so long

2-29-16

It was a long weekend, and not necessarily in the good way.

On Thursday, I ended up going home early when I was in gobs of pain, almost cramp like, and felt nauseous. I honestly didn’t think I would make it home. I ended up lying down, which was the only way I was somewhat comfortable. I slept for about an hour, which was good, but then the dogs woke me up so I ended up hanging out on the couch.

The pain was odd. I started wondering if perhaps I had a UTI since I felt like I had to pee a million times, with very little output and it hurt after going. I also had some mild incontinence. It wasn’t ideal, and I had plans on going to the doc yesterday but quite honestly, it seems to have improved greatly over these few days. I had hoped that some extra sleep Friday morning would allow me to deal with the pain and go to the school for mission day. Instead, I knew I needed to be near a bathroom much of the day, so in the end I stayed put. I did manage to clean up the house a bit, which was good. Of course, I have to do it again today.

We left for Riverside early Saturday morning. We had loaded up the car the night before, which was good since we left at 6. Sadly, the weekend would result in 3 losses. The last game was the best played by the Pythons. The first game was one in which we were just outplayed. Mind you, there were several moments in which Dax would have scored or prevented scoring, so honestly I think he would have helped, but the team was just better, and that winning shouldn’t be put on one player. JJ said to Dax right before the game how much he will miss having him out there for those games. Dax seemed happy with this. I almost cried. Mind you, I was close to tears the whole time. I got to hang out with the kids, and they were all so sweet and funny. I was sad when after the game, some of the more stoic ones were even crying. Thankfully, by the time the third game came around, even though they lost, they were smiling, which was great.

We missed the 2^nd game as we went to Farrell’s for birthday celebrations for both Bobby and Grammie. Sadly, both boys were not in the best of moods. Dax was still dealing with the idea that he couldn’t play soccer. Bobby was pouting still due to being drug out to soccer games that Dax wasn’t even playing in. They both almost cried over ice cream portions and pizza that wasn’t from Dominoes. Bobby had issue when we played our wacky Pictionary game because Dax gave two answers. Dax was upset that he couldn’t have a milk shake. Yeah, they were in some kind of weird self-entitled zone that was crazy. I have to say, I was glad to get back to the field.

Dax did get to play around with his team for almost a full hour since our camp at the fields was right in front of the field they played on, and it was empty for the hour before the last game. He certainly was freaking me out with how intense he still plays despite his injury. Of course, during all of this, Bobby was trying to show me every single soccer trading card he had, which was frustrating because, sure, I wanted to chat with him, but I was also watching for Dax to do anything too extreme. I felt stressed, and I gotta say, it wasn’t super fun. I stayed positive, though, so I think the boys didn’t sense my slightly on edge demeanor.

We got back in town around 6. It was crazy traffic the whole time. I was worried since the last two years, skate night was crowded when you went. There was a line before and we always showed up early! They opened the doors at 5:20, so I was worried. Dax and I dropped Ken and Bobby off so they could get in. I also knew parking would be a bitch, so Dax and I drove home. I also wanted him to have to spend as little time there as possible. Sadly, he was in a hurry, so we walked quickly up there.

Luckily, the timing seemed just fine. They were on the ice when we arrived. I was able to also help out Izzy with her skate that she was having trouble with. I loved that she came to me and that she trusted I could help. That made me all happy.

Dax clearly was sad most of the time there. We went and got him hot chocolate, but even that wasn’t enough to cheer him. He had two cups and practically cried when I told him he couldn’t have three. Thankfully, many kids said hello to him, and even Vic tried to cheer him up, which was adorable.

Bobby seemed to enjoy skating around, and he did spend some time with his friends there, which was nice. He was no better or worse than them on the ice, so that I think was nice. They all had a lot of fun, which I enjoyed watching. I really hope that his little group continues to be like that.

