the nurse's office. Moments later she comes into my classroom and wants me to press down on her abdomen, hard. So she lies on the floor and I do, just a tad bit irritated that the medical professional in the building couldn't have handled this. Once I do it though, she nearly passes out from pain and can't get off the floor without help. So we decide to go to the emergency room.
All of this happens before 8:30am. And I am not ready for the school day to start yet.
So we go, I drop her off, call my mom, go back in to check on her, and before 8:55 she is taken back to an ER room. I leave her, worried but knowing I need to handle things at school for a bit.
So all day there is chaos in my brain, not necessarily in my outward appearance but in my brain nonetheless. I have my cell phone on, something I never do, and explain to the kids I'll have to take calls during their time. They seem okay and very worried about the other Miss Knapp. They behave so well - I am so proud of them. I only have to bring on kid into the hall when I am on my phone, for throwing a paper ball but I lecture him and he returns to work quietly. My kids are unusually quiet today, which is a relief. They spend the majority of the time reading with each other, cuddling the stuffed animals I have just introduced to our room. They are happy. So am I. But I am worried.
Ang calls around 11 and tells me they are doing a CAT scan and blood work. Then I don't hear from her again. I am getting calls from my parents, inquires from work and friends and I know nothing. I make it through the day and it goes well. Despite the fact 1) that we have a surprise lockdown drill and 2) the air conditioning in my room has broken. Life is insane isn't it?
At 4 o'clock I bust out of school and am to the hospital by 4:10. Ang calls as I am driving into the parking lot to tell me they are sending a surgeon in shortly. I find her and we sit in the ER room, waiting.
Then her surgeon, Dr. Fletcher who is awesome, comes in and says that her appendix is enlarged despite what the radiologist and the ER doc say and he wants to do surgery. So he says they'll send us to pre-op. I call friends and my parents and we wait some more. By this point she's in pretty heavy pain but has been on morophine most of the day (thus the no calls for 6 hrs). They also won't give her anything to drink which pisses her off. Adding insult to injury;-)
We head up to pre-op and we wait. They get her ready and we wait some more. She sleeps a lot. I read stories from my kid's textbook which I stuck in my bag to pass the time. (Can I tell you I am not a fan of dragon stories and the one we have to read next is like 10 pages long? Ugh!)
At this point I just want to say how great our new Yuma friends are. My team leader from school brings me a sandwich so I can keep my strength up and sits with me while I eat and Ang sleeps. That was so great. I hadn't even thought of food and it was already 8 o'clock.
At 10 o'clock they wheel her away and I head to the waiting room. The surgeon promises to find me in an hour or an hour and a half.
I sit. Animal Planet is blaring out of the TV I can't reach to turn off. A 7th grader from my school, from Ang's team, is there too with her family - her older sister is having the same surgery. She tells me all about her classes and asks me random questions about the word of the week. She's so cute. Nervous but obviously glad to have found someone who will pay attention to her for a little bit.
The doctor comes out in less than an hour, about 55 minutes and tells me Angela has done excellently! She did have appendicitis so it's good he went in. There is no definitive test so he wasn't 100% sure when he cut her but he says it was getting infected and needed to come out now. Whew!
Around midnight I get to go back and see her in her room. She's been put in the new part of the hospital, the cardiac unit, as surgery's full. She has her own room and it's nice. There's a chair that reclines and I am invited to spend the night.
For a while I help her get some water and she's a bit out of it. The funny thing is that they make you sign all these papers and listen to all this crap and you've just had surgery! The nurse is reviewing paperwork and then asks Ang if she has a living will. She says yes. The woman says do you have paperwork on whether you want to be revived. Ang says she has a DNR. The nurse turns and looks at me and I look and Ang and I say no.
At this point Ang gets a bit beligerent. She says she has a DNR, she doesn't want to be revived. I say, yes you do. If something happens tonight we want them to do all they can to save you. She shakes her head. I look at the nurse and say yes, save her. We decide that the DNR is only for it you are in a permanent vegetative state or 99 years old. It's not for tonight. Ang says fine and resigns herself to our decision:-) Wow. Life is never dull!
At 1:30 Ang and I are figuring out her lesson plans for Friday and discussing what I need to do to take care of her kids. Luckily I have already done mine and called for subs for us both. I've also read 3 stories and graded 60 unit tests. Guess I was a bit nervous!
I hang out until 2:30 but can't sleep and am terribly uncomfortable so I head home.
At 7am Ang calls me and tells me she's ok but in a lot of pain. Last night she thought she was ready to go home, not today.
Friday was crazy as well. I attend a staff meeting, prep both our rooms, brief the subs who will teach our kids for the day, go home get Ang clothes, head to the hospital, then pick my mom up from the airport at 12:30.
People were so great though - thank you to all of you for well wishes, prayers and your love!
Friends brought her flowers and visited her, our pastor came by the hospital and prayed with all 3 of us. The calls and emails have meant so much.
Today I had a sub too. I think we are all exhausted and there was still a bunch of little stuff to do and help Ang with. I'll head back to work tomorrow but my mom will be here all week. Thank God for moms!
So yeah - the chaos theory. Gotta love it!
Monday, September 04, 2006
A good kind of labor
I did nothing of note this weekend. I read Newsweeks and Entertainment Weeklies that had been piling up. I watched more than my fair share of 24 episodes (we have finished season 3! and it was so amazing, so terrifying!!!). I wrote quite a bit. I did laundry. I made a crustless pumpkin pie. I went grocery shopping. I hung up a copper sun Angela and I got for the front porch of our apartment. I cleaned my closet and my room. I sent some letters and made some phone calls. I balanced my checkbook (with the help of my mom! thank goodness for scanners and IM and online banking). I slept in (it's so sad that 8:30 is now sleeping in to me).
Yep, pretty much it. No ocean, no trips to exotic places or even barbeques. We had taco salad and guacamole for lunch. I'm making a tuna casserole for dinner so we can eat leftovers all week. We're back to watching season one of Grey's Anatomy (funny stuff!) as we've exhausted this week's supply of Netflix DVDs.
And I'm happy! I feel rested and relaxed and comfortable in my world again. After over 3 months of transition I feel settled. And that's all I can ask for.
P.S. - If you're one of my novel readers, I'm almost finished with Patricia's story so I'll be in contact and can send more pages soon!!!!
Yep, pretty much it. No ocean, no trips to exotic places or even barbeques. We had taco salad and guacamole for lunch. I'm making a tuna casserole for dinner so we can eat leftovers all week. We're back to watching season one of Grey's Anatomy (funny stuff!) as we've exhausted this week's supply of Netflix DVDs.
And I'm happy! I feel rested and relaxed and comfortable in my world again. After over 3 months of transition I feel settled. And that's all I can ask for.
P.S. - If you're one of my novel readers, I'm almost finished with Patricia's story so I'll be in contact and can send more pages soon!!!!
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