They're just too cute together!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
Grayson's big photo shoot
Grayson was going to get some super-fancy photo-stylin' done this weekend -- but one of Daddy's co-workers went on vacation and took the super-fancy company camera. In the meantime, we can throw up a couple inferior quality photos by special request.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
We think that he's gorgeous!
Here are some more Grayson pictures. He's starting to gain some weight back, but he's still a tall and skinny boy. He has recently learned that he does not have to sleep at night. We would like to convince him otherwise, but he really is the one in charge here.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
One week later
Sorry that it took so long to update. This week has been a blur.
It really was labor and I skipped over the contractions every 15 minutes and the part where you go to the hospital when your contractions are every 3 to 4 minutes apart for at least an hour. When we left for the hospital at about 2:00am the contractions were 2 minutes apart and lasting 45 to 50 seconds (so I got about a minute breather in between). Unfortunately, when the resident checked me I was 20% effaced, but not dilated at all. So, we hung out in the triage room on the fetal monitor for a couple of hours and I walked around a little and breathed through my contractions since the pain was only about a 2 to 3 out of 10. It did get up to a 4 by the time the resident checked me again at 5:30am, but breathing was working well.
Still no progress as far as dilation went at 5:30am. The resident called Dr. Byrne and she said that we could either go home or wait until she came in about 7:30 or 8:00am. We live very close to the hospital, but at that point it was easier to just stay. Thankfully, they moved us out of the triage room into a labor room with a better bed and a chair that pulled out so that we could try to sleep. My last day at work had been Saturday morning, so by this point I'd been up for about 22 hours and Tony wasn't far behind me since he'd installed the floor in the kitchen that day. I don't feel like I slept, but I must have for at leat half an hour. The contractions got up to a 4 to 5 on the pain scale. I could still breathe through them, if I knelt down on the bed with my head on my hands or I stood and leaned forward onto the bed. The anesthesiologist, Dr. Brzkowski (I'm certain I spelled it wrong) actually came in before Dr. Byrne, just to touch base on anesthetic techniques in case a c-section would be needed.
Dr. Byrne came in and checked me about 8:30am. 2 centimeters dilation (not a whole lot, but progress) and 80% effacement. We discussed options and risks, given the baby's size, and decided to wait and check me again in a few hours. If I was progressing, great. If not, then we would skip cervical softening and pitocin and just move to c-section. I was allowed to move around the room, an IV of lactated ringers was started and I was officially admitted to the hospital. The next few hours were actually OK. Breathing did the job. The contractions did get stronger, but sitting on a birthing ball helped a lot. The rocking chair and sitting/laying in bed did not. Walking was good, too. We listened to cds and played Blockus and waited for our parents to arrive. I didn't want to risk slowing anything down with an epidural. The monitors looked good except for three instances when the baby's heart rate dropped along with or right after a contraction. The nurse, Chris, told us they were also monitoring and not to worry just yet. At 12:30 Dr. Byrne came back. There had been no progress. We opted for the c-section rather than risking further distress or a shoulder dystocia with pitocin.
Grayson Christopher was delivered at 1:52pm on Father's Day, June 17. The cord was wrapped twice around his neck and he had meconium, but he was still able to let out some good yells and his APGAR scores were 7 and 9. Tony cut the cord and even peeked over the sheet once during surgery. Dr. Brzkowski used a spinal block with bupivicaine, fentanyl and morphine and it worked beautifully.
It really was labor and I skipped over the contractions every 15 minutes and the part where you go to the hospital when your contractions are every 3 to 4 minutes apart for at least an hour. When we left for the hospital at about 2:00am the contractions were 2 minutes apart and lasting 45 to 50 seconds (so I got about a minute breather in between). Unfortunately, when the resident checked me I was 20% effaced, but not dilated at all. So, we hung out in the triage room on the fetal monitor for a couple of hours and I walked around a little and breathed through my contractions since the pain was only about a 2 to 3 out of 10. It did get up to a 4 by the time the resident checked me again at 5:30am, but breathing was working well.
Still no progress as far as dilation went at 5:30am. The resident called Dr. Byrne and she said that we could either go home or wait until she came in about 7:30 or 8:00am. We live very close to the hospital, but at that point it was easier to just stay. Thankfully, they moved us out of the triage room into a labor room with a better bed and a chair that pulled out so that we could try to sleep. My last day at work had been Saturday morning, so by this point I'd been up for about 22 hours and Tony wasn't far behind me since he'd installed the floor in the kitchen that day. I don't feel like I slept, but I must have for at leat half an hour. The contractions got up to a 4 to 5 on the pain scale. I could still breathe through them, if I knelt down on the bed with my head on my hands or I stood and leaned forward onto the bed. The anesthesiologist, Dr. Brzkowski (I'm certain I spelled it wrong) actually came in before Dr. Byrne, just to touch base on anesthetic techniques in case a c-section would be needed.