Dax discovered the air hockey table way later than we should have. He and I played a game, which was long and fun. It gathered a crowd of girls from his grade. They kept saying how good Dax was. He beat me and then he and Rachel played two matches, which was watched by many, which was adorable. They each won one, and it was a lot of fun. Dax ended up watching other kids play, too, so I think that cheered him. He also played a game against Joey which was a lot of fun to watch, too. Sadly, he broke down at the end when it was time to go because he couldn’t play one more. This resulted in me not even being able to reconsider since he was all in hysterics. I took him outside and tried to calm him down. He said he hasn’t been able to participate all day, which I know had to be hard, but ultimately, he needs to not freak out when I say no.

Both boys have been suffering from this issue of late. I say no to something and Dax will cry and Bobby will try to negotiate. I have explained to both of them that it isn’t like I am saying no tons and tons, but yes, I get to set the bedtime. Yes, I get to tell them how long they will play their video games. Yes, I get to decide if they get ice cream. I know it isn’t like they are being bad. They are kids and really, it all makes sense. I just need to stay firm.

Sunday was supposed to be spent working on the backyard, but I gotta be honest, as much as I wanted to, I also just wanted to sit.

I planned on taking the car to get it washed. I was also going to run by Daiso to get a trashcan for the car and to just browse. Dax decided to go with me, and when we were about to head out, I got a panicked text from Sarah. She said Riley, her cat, had something stuck in her gums. Sarah was freaking out so I opted to just head over.

Riley is feisty, and if she did have something sharp in her mouth, I could understand her hesitance at me approaching her. She was in her carrier, but all kinds of upset. The back of the carrier ended up being unzipped, too, which resulted in her making a break for it. I grabbed her, which resulted in bites and scratches and her yelling. I was shockingly calm. I did manage to freak out Sarah’s dad, though, which is pretty damn funny. It seemed in all of the chaos, she got the item out of her mouth. 

We now theorize it was a feather stem, which makes sense based on Sarah’s description and the recent acquisition of a down comforter. Sarah was worried about my injuries, but dude, I had had a cat bite through my thumb. This was nothing. Ha!

Sadly, my car wash place never opened. I was annoyed, but I think I will head over there after work. I considered just finding a drive through car wash, but I wanted to vacuum, too. I might as well do that today. Sure, there are chores to be done, but maybe I will torture my children with the bulk of it.

My week looks only partially hectic. Today I really need to also go make the deposit for registration, but luckily it won’t take that long. We have a board meeting Thursday, so not sure how that will go. And unless something just wasn’t entered, my calendar looks clear on Saturday! What’s up with that? Maybe I can convince my household to go see Deadpool finally. Either that, or it is then I can clean the backyard. Of course, it’s still early, so I am sure something will come up. Sigh.

Cross your fingers, y’all! 

Time's are a changin'

2-24-16

11 years. Where does the time go?

I just spoke to the birthday boy. He was surprised I called, but pleased. He wished me a good day at work which warmed my heart.

It has been a crazy couple of days with several things happening that although are upsetting, I am trying to just move on from them. No use in dwelling on the bad. Sure, I could possibly change them, but I am not sure I need to.

The first change is in the form of my schedule. Right now, and as I have been doing for the past 7 years is a 4:30 to 1 shift. It is truly a glorious schedule since I still have a couple of hours every afternoon to myself to do everything from chores to doctor appointments to just sitting on my ass watching a movie. Trusty came to me yesterday and told me that HR didn’t want people in the building before 6 anymore. As I go over his conversation in my head, I am starting to think he is in on it as well what with one excuse being safety (for 15 years I have always been one of the first people in the building along with a handful of other folks here when I am here with no issues) and the other being that my super visor isn’t here. Mind you, my direct supervisor is Trusty, who doesn’t bother to show up most days until after 9. Plus, the only other supervisor in the department isn’t here until 6:30 (unless he also has been advised of this change). I could make the argument that they should just make me a supervisor, something I have petitioned for in the past. I could show proof that multiple other folks are in house while I am here, keeping me safe from this perceived harm. Ultimately, though, I think it is a losing battle, one in which I may end up just being sneakier about. They tried to do this in the past and my start time slowly creeped up as I just kept coming in earlier each day. They aren’t so great at enforcing things around here, so this may be what I end up doing.

