So much for planning

Thursday May 19

3:59

I leave work, late. Sparky will definitely beat me home from school.
4:03 Sparky calls me on my cell; I'm sitting in the library parking lot.
4:20 I arrive home to find Sparky doing homework. I start picking up debris from our week so The Beast doesn't have to deal with it. I remind Sparky that it's garbage day and cavy-cage-cleaning day. Listen to phone messages: one of Saturday's guests just realized he left his jacket here. I call back and arrange to bring it with me to the play to hand over to his wife.
5:00 Sparky's done with homework, has disappeared upstairs. I'm eating 5-day old lasagna, because I didn't eat lunch and I'm STARVING. I remind Sparky of his chores. "Yeah, yeah..."
5:20 Sparky reappears, asking if he can go to the gaming card store on his way to the play tonight. I tell him it depends on his chores being done, because I'm frazzled and not paying attention.
5:40 I rethink the gaming card question and tell him no. He pouts. Big shock. Check email. Of course, that's when The Beast calls to say his flight is delayed again. Probably won't arrive home here until 11:30 at the earliest. Sparky eats...leftover lasagna for the 3rd or 4th time this week!
6:10 We leave for school. He has to be there an hour ahead of curtain time. I bring the remainder of today's liter of Diet DP to finish during the show.
6:30 I drop him off at the door and park, crank back the seat in the car, and read/nap for 25 minutes. I so don't want to be there.
7:00 Buy ticket, sit in cafeteria in a folding chair. Connect with jacket-owner's wife and other friends.
7:30 Play starts. Brunhilda is a stitch. The Majordomo can SING! And so can Cinderella! And Kat (not be confused with me!). Otherwise...eehhh.
8:10 My phone vibrates. Beast leaves a message which I pick up at intermission: another 30-60 minute delay.
8:20 Holy shit! That's Ashley! Wow, she looks great, and she's the only one on stage not acting, just being herself. Wow.
8:45 The drama/choir teacher talks and talks and talks and talks after the show. Mentions cast party tomorrow night. Hope we get directions to where it is! Nice of Sparky to mention it, too. (er, NOT)
9:15 We're on our way home.
9:45 Sparky's in bed. I've left a message on The Beast's cell to call when he lands. I'm reading, checking email, and finishing cleanup. Also start a shopping list: tomorrow is "Cook-and-Freeze" Day in preparation for the onslaught of guests.
10:35 Bath time. Of course, that's when the phone rings (but--aha!--I brought it into the bathroom with me).
11:25 In bed, doing a crossword.
11:45 Lights out.... No Beast yet.Friday May 20

2:45

I wake up, broiling under the fan in our bedroom, twitchy. Woke up from a dream about having sinus surgery. Ick. I hate hot flashes. Absolutely can't lie still. And I'm hungry. But The Beast is asleep next to me. Yay.
2:55 Go downstairs for a couple of crackers and some boring hopefully) reading to put me back to sleep. Note to self: not so much DP after 4 p.m., huh? Caffeine, y'know.
3:25 I hear loud, odd noises from upstairs, THROUGH the earplugs I still have in my ears. Rip them out, rush upstairs and hear The Beast ... choking? Gagging? Coughing? He's in our bathroom. Eventually I get the hint that he can't breathe. I run downstairs for my Albuterol inhaler (he's used it more than I have this year!). It doesn't help, although he's not gasping so loudly. He manages to tell me this is the second time it's happened since he came to bed.
3:35 I call the doctor's office. The doctor calls back and tells The Beast to get to the ER. We dress; I leave a note for Sparky in case he wakes up before I get back.
4:10 We're at the hospital. He's still uncomfortable, but less so. His ox. sat. is sorta low, his bp is sorta high. We sit....well, I sit; he lies there connected to the monitors.
4:30 Now his ribs hurt. Pulled muscle from coughing/gasping? Blood clot from flying? Yoicks.
4:40 Pulmonary comes and nebulizes him.
5:10 Radiology kidnaps him for a chest x-ray. When he brings him back, the tech neglects to reconnect all the monitors. We get to see a blood-pressure cuff nearly explode; the monitor alarms go off ... and no one comes to check on him. Not a particularly confidence-inspiring moment.
5:30 I leave for home to get Sparky off to school. Am told that The Beast will still be there for awhile because "upstairs is full, so even if they admit him, he'll stay in Emergency." Great. He has stellar timing--last time we went to the ER with him there were no beds either.
5:55 I arrive home. Tear up note to Sparky. Am faint with hunger--or heartburn. Eat a bagel. Throw down some more Diet DP. Wash my face. Make our bed. Hear Sparky get up and start his morning routine.
6:15 Start this entry. Wonder if I should call and cancel Beast's dentist appt. And his haircut. I don't think he's going to work, either. Better wait to call till I know what's going on. How are we going to make it through Sparky's play tonight? Is there a chance in hell that I'll get any baking done? What about our trip to Wisconsin tomorrow night? Oy oy oy.
6:45 Suddenly realize that I'm REALLY TIRED. And that Sparky's not out of the bathroom yet. And so the day begins.

{Update at 2 p.m.: Beast checked himself out AMA because he's sure it was GERD. It's happened before with him, just like this. The hospital wanted to run a days' worth of tests on him, and he just wanted to come home and get more sleep. So far we've both slept another 3 hours, making almost a full night in the last 24! Yeehaw. And he seems fine. I, however, feel like a car drove across my eyeballs.}