Dr. Byrne came in and checked me about 8:30am. 2 centimeters dilation (not a whole lot, but progress) and 80% effacement. We discussed options and risks, given the baby's size, and decided to wait and check me again in a few hours. If I was progressing, great. If not, then we would skip cervical softening and pitocin and just move to c-section. I was allowed to move around the room, an IV of lactated ringers was started and I was officially admitted to the hospital. The next few hours were actually OK. Breathing did the job. The contractions did get stronger, but sitting on a birthing ball helped a lot. The rocking chair and sitting/laying in bed did not. Walking was good, too. We listened to cds and played Blockus and waited for our parents to arrive. I didn't want to risk slowing anything down with an epidural. The monitors looked good except for three instances when the baby's heart rate dropped along with or right after a contraction. The nurse, Chris, told us they were also monitoring and not to worry just yet. At 12:30 Dr. Byrne came back. There had been no progress. We opted for the c-section rather than risking further distress or a shoulder dystocia with pitocin.
Grayson Christopher was delivered at 1:52pm on Father's Day, June 17. The cord was wrapped twice around his neck and he had meconium, but he was still able to let out some good yells and his APGAR scores were 7 and 9. Tony cut the cord and even peeked over the sheet once during surgery. Dr. Brzkowski used a spinal block with bupivicaine, fentanyl and morphine and it worked beautifully.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Having a Baby
This may be a false alarm, but I certainly can't sleep through the action going on in my belly every minute or two. Not excruciating yet, but probably time to go soon.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
How Big Am I?
We've not been good about posting pictures on this blog, but I think that perhaps today's adventure will illustrate well.
This is not a safe or responsible activity and I promise not to repeat it.
On the way home from the mall today, I set my Orange Julius cup on my belly while at a stoplight. It sat there quite nicely with no support from my hands. It remained there, quite stable, while I drove for a little bit and then pulled to a complete stop at a stop sign. At this point, adulthood reasserted itself and the drink went back into the cupholder. Please don't try this at home (but isn't it just a little bit cool that my belly is actually a functional table?).
This is not a safe or responsible activity and I promise not to repeat it.
On the way home from the mall today, I set my Orange Julius cup on my belly while at a stoplight. It sat there quite nicely with no support from my hands. It remained there, quite stable, while I drove for a little bit and then pulled to a complete stop at a stop sign. At this point, adulthood reasserted itself and the drink went back into the cupholder. Please don't try this at home (but isn't it just a little bit cool that my belly is actually a functional table?).
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Nine months isn't enough
Sorry to have been a bit neglectful, things are moving fast around here!
The Illinois shower was wonderful! We enjoyed relaxing with Mom and Dad and spending time with family and friends that we don't get to see very often. With all the onsies that were made, little Pois will be well turned out for the summer! It was a good last road trip. We had a really nice shower through my office last weekend. The food was great, Pois got more wonderful gifts and the weather almost cooperated such that we could swim.
The kitchen is kicking into high gear, too. The insulation is installed, the drywall is mudded (though I won't bore anyone with grumbles about the unreliable drywaller) and Tony and Sandi are hoping to get everything ready to paint this weekend. I'm trying to hide from the dust at the other end of the house.
Pois is doing great. Quite literally. At the the ultrasound with the maternal-fetal health specialist yesterday the weight estimate was 9 pounds 5 ounces. She says that there is about a 10-15% margin of error which puts the baby between 8.5 and 10.25 pounds. So, we probably won't be waiting another two weeks for the due date. I'm meeting with Dr. Cavallo, the obstetrician, on Wednesday and we're going to figure out the plan, then. There's not much concern for the baby, but there is some concern for getting the baby out of me. He's had some concerns from the beginning based on the bone structure of my pelvic canal. My guess is that we'll have a ceasarian scheduled for late next week or early the following one. Tony and I are both working on giving up the image of labor, just in case. It's actually hard to do. I had looked forward to going through the process and learning what my process would be. Tony would be a great coach. There's still a chance, but whatever is going to be the safest for Pois will be the best. I just have to wait until Wednesday to find out.
The Illinois shower was wonderful! We enjoyed relaxing with Mom and Dad and spending time with family and friends that we don't get to see very often. With all the onsies that were made, little Pois will be well turned out for the summer! It was a good last road trip. We had a really nice shower through my office last weekend. The food was great, Pois got more wonderful gifts and the weather almost cooperated such that we could swim.
The kitchen is kicking into high gear, too. The insulation is installed, the drywall is mudded (though I won't bore anyone with grumbles about the unreliable drywaller) and Tony and Sandi are hoping to get everything ready to paint this weekend. I'm trying to hide from the dust at the other end of the house.
Pois is doing great. Quite literally. At the the ultrasound with the maternal-fetal health specialist yesterday the weight estimate was 9 pounds 5 ounces. She says that there is about a 10-15% margin of error which puts the baby between 8.5 and 10.25 pounds. So, we probably won't be waiting another two weeks for the due date. I'm meeting with Dr. Cavallo, the obstetrician, on Wednesday and we're going to figure out the plan, then. There's not much concern for the baby, but there is some concern for getting the baby out of me. He's had some concerns from the beginning based on the bone structure of my pelvic canal. My guess is that we'll have a ceasarian scheduled for late next week or early the following one. Tony and I are both working on giving up the image of labor, just in case. It's actually hard to do. I had looked forward to going through the process and learning what my process would be. Tony would be a great coach. There's still a chance, but whatever is going to be the safest for Pois will be the best. I just have to wait until Wednesday to find out.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Exciting stuff
Here's what's new from the past 2 weeks:
Baby Shower #1 - This was a lot of fun. I figured out on the trip to Michigan and back that stopping about every 45 minutes on a trip keeps me mobile. Sandi and Valerie did a great job getting everything set up. It was great watching Tony and Robb get competitive with the guess the baby food game (my all time favorite baby shower game EVER, I might just even play it at home with Tony some time). And I was the most off in guessing my belly diameter, about twice what it actually was. We got lots of really nice baby gifts and got to catch up with lots of people.