That being said, really those 90 minutes could be put to good use. With the boys staying up later as they age and us having so many things going on in the evening, the need to get to bed so early won’t be as crucial. I also am now seriously considering getting an exercise bike or just firing up the Wii Fit in the mornings before work which would give me an extra half an hour or so of sleep and exercise all in one choice. I had been thinking of getting some exercise equipment anyway for Dax’s sake since let’s face it, kid is gonna be buff. I could then use these things and get back into shape during a time in which I will not being doing anything else too important and I would have time to shower and still be able to listen to all of Kevin and Bean. You know; priorities.

The next bummer is Florida. No, not just that the people in Florida seem to be especially retarded, but that we will not be traveling there for the AYSO National Games after all. Due to poor communication between both our RC and the coach, not enough families are able to commit to the expense of traveling for a week for soccer. Had we maybe mentioned it sooner, I think we would have had a better chance, but JJ also recognized that he wanted to see if he even had a decent team before telling anyone that we could go to Florida. Ultimately, another situation in which communication has been key. Now yes, I could amp up fundraising or really get out there to help some of these families afford this, but I know that at least one family wasn’t able to go not because of cost, just time. I get that, and really, it was going to be crazy for us as well. I am incredibly sad for Dax since he has already lost so much time with this injury and now another amazing opportunity has been snatched from him. On the plus side, I will make a point of letting him play in any leagues we can find. That kid will not be out of soccer during the month of July what with indoor teams now recruiting him. Plus, Bobby would have been bored out of his skull. How frustrating to be stuck at the field all day for a week, and knowing Disney World and Potterland is all so dang close! Once again, it is another disappointment that we will power through. I haven’t broken the news to Dax yet, and I don’t know if Ken did. I will wait until after this already tough weekend before I drop that bombshell.

The next big thing hasn’t been finalized yet, nor do I know the full plan yet as we only just spoke to the consultant yesterday. Steve is going solar! Ken is working with his dad on some of the financial details, but the plan is to use the awesome roof that Steve has to essentially produce our own power. The monthly payments work out to a good $50 less than our normal power bills, which also would end up being a non-fluctuating payment which is good. When we did the remodel, we did certain things to prep for this, including new electrical panels and even connections to the roof for this. It is through Costco, which is good too since let’s face it, they rock. As I know more details I will report them.

My day has been crazy busy what with there being a trade show going on this week. All of the large orders coming through are from customers looking at the bright and shiny equipment, not considering the fact that they either have a crap ton of past due with me, or that they don’t have a good enough credit rating to get such a large order. I would like to point out, though, after working on all of my reports, my debits that are over 61 days are less than $800. All the other reps have upwards of $10K. Yeah, I kinda rock.

So now I will finish out my aging, sending my countless reminders to folks to not muck with my year end goals that will be a total cake walk at this point. One of the reminders to myself that although I am irritated at the actions of my employer, they do seem to be at least attempting to compensate me.

Oh Mondays, will you ever cease to be annoying?

2-22-16

This week will be challenging.

Dax is clearly suffering from more depression when it comes to the games he is missing. Yesterday it was hitting him wrong, and it wasn’t even an important match. I didn’t have him truly watch the game (which was for the best what with it being 9-1 against us with horrid calls and issues galore) and was thankful Aiden from the Pythons happened to be there (It was a Striker’s match) so they passed back and forth. The one shining light for the game was that during half time, when of course Dax took full advantage of the open net, the other team sat and watched Dax’s kicks on goal. They were slack jawed, occasionally saying things like, I couldn’t do that one armed! They truly looked awed at his skill, which made me very proud. He didn’t even know they were doing this and he was quite pleased when we told him.

This weekend is the big Section Playoffs that truly would be something Dax would help his team tremendously. Instead, he will sit with us, cheering them on. There are three games, and most likely we will miss some of the second game to go celebrate Grammie and Bobby’s birthdays at Farrell’s. I have gone back and forth in my head on this one, feeling bad to not see every last second, but ultimately, as much as it is important to be part of the team wholly, it is also important for me to be good to my family. Bobby needs this outing as it has been tough on him with all this attention given to Dax. It has been hard on Dax to not play, so he needs some big ole fancy ice cream dish in the middle of the day. I don’t think anyone will fault us, and if they do, I need to just not worry. This kid has been at every practice and game since his injury with as much of a smile as he can muster. One game isn’t going to make or break that commitment.

I also have decided Dax is not allowed to skate on Saturday. I watched him jumping around yesterday and he fell several times (He doesn’t know how to do half assed when it comes to soccer). He was fine, I however was far from it. I know he will most likely be fine, but I honestly just can’t allow him to put himself in danger like that. I have seen him be careful with some things. Saturday night he opted to not dance much for fear he would bump into other kids. Hopefully a promise of skating later once he gets well will make up for things. I also know that we will go to skating. I can’t take this away from Bobby. We will rush back, after the last game to get us there with time for Bobby to get on the ice. I am starting to realize how many tears will be shed, and trust me that I am already hydrating.

Bobby’s birthday party was a huge hit. He had an amazing turnout, and made out like a bandit when it came to gifts. Ian, Parker, Joey, Matthew, Nick, Obed, Izzy, and Jake were there. There also was Joey and Matthew’s cousin, which was a last minute thing that I think I made good mom points with MegaBitch (Who will hence force be known as Cheri unless she does something else). She was shockingly nice and pleasant and had her 9 year old nephew with her when dropping off the twins. He looked sad that he wasn’t staying so I told them that he was more than welcome to stay. She looked truly shocked, but pleased. I think all of the parents were grateful we had no issue taking on all the kids at our house for the evening. I had lovely conversations with many of them and was so happy when I heard things like that Nick loved the party so much that he wished he could have spent the night. Yay!

The aftermath

Dance!

Cake time

The gang

They “watched” the movie. Many of the kids clearly wanted to watch, but Dylan in particular seemed rambunctious and wild, getting Joey and Matthew all riled up in the mix. Not that they were bad. They just were more interested in the toys and specifically the swords and other various “weapons” we have down there. We mostly let mob mentality rule, only stepping in if they were becoming too rowdy which was becoming destructive.

After the movie, they did a little dancing, and then they played a few games that Izzy made up which were awesome. As the only girl, she holds her own. I have always been impressed with her and am very glad she and Bobby have been close since they both started at the school.

Bobby also busted out his Bean Boozled, which was a huge hit. I may need to look up more for him since they not only loved the game, so does he. I had no idea eating grody jelly beans was such a fun activity. Needless to say, I had multiple spit up candies in my sink. Ha!

On Sunday, we had one nice, and mostly relaxing family outing. It had nothing to do with soccer, and despite a small minor meltdown in the beginning, we all were laughing and had a blast. I had seen in the paper that the botanical gardens in Palos Verdes had a Lego exhibit, so we stopped by there on the way home from the game. It was a nice little hike through the grounds looking for the handful of large Lego statues. I had never been to these gardens before. It turned out to be a nice little hike!

I didn’t realize you could sleep on your finger wrong, but it is the only explanation I have right now. My right middle finger feels very sore. I truly haven’t been using it excessively as far as I can remember!

I am hopeful for a pleasant afternoon. We have homework and then I will let Bobby play one of his new games on the projector. Dax wants to go to the soccer shop down the way, so I figure he and I can do that while Bobby plays. Dax is looking for more of his soccer trading cards and I figure that is a perfect way to allow both kids some fun. Now to just make it through work. 

I really need to stop forgetting this part

2-19-16

Gah! How can someone be such an idiot and yet in a high paying position?

Yes, Trusty is back, and he has been in the office no less than 2 hours and I already want to ring his neck. Between his inability to remember things and his insistence at bending over backwards for the sales team over the obvious risky accounts that will undoubtedly make my portfolio suffer, my respect for him is at an all-time low. It is 10 am as I write this and I can assure you, my departure at 1 pm is the only light for this tunnel of a day.