Big baby - My doctor felt that Pois was measuring a bit big, so he ordered an ultrasound just to check on the baby's size. I was expecting to hear that the baby weighed about 5 pounds. I was a little surprised to find that Pois was at the 81st percentile at 6 pounds (the size where things should be next week). So, either we're looking at about 9 pounds or we're actually 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I understand why my pelvis has been sore lately.
Childbirth classes - We started childbirth classes last week. I love the birthing ball! Even with big Pois, we're going to try the natural approach and if I find that I need an epidural or a caesarian that's OK.
Baby furniture is here! - It's a good thing that we just ordered the crib and dresser, because there's just the right amount of space for those and the glider that Sandi got us. It's such great furniture, though, and the crib should be able to follow the pois to junior age since it converts to a toddler bed and then a twin bed. We just have to figure out how to raise the springs.
Pregant lady fall down - Apparently every pregnant woman has to take a tumble sometime. Mine was a bit unusual because I fell up the stairs rather than down. I was going into work the day after the ultrasound. Some of the staff were having a meeting on the back steps so I courteously decided not to yell, "Everybody move!". I pinpointed a step that I thought I could handle, lifted up may leg, and tipped forward. I reevaluated the step, thought, "How odd, I should be able to take that step," and tried again. Second attempt ended with me falling on my knee and shoulder and everyone fluttering around because I skinned my knee. I did call the doctor, but since I didn't hit my belly and was feeling fine I didn't have to go home.
A force of destruction - My mom and dad brought the Ikea cabinets this weekend. Dad has told us all along that he wants to be part of the tear down. I was thinking that he was just supportive. I was wrong. The man is a true force of destruction. He so enjoyed tearing down the cabinets with Tony. If Mom and Dad had been able to stay a little later all of the cabinets would be out.
On tomorrow's agenda is the nonstress test and another measurement. This weekend is the Illinois shower (our last road trip before I have to stay close to home). Tony is getting the electrician scheduled for next week as the kitchen moves forward.
Baby Shower #1 - This was a lot of fun. I figured out on the trip to Michigan and back that stopping about every 45 minutes on a trip keeps me mobile. Sandi and Valerie did a great job getting everything set up. It was great watching Tony and Robb get competitive with the guess the baby food game (my all time favorite baby shower game EVER, I might just even play it at home with Tony some time). And I was the most off in guessing my belly diameter, about twice what it actually was. We got lots of really nice baby gifts and got to catch up with lots of people.
Big baby - My doctor felt that Pois was measuring a bit big, so he ordered an ultrasound just to check on the baby's size. I was expecting to hear that the baby weighed about 5 pounds. I was a little surprised to find that Pois was at the 81st percentile at 6 pounds (the size where things should be next week). So, either we're looking at about 9 pounds or we're actually 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I understand why my pelvis has been sore lately.
Childbirth classes - We started childbirth classes last week. I love the birthing ball! Even with big Pois, we're going to try the natural approach and if I find that I need an epidural or a caesarian that's OK.
Baby furniture is here! - It's a good thing that we just ordered the crib and dresser, because there's just the right amount of space for those and the glider that Sandi got us. It's such great furniture, though, and the crib should be able to follow the pois to junior age since it converts to a toddler bed and then a twin bed. We just have to figure out how to raise the springs.
Pregant lady fall down - Apparently every pregnant woman has to take a tumble sometime. Mine was a bit unusual because I fell up the stairs rather than down. I was going into work the day after the ultrasound. Some of the staff were having a meeting on the back steps so I courteously decided not to yell, "Everybody move!". I pinpointed a step that I thought I could handle, lifted up may leg, and tipped forward. I reevaluated the step, thought, "How odd, I should be able to take that step," and tried again. Second attempt ended with me falling on my knee and shoulder and everyone fluttering around because I skinned my knee. I did call the doctor, but since I didn't hit my belly and was feeling fine I didn't have to go home.
A force of destruction - My mom and dad brought the Ikea cabinets this weekend. Dad has told us all along that he wants to be part of the tear down. I was thinking that he was just supportive. I was wrong. The man is a true force of destruction. He so enjoyed tearing down the cabinets with Tony. If Mom and Dad had been able to stay a little later all of the cabinets would be out.
On tomorrow's agenda is the nonstress test and another measurement. This weekend is the Illinois shower (our last road trip before I have to stay close to home). Tony is getting the electrician scheduled for next week as the kitchen moves forward.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
There are many many things continuing to go on around here now that we are in the midst of the month of madness. After a significant setback Tony now has the baby's room just about painted ( a few touch-ups are needed). It's amazing how much work had to go into painting one wall! Crib and dresser/changing table should be arriving any day now. If you were to ask either one of us if we are ready, the answer would probably be a resounding NO, but we're ready to be ready, I think.