Luckily, I have my proud mommy moments keeping me filled with a happy spark. Ken was able to attend the award assembly this morning where they both were receiving an award for Character. I wasn’t there, but this information was relayed to me. He said there were about 30 kids getting awards and they were both up very close to the end. Dax apparently received the biggest applause and Bobby was not only rewarded with his certificate, but also a chant of “Bobby! Bobby! Bobby” was given to him from his peers. Ken said it was really surreal. It is wonderful to know that they are both well liked and that people truly see that they are good people. It fills my heart with this knowledge and I am grateful that we are in a community that recognizes them both for all of their strengths.

On the plus side for my day of annoyance, I did find a new book to read. I read one yesterday, too, which turned out to be quite good, surprising me in multiple ways. I ended up opting to finish it last night, which worked out in my favor simply because tears and work do not mix. I anticipate this book having a similar outcome in terms of my fragile tear ducts, but for now, I am just happy it is long and will provide me with adequate distractions.

Today's reading

Yesterday's selection

I have two confirmed party guests as of right now, but based on this morning, it is possible that anyone not coming just had other plans. I will keep my fingers crossed that if anything, we have too many kids and not enough pizza as truly, that would be the best thing ever!

We are leaving the boys home in the morning tomorrow, which I know will produce gobs of anxiety on my part. It isn’t as if they aren’t ok on their own. Sadly, that stupid cast has set me back quite a bit in terms of free range parenting. I worry I have even made it back to the helipad. I know he will be fine, but I don’t want him in any situation in which we can’t get to him quickly. We will be at registration most of the morning, just over at Hull, but Ken and I both are running over to the cannabis doc for a bit to renew our paperwork. Yeah, like that makes me sound responsible. Ha! Either way, I know it will be a bit nerve wracking for me, but I know that ultimately I need to trust that he will be good and not kick the ball too much while I am gone and that Bobby understands he will be needed for assistance in some matters.

My evening looks busy, but kind of fun. We will head over to Costco when the menfolk arrive from their respective schools so we can stock up on birthday supplies. Hopefully it won’t be too insane what with it being a Friday night. My other concern is cake selection since one never knows what they will have on hand. Bobby is very insistent that his cake be white through and through, and I don’t know the wait time on something custom. I suppose we will figure it all out, as we always do.

Now to continue my countdown till this work nonsense is over and I am back in an environment of standard chaos instead of aggravating chaos.  

Dreaming of sleep

2-18-16

Sleep. I really want to sleep.

The amount of activity coupled with responsibilities and upcoming events has taken its toll on me. I feel exhausted this morning.  I also know last night sleep didn’t come as easily as it should have. Luckily I think that this afternoon can in fact be incredibly mellow. Dax will have practice, but I am a little concerned about him going what with the wet ground, which will be slippery and even the slightest precipitation that could be out there isn’t good for his cast. Either way, I plan on staying home.

My home time also will be good this evening as I have a new dinner creation I want to try. I had seen online this recipe in which you are making a grilled cheese sandwich, but it is with mozzarella, some pizza sauce and pepperoni. Dude.  I am adding another element with the bread being garlic toast. I figure I will prep the sandwiches and cook in the oven, so a little less frying, but still baked goodness. I am very excited that this will be a fun new meal.

We got to visit with Andy yesterday. He hung out with Ken much of the day, going to the grocery store (where they also bumped into Mrs. Fasheh!) and just sitting around, working on their respective homework at Steve. I got home normal time and we all chatted and waited for the boys to arrive home.

After homework, we went to dinner at Lazy Dog where we got to have multiple mini power outages, which was very funny. We also continued our new activity of playing a version of Pictionary. It has been super enjoyable giving each boy a word or concept that they then would draw to have us guess what it is. I have been feeding words to Dax which have included a giraffe playing golf or pig astronaut. Ken went a slightly more traditional route, but still with a lot of laughing from everyone. Andy took turns, too, drawing things for us to guess which the boys enjoyed a great deal.

Ken had multiple soccer games, so we went and watched those. The boys were able to find empty fields and could kick the ball a bunch. Andy and I looked through a bunch of pictures he had scanned in, which were fun. I didn’t realize how many he had that were from my high school days, which was fun. Ken must have taken a bunch of pictures back in the day that ended up in Brenan boxes which then in turn ended up in groups Andy had scanned. I am anxious for the drive he is putting them on so I can access them. I can tell you it will be a lot of fun for me!