Mom is doing great! She had her staples out yesterday and received kudos from the nurse for taking good care of her incision. The only cancer found by the pathologist was on an area less than an inch in size on a single fibroid. She figures that the cancer was just a fluke. I think that she had an incredible medical team and applaud their persistance.
Iffy the goat had 3 kids last week. This is her first litter of triplets and they are all boys. Dad was a bit disappointed at first, Iffy is now 1:8 in her female to male ratio, but he says that they are all really cute. It also gave him a reason to come up with names that do not start with X. Apparently there is a goat tradition that all of the kids born in a given year have names that start with a certain letter. They skip Q, but not X.
I went to the doctor yesterday and he feels that the pois is growing a bit ahead of schedule, so I'm going in for another ultrasound this morning to make certain that we don't need to move up my due date by too much. I'm still hoping to not know what gender the baby is, but given that Pois should weigh close to 4 pounds now, that might be impossible. Then again, there's still tons of activity so there may not be any sitting still at all. On Tuesday, Pois learned how to drum on my bladder. Tony thinks that this may be mimicry of typing sounds.
Amanda, our sister-in-law, will be having her baby any day now. She had false labor yesterday, but it sounds like McKenna is raring to go. Seth and Amanda's older daughter, Morgynn, is really excited and looking forward to her little sister. I imagine that Amanda is just ready to be done.
Finally, we have all the fixings for a new kitchen from IKEA sitting at my parents' house. We just have to figure out how to get it here. Tony's hoping to get everything set before Pois comes, but we'll just have wait and see. It would be great to have a dishwasher once the baby is here. Speaking of which, there are dishes just waiting to be washed right now.
Mom is doing great! She had her staples out yesterday and received kudos from the nurse for taking good care of her incision. The only cancer found by the pathologist was on an area less than an inch in size on a single fibroid. She figures that the cancer was just a fluke. I think that she had an incredible medical team and applaud their persistance.
Iffy the goat had 3 kids last week. This is her first litter of triplets and they are all boys. Dad was a bit disappointed at first, Iffy is now 1:8 in her female to male ratio, but he says that they are all really cute. It also gave him a reason to come up with names that do not start with X. Apparently there is a goat tradition that all of the kids born in a given year have names that start with a certain letter. They skip Q, but not X.
I went to the doctor yesterday and he feels that the pois is growing a bit ahead of schedule, so I'm going in for another ultrasound this morning to make certain that we don't need to move up my due date by too much. I'm still hoping to not know what gender the baby is, but given that Pois should weigh close to 4 pounds now, that might be impossible. Then again, there's still tons of activity so there may not be any sitting still at all. On Tuesday, Pois learned how to drum on my bladder. Tony thinks that this may be mimicry of typing sounds.
Amanda, our sister-in-law, will be having her baby any day now. She had false labor yesterday, but it sounds like McKenna is raring to go. Seth and Amanda's older daughter, Morgynn, is really excited and looking forward to her little sister. I imagine that Amanda is just ready to be done.
Finally, we have all the fixings for a new kitchen from IKEA sitting at my parents' house. We just have to figure out how to get it here. Tony's hoping to get everything set before Pois comes, but we'll just have wait and see. It would be great to have a dishwasher once the baby is here. Speaking of which, there are dishes just waiting to be washed right now.
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Fastest Knife in Chicago
I love my Mom. She was diagnosed with very low grade uterine cancer about 3 weeks ago. Today she had her hysterectomy. Yesterday she went to the spa and had a massage, pedicure and manicure (something that she recommends to everyone). The procedure went very well. Instead of two to two and a half hours it only took an hour and a half. Everything looks great so far! She was still a bit groggy from anesthesia when my brother and my father told how well the procedure went. Her response was, "Well, he is the fastest knife in Chicago." So, here's to the fastest knife in Chicago and here's to Mom for her spirit! I can't wait to see her tomorrow.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Beyond Baby, Sort Of
Believe it or not, there are things going on in our lives other than waiting for the baby (they just aren't quite as all-encompassing). Tony's working hard trying to get the kitchen redone before our new family member arrives in June. So far he's gotten estimates from electricians and plumbers. Now he just has to figure out when he can start tearing everything down so things can be rebuilt. I received a visiting scholar appointment from Notre Dame for the next year. In theory, I don't have to much different than the volunteering that I've already been doing, but sounding official makes me want to do something official. So, I'm starting work on a literature review. Hopefully, I'll be able to work on this from home once Pois is here. Am I being overly ambitious, probably, but at least I'm not planning on extracting DNA with a baby strapped to my chest. I know that I have some limitations.
This weekend begins the 6 weeks of intense business around here. Mom is having surgery tomorrow and we'll be going to Illinois to spend some time with her while she's recovering in the hospital. I work the weekend following. The next weekend is the Michigan baby shower courtesy of Valerie and Tony's Mom. I work the weekend following. The weekend after that if the Illinois shower. Fortunately, Mom has some good helpers for this as she will probably still be doing a little recuperating. I work the weekend following. The next weekend we have our hospital tour on Saturday and work shower on Sunday. The weekend after that we may not even leave the house, so if you want to see us, you have to come to us. the weekend following I work (ending my last week at work before maternity leave). The weekend following that is June 23 and my due date. At some point in the mix the crib and dresser will be arriving so we can finish up the baby room and birthing classes start on Wednesday May 9. Really, we do have a life beyond baby anticipation. Please believe me. How sad is it that maternity leave is starting to look like a vacation? I know it won't be. I'll tired and stinky and covered in bodily fluids, but they'll be baby bodily fluids and even if I'm up at 1:00am and 4:00am, I know that I'll be able to be at home at 1:00pm and\
4:00pm. Still awake, but home.
This weekend begins the 6 weeks of intense business around here. Mom is having surgery tomorrow and we'll be going to Illinois to spend some time with her while she's recovering in the hospital. I work the weekend following. The next weekend is the Michigan baby shower courtesy of Valerie and Tony's Mom. I work the weekend following. The weekend after that if the Illinois shower. Fortunately, Mom has some good helpers for this as she will probably still be doing a little recuperating. I work the weekend following. The next weekend we have our hospital tour on Saturday and work shower on Sunday. The weekend after that we may not even leave the house, so if you want to see us, you have to come to us. the weekend following I work (ending my last week at work before maternity leave). The weekend following that is June 23 and my due date. At some point in the mix the crib and dresser will be arriving so we can finish up the baby room and birthing classes start on Wednesday May 9. Really, we do have a life beyond baby anticipation. Please believe me. How sad is it that maternity leave is starting to look like a vacation? I know it won't be. I'll tired and stinky and covered in bodily fluids, but they'll be baby bodily fluids and even if I'm up at 1:00am and 4:00am, I know that I'll be able to be at home at 1:00pm and\
4:00pm. Still awake, but home.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Daddy Tony
In the past couple of weeks Tony has been able to feel our little pea moving around and kicking. It's really exciting to share the movements I've been aware of for the past 2/2 and 1/2 months. What I find even more exciting is that the baby seems to enjoy kicking for Tony. On Sunday night we were watching TV and Tony had his hand on my belly. The baby kicked right beneath it. Tony moved his hand to the other side and Petit Pois punched right there. There was one more move and one more kick right on target. Last night Tony started to read to us and within the first few words there was a little kick. I know that the baby's sense of hearing is well developed now (29+ weeks), so the response to Tony's voice makes sense. I'm not certain what to make of the touching. Perhaps pressure? Temperature? I suppose it could be light, but the room wasn't very birght to begin with so I don't know how much light would get through to the baby anyway.
Apparently the past few nightd Tony and Pois have been playing a bit after I've fallen asleep. Tony mentioned that the baby is very active around midnight, but he's been worried about playing the counting game* because he doesn't want to wake me up. Last night I stayed awake a little longer so we could play, but I figure if dancing Pois won't wake me up then a few gentle belly pokes will be fine. Maybe we'll stay up with the lights on Friday night and see if there's any visibile motion yet.
*Tony found the counting game in The Expectant Father. He leans down near my belly, says "One" and gently pokes my belly once. Then he waits a few seconds for a kick, says, "Two" and pokes my belly twice. So far thre hasn't been much action in response, but last night we got a little flutter of kicking after "One".
Apparently the past few nightd Tony and Pois have been playing a bit after I've fallen asleep. Tony mentioned that the baby is very active around midnight, but he's been worried about playing the counting game* because he doesn't want to wake me up. Last night I stayed awake a little longer so we could play, but I figure if dancing Pois won't wake me up then a few gentle belly pokes will be fine. Maybe we'll stay up with the lights on Friday night and see if there's any visibile motion yet.
*Tony found the counting game in The Expectant Father. He leans down near my belly, says "One" and gently pokes my belly once. Then he waits a few seconds for a kick, says, "Two" and pokes my belly twice. So far thre hasn't been much action in response, but last night we got a little flutter of kicking after "One".
Friday, April 06, 2007
Rolly Poly Doctor
I have almost outgrown my lab coats. Jen adapted the song from Tommy Boy (it was Tommy Boy, right?) at one point last year and I'm doing a lot of singing "Fat girl in a little coat," when I'm at work. Getting up and down from the floor with the big dogs is also becoming quite tricky. Thank the powers that be for exam room tables so that I haul myself off of the floor. That said, I have to admit that I'm getting a bit tired of the intact male caution dog over 100 pound emergencies that seem to be coming my way at least once a week. I'm pregnant. I can't bend. I can't move fast. I am as a rule our practice's biggest income generator (pretty good for having not performed surgery since September) and am valuable at least financially. Perhaps it might be best to refer the 5:45pm 130 pound intact male rottweiler that hasn't seen a vet (or a rabies vaccine) for 4 years and will bite the owner to the emergency clinic that opens in 15 minutes for his hip that luxated 2 days ago. That one was actually a hypothetical combination of several of these emergencies. Of course, once they walk in the door I don't have the ovarios (given that I'm pregnant I can't pretend to be ballsy) to say no because I feel bad about denying them some help. I'd like to establish some kind of a baseline rule, but given that I am the only doctor Thursday and Friday afternoons I'd feel bad. Fortunately, I've only gotten bitten once and that dog didn't break the skin. I have embraced sedation much more enthusiastically, though and was very pleased that this week's 112 pound intact male with porcupine quills in his face liked his sedative quite well. Generally, as worked up as I get knowing that these are coming in the door, I feel so much happier once everything has been dealt with and we all have our fingers, backs and general sanity intact. I think that I will establish those ground rules come next month, though, because I'm not getting any smaller any time soon.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
More good baby news
I had another obstetrician appointment yesterday. I'm finally in the positive on the weight section. I've gained 7 pounds! Dr. Cavallo thinks that I may only gain a total of 15 pounds for this pregnancy since I'm already at week 23. However, now the baby's going to start growing like a weed so it'll be more up to our little pea. The next ultrasound is in 2 weeks so we'll see!