I am a little nervous at the lack of response for Bobby’s party. I know Nick is coming, but no one else has responded. I may send a text today to Ian’s mom, but other than that, I really don’t have a lot of contact info. I also remember so many parties in the past where people just don’t RSVP, so who knows what will happen. I worry the invites were too late. I worry none of the kids want to just watch a movie. I worry that we just happened to pick a crappy day to have it and that many are busy. I hate this waiting.

Both of the boys are receiving awards tomorrow at the weekly assembly. Both are getting the Character Award, which is really quite awesome. I am betting Dax was rewarded for being such a trooper with his arm. Bobby is well liked by his teacher and I am betting that him being involved as a room rep also helped him. I am super proud of both of them and quite grateful that Ken will be able to go to the assembly to take pictures of them. Plus, he can cheer loudly on my behalf. Of course, I would be quite thrilled to be there since then I could just go home after and work on party supplies and take a long nap. Ha!

Almost Show Time!

2-17-16

My computer seems to have been compromised.

Yep, my work machine doesn’t allow me to work in Excel right now. I am sure I have some kind of malware virus, which doesn’t shock me. I spend a lot of time searching for CEO and CFO email addresses of customers and I may have ventured onto the wrong site. This happened before so I recognize the signs. I have had to put in a SysAid, which essentially is my work ticket to get it fixed. Luckily I am in no great hurry right now. Next week it would be an issue, so hopefully they can get it correctly this week.

It appears that Benadryl and Tylenol will be our friends over these next few weeks. Dax conked out last night which was good. His morale also got a nice boost when he was able to practice a bit. Luckily, JJ understands Dax’s need to be active along with the idea that he can’t do all of the drills or the scrimmage. I didn’t go, since let’s face it, I would have been too nervous watching. But I knew Ken would adhere to my wishes on what I am ok and not ok with for him to do at practice. So really, it worked out fine. He came home very happy. He also has a cast full of adorable signatures, including his coach that says they need him back ASAP, which is super cute!

Ken will be picking up Andy this morning at the airport. He has his work convention this week so he will get checked in once they get there and then Ken and Andy will head back to Steve. The plan so far is that we will all go to Ken’s soccer games and after, Ken will either drive him back or loan him the PT.

I cleaned out the PT yesterday, which provided me with gobs of crap, most of which was nice to be able to toss. The boys had been asking me when I would move the little knick-knacks from Barnum to the new car (who remains nameless right now), but I think new car means new crap, so I will only put things in it as they pop up. I am not going to do the same things. I did put in my iPod player, but of course as soon as I did, Ken found a cord. Ha! Ultimately I will load music on it, but I just need to get said music in the correct format to do so. In the meantime, I am at least able to rock out to my soundtrack as opposed to the radio, which will be nice.

The home theater has been mostly set up. The sound and Blueray player are temporary in the idea that they are the ones from the living room, but we want it functional for Saturday. Eventually we will get an actual stereo down there for movies all the time. With the blackout shades we have, it really is dark and awesome down there. I am anxious to see how it all goes. It will be fun to have space to watch movies down there.

I still will need to do some housework on Friday/Saturday afternoon to prep, but mostly we are ready. We will do the Costco run on Friday afternoon to get chips and cake along with heading to Dollar Tree for balloons. Of course, Bobby said it doesn’t matter much what the place looks like. He pointed out that he has friends whether or not he has a clean house, which is truly very deep for my almost 11 year old. I am quite proud!

The Cast

2-16-16

I am unsure if the cast makes me feel better or not.

So the weekend, despite being without a player, was filled with soccer. We went to the Harbor Cup games at Field of Dreams in San Pedro in order to route on our CT Strikers. It could have been boring what with not seeing Dax in action, but in reality, it was good. Dax seemed happy to be there. He was a good teammate, cheering loudly and even warming up a bit with the team. I think that was actually the best part. Terrifying for me, watching him do so much of his normal activity, but in a sling. But I could see how happy he was, and how much really the soccer isn’t just something he does. It is something he IS.