Monday, February 19, 2007
PJ FAQ
I'm late to the official announcement this year, but our 4th Annual Pajama Party is rolling up soon (Saturday, Feb 24, 7pm). For all you with questions (especially the newbies) here ya go.
Pajama Party? That sounds... er... naughty.
Relax. It‘s not THAT kind of party. If we ask you for your keys, it‘s only because you're hammered and we really don't think you should be behind the wheel.
So why pajamas?
We came across the idea a few years ago and it sounded fun. And it has been. Pajamas are comfortable. Pajamas whisper up and down your spine ”relax. lounge. curl up into that happy space and enjoy the moment.” Also, it's hard to give off airs or be pretentious when you are wearing bunny slippers.
Do I have to wear my PJs?
Yes. Unless you sleep nude. Then please wear something resembling PJs. Again, it‘s not THAT kind of party.
You mentioned overnight guests? Is this a sleep-over?
Not necessarily. Unless you‘re from out of town. Or want to get your drink on without worrying about driving home. Or get so warm and comfy you just don‘t want to get up. Or you just need a night out of your own house. You are welcome to the stay for any reason. We have an extra bed, an extra mattress, and four couch-like structures that fold out into sleeping-like structures. And the coveted chaise lounge.
What‘s the alcohol situation?
Our bar is well stocked, but very light on beer and ‘manly-man‘ liquors (gin, whiskey, bourbon). If you have a strong drinking preference that falls in this realm, you may want to BYO.
What can I bring?
Yourself. If you have a signature dish or drink you want to share (we've found that food that doesn't require silverware works best), we'd love to sample it. But it isn't expected. And if you know you are sleeping here, an extra pillow and blanket would be good, just to be safe.
Where do I park?
Overnight parking on the street is fine.
Is this a kid friendly gathering?
Things are relatively tame the first hour or two. You might not want your kids here after that (and others might feel the same way). Babies are a whole different story. Babies are always welcome. We love babies. And we need to acclimate ourselves to babydom.
Should I eat before I come?
Maybe a light dinner. Snackage is plentiful. Probably enough to fill you up. And there is usually some food left at the end of the night.
Can I bring my sig-o?
Absolutely.
Will there be Karaoke?
If there is a demand for it (and there will be). Based on past experience, I would guess it‘ll start 9-10ish.
What's on the menu (so far)?
gutless rumake
candied bacon
sweet satan's seed
s‘mores
aztec elixir cocoa
vosges chocolates
whatever whoever brings
other things that haven't yet occurred to me
probably blueberry-pecan french toast for breakfast (no promises)
Anything my hosts do not welcome that I should know about?
No smoking in the house.
Also strongly discouraged are vomiting, urinating on other peoples‘ beer, and pouring drinks on other peoples‘ heads.
Pajama Party? That sounds... er... naughty.
Relax. It‘s not THAT kind of party. If we ask you for your keys, it‘s only because you're hammered and we really don't think you should be behind the wheel.
So why pajamas?
We came across the idea a few years ago and it sounded fun. And it has been. Pajamas are comfortable. Pajamas whisper up and down your spine ”relax. lounge. curl up into that happy space and enjoy the moment.” Also, it's hard to give off airs or be pretentious when you are wearing bunny slippers.
Do I have to wear my PJs?
Yes. Unless you sleep nude. Then please wear something resembling PJs. Again, it‘s not THAT kind of party.
You mentioned overnight guests? Is this a sleep-over?
Not necessarily. Unless you‘re from out of town. Or want to get your drink on without worrying about driving home. Or get so warm and comfy you just don‘t want to get up. Or you just need a night out of your own house. You are welcome to the stay for any reason. We have an extra bed, an extra mattress, and four couch-like structures that fold out into sleeping-like structures. And the coveted chaise lounge.
What‘s the alcohol situation?
Our bar is well stocked, but very light on beer and ‘manly-man‘ liquors (gin, whiskey, bourbon). If you have a strong drinking preference that falls in this realm, you may want to BYO.
What can I bring?
Yourself. If you have a signature dish or drink you want to share (we've found that food that doesn't require silverware works best), we'd love to sample it. But it isn't expected. And if you know you are sleeping here, an extra pillow and blanket would be good, just to be safe.
Where do I park?
Overnight parking on the street is fine.
Is this a kid friendly gathering?
Things are relatively tame the first hour or two. You might not want your kids here after that (and others might feel the same way). Babies are a whole different story. Babies are always welcome. We love babies. And we need to acclimate ourselves to babydom.
Should I eat before I come?
Maybe a light dinner. Snackage is plentiful. Probably enough to fill you up. And there is usually some food left at the end of the night.
Can I bring my sig-o?
Absolutely.
Will there be Karaoke?
If there is a demand for it (and there will be). Based on past experience, I would guess it‘ll start 9-10ish.
What's on the menu (so far)?
gutless rumake
candied bacon
sweet satan's seed
s‘mores
aztec elixir cocoa
vosges chocolates
whatever whoever brings
other things that haven't yet occurred to me
probably blueberry-pecan french toast for breakfast (no promises)
Anything my hosts do not welcome that I should know about?
No smoking in the house.
Also strongly discouraged are vomiting, urinating on other peoples‘ beer, and pouring drinks on other peoples‘ heads.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Sweet Relief
Really big news is sometimes accompanied by really big worries. About a week ago, we got some lab tests back that indicated the baby might be at higher risk for spina bifida (higher being a 1 in 55 chance as opposed to a 1 in 10,000 chance). So, this morning was the first ultrasound with Dr. Hariharran, the fetal medicine specialist. I'd been really fretting about what we would need to do to adjust and adapt if there would be a serious problem. Fortunately, normal spine, normal heart, normal bladder, normal colon so far and this child can move! I'm not certain that our little one (and there is just the one)was still for more than a few seconds at a time. We got to see the face, though, with a tiny little pointed chin. Even more exciting, we watched the baby attempt to suck his or her thumb. I have to say attempt because first one hand was chosen, then dismissed, then the other hand was tried. The baby liked the second hand better and opened up its mouth, but the thumb ended up somewhere around the nose. What a great morning!
Tony has the pictures, so hopefully he'll scan them in and post them.
Tony has the pictures, so hopefully he'll scan them in and post them.
Friday, January 12, 2007
BIG NEWS. The biggest we've ever had.
We are going to be parents.
I know this isn't news to our closest friends and family. But since we've already told them, we decided it was OK to let the rest of the world in on our gushings of joy (I phrase I should ween out of my vocabulary before the delivery room).
Amy is about 4 month's along, and the time has flown by. No doubt the due date of June 23 will be upon us before we know it.
This is such an exciting time for us. It's hard to find a good starting point to share our giddiness and anxiety.
Amy is having a very uncomplicated pregnacy so far. No morning sickness. No wacky cravings. No serious mood swings. She's been a little sleepier (but always is in the winter) and a little more cranky (mostly at work, so i don't see it as much), and has had some mild food aversions and preference shifts (Apples and blueberries are good. Chocolate not as much). She hasn't gained any weight as of the last doctor visit (she dropped a little tween the first two visits, and gained it back tween the next two), but I think that will be changing as she is just starting to show a tiny bit.
Amy is pretty sure she feels the baby moving. S/he seems most active during car rides and at lunch time. Although I have yet to feel the little one move, I did get to hear the heartbeat, which wooshes at a quick pace next to Mommy's slower rythm. Its like a little in utero techno beat, a visual which Amy realy enjoys, especially now the s/he's moving about.
And no, we aren't goigng to find out of its a boy or girl (if we can help it.).
And if you must know, if its a boy, we're going to name it "Illiopolis Helsinki". If its a girl, its name will be "Mishawaka Tokyo".
I know this isn't news to our closest friends and family. But since we've already told them, we decided it was OK to let the rest of the world in on our gushings of joy (I phrase I should ween out of my vocabulary before the delivery room).
Amy is about 4 month's along, and the time has flown by. No doubt the due date of June 23 will be upon us before we know it.
This is such an exciting time for us. It's hard to find a good starting point to share our giddiness and anxiety.
Amy is having a very uncomplicated pregnacy so far. No morning sickness. No wacky cravings. No serious mood swings. She's been a little sleepier (but always is in the winter) and a little more cranky (mostly at work, so i don't see it as much), and has had some mild food aversions and preference shifts (Apples and blueberries are good. Chocolate not as much). She hasn't gained any weight as of the last doctor visit (she dropped a little tween the first two visits, and gained it back tween the next two), but I think that will be changing as she is just starting to show a tiny bit.
Amy is pretty sure she feels the baby moving. S/he seems most active during car rides and at lunch time. Although I have yet to feel the little one move, I did get to hear the heartbeat, which wooshes at a quick pace next to Mommy's slower rythm. Its like a little in utero techno beat, a visual which Amy realy enjoys, especially now the s/he's moving about.
And no, we aren't goigng to find out of its a boy or girl (if we can help it.).
And if you must know, if its a boy, we're going to name it "Illiopolis Helsinki". If its a girl, its name will be "Mishawaka Tokyo".
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Worst Vacation Attempt Ever
This is old news now - but the shear volume of typing necessary to tell this story has scared us from the blog entirely.
But now, the story shall be told (on the blog. It's had more than its share of being passed down in the oral record.)