Strikers did well, winning 3^rd place in their pool of teams. They did well, passing so much better and really working together. I did see about a half a dozen times in which Dax would have scored easily, and really, not to sound biased, they would have done so much better with him. I didn’t tell the team or Dax this. I don’t want any of the kids to think like that. I also think the team was just thrilled we were there to cheer. I am getting to know some of these kids now and I really like them a lot. All of them are very sweet and to see their smile when I would tell them how awesome they were doing was bliss. Now to just countdown until I get to tell Dax how awesome he is out there.

Dax even got a medal!

I did manage to do some serious cleaning in the downstairs for Bobby’s party this weekend. We got the screen up and really, I think it is going to be a lot of fun. Now all the kid has to do is actually hand out his invites! He forgot on Friday, what with the whole Jog-A-Thon and Valentine Day parties. It was a little chaotic. I did get one yay from Nick, and really, I am assuming a handful of kids at the very least will show. It should be good.

Yesterday we went to see the surgeon to get Dax’s hard cast. They removed the soft bandages and I was able to see for the first time his incision and the pins. I didn’t know what to expect when it came to the pins and was surprised at how they looked. I guess I expected these giant nails or something very primitive, which of course is stupid. I didn’t spend a lot of time looking. I was mostly watching for Dax to be in pain or shock or anything like that. He looked concerned when he saw it and I knew it was a matter of time before it hit him wrong. He stayed brave for a while during the time it was exposed. I could see his right hand shaking a bit and I knew we were about to have a situation.

Chicks dig scars

He felt nauseous, which made sense, and he clearly went into a little shock. We got him water and were able to lie him down, which helped a great deal. I spent the rest of the time alternating between giving him water and stroking his hair. Once he calmed down, he was fine. In fact, the guy doing the cast was awesome, and they struck up an easy conversation concerning soccer. I think this all helped him calm down so I was grateful. He also gave us a nicer sling, even though ultimately he doesn’t need to wear it unless his arm is tired.

We go back on the 7^th where they will remove this cast and do x-rays. The surgeon seemed to think it looked good yesterday and really didn’t say much, which didn’t surprise or bother me. He seems like the no news is good news kinda guy. What is funny is we are going to the same place he went for his leg all those years back. I suppose in some ways I expect to go back to this place in the future, too.

Last night was tough on him, though. Sleeping with the new cast was difficult if only because it was a different kind of itchy and bulk. At 1 this morning he came in all upset. We gave him some Tylenol, but 20 minutes later he was back, still upset. He curled up with Ken for a while and calmed down and went back to bed. He seemed to sleep ok after that, so this was a good thing. Still, I expect some more difficulties in general. I need to get online and find some advice on comfort.

Bolt also got a cast

Today, when I get home, I plan on doing some marathon cleaning. I figure with the party on Saturday and Andy coming into town tomorrow, we should have everything look good for people. I may just have Ken take Dax to practice tonight (since he can most likely do some of the practice) and I can work on things. Plus, it will allow Bobby to maybe go play with Ian and Parker. I also should take Bobby to Party City and see about things like decorations since he is very specific with his requirements. He wants certain colors for balloons and wants his cake to be white. If I could get him a big ole white coat I totally would just because I think he would enjoy feeling like royalty.

I am surprisingly awake considering I wasn’t able to get as much sleep from 1 on. I am sleepy, but I also feel like I have so much to do at home that it is making me alert. It kind of sucks that I am stuck at work. But on the plus side, Trusty is out and I have been able to get so much more done here than normal without him butting in. I did have to argue with a customer about a $7 credit on account. It looked to be an overpayment from a couple years ago and I told them it was theirs to use. So they wanted a full account breakdown for 2 years in order to know more about this. In my research I found that actually, they owed me $9 from some short pay that we in fact wrote off so if anything, they would owe us $2. She agreed to just let me write off the $7 instead of pursing it further. Mind you, this all came up because she is crazy past due on a ton of other invoices and has a pending order because of it.

Part of me feels like I should go back and watch all of the Walking Dead. The other parts of me aren’t sure that this is the most productive use of my time.