Memorial Day Weekend: Needing a vacation, I took the whole week off. But we also decided decided it would be a good time for a long weekend road trip to Missourri to see my brother, sister in law and the adroable sack of cutness that is our niece, Morgynn. So Amy got friday off, I carved another half-day off out of my Friday afternoon, and we were on the road by 2:00pm Friday.
It was a hot day, but otherwise a good drive. Until we approached Terra Haute. That's when Amy's overheating light popped up on the dashboard. So... off to the side of the road. Pop the hood. Everything look OK. No plumes of milky steam. A higher level of coolant than maybe there should be on a hot engine. Probably just too much AC on too hot a day with a car that isn't used to it. No problem. Wait a few more minutes. Get back on the highway. And pull over again half a mile later. Repeat the primitive diagnostics scan. Everything still in order. A longer intermission. One more time back on the road. And Overheating light and check engine light within a mile (and less than 2 miles from the Terre Haute exit).
Sidenote: we have resisted getting a cell phone for years. Amy dislikes the idea of anyone being able to reach her anytime, anyplace, and I just don't talk enough to justify the expense. By a stroke of syncronicity, I had purchased our first cell phone three days earlier. Thank God.
So, new cell phone in hand (and fully charged, because i also decided to by a car recharge unit), we called for a tow-truck. The freindly/surly tow man took us to a nearby place off the next exit, with food and lodging nearby. The repair shop would be open first thing in the morning, and took business on a first come first serve basis. He also suggested that, hungry though we were,we'd be wise to get our hotel first, because, although there were a number of hotels visible within a mile, it was getting lat, it was Memorial Day weekend, and, most dooming, we were an hour from Indianapolis - which, Memorial Day weekend, means the Indy 500. Which meant rooms would be unusually scarce.
We didn't have to look long, but that may have been luck of the draw. We got the last nonsmoking room of the first two hotels (side by side, owned by the came chain) we checked. There was only one other smoking room. Which, sadly, might have gone to the woman and her three pre-teeners who came in just after us, also with car in tow.
A good, late dinner and up early the next morning. But not early enough. We arrived at 7:40, ten minutes after opening, and they already had all three garage stalls open and working, and a few cars waiting to get in. they had us in by 9:00, and by 10 were able to deliver the news. the news being of the not good variety.
It wasn't anything as simple as a shorte fuse or temperture gauge misread. It was probably the water pump. But they weren't sure, didn't have the part anyway, and were already booked for the day even if they could get the part. Which they couldn't. But they were willing to check around for someplace that might be able to help. And found one. Nearby. Close enough that we could drive to it without any car trouble.
It was maybe 2-3 miles away. Halfway there, the check engine and overheat lights popped back on, beeping shrilly for the remainder of the very long-feeling short drive. But we made it. The mechanic, another freindly/surly sort, said of course they couldn't fix it at the other place, they were all idiots over there, and went to have a look.
Rex returned within half an hour asking us if we had any plans for the day, because we might want to consider doing some car shopping. By their diagnostic scans, the problem was engine related. A cracked cylinder. Which wasn't supplying adequate power to the water pump, which is why it wasn't working (if this sounds like mechanical hogwashery, chalk it up to my mistranslation and inaccurate memory. I was also getting counsel from my stepfather--also named Rex, but we'll call him by the less personal 'stepfather' to avoid confusion--via the wonders of the newly purchased cell phone. He concurred it was unlikey, but possible, and the method for checking it was right).
So, that's an engine repair/replace. On a 2000 Volkswagon Bug. In a town with no volkswagon dealership. On a weekend. And a busy holiday weekend at that. And this sort of repair was out of Rex's comfort zone. His experience on Bugs just didn't run that deep. And it'd be 2 grand. At the very least.
No dealership. No available parts. No experienced Volkwagon mechanic available. No time. No luck.
And no idea what to do next.
Rex's shop was open through and including Memorial Day. He offered to let us store the vehicle there, until Tuesday rolled around and it could be dealt with. And that was all well and good. But we were still stuck in Terre Haute. and almost certain not to find lodging one night closer to the Indy 500. And Amy had to work Tuesday. So we couldn't wait around even if it were an option. And the thought of having to coordinate with an unknown mechanic 4 hours from home and drive back to pick up the car later wasn't settling too well either.
Fortunately, stepfather has a car-hauler. Unfortuneately, stepfather also live in Durand, Mi, 7 hours from Terre Haute, and surely had plans of his own for Memorial Day weekend. But it seemed the least unpleasant of the few options we had. So I calledmom to ask her, um, if this was the sort of favor I should even ask, or if this would be kind of an abuse of the convenience of his having married into the family not even three years ago. She put him on the phone before I could gauge the appropriateness. And I explained the situation (what I hadn't explained already on previous calls) really hoping he might feel terrible for us and offer to pick it up on his own. He did feel terrible for us. That was clear. But the offer didn't come up. so back to my mom, and, hesitantly, expaining the akwardness of what I was thinking before being put on the spot. So she discussed and said they could, could we at least pay for their gas. Which would be at least $200. My response: Heck, yeah. And dinner and a hotel if you want it.
Either thinking of my own financial well being or wanting to exhaust one last option so he didn't have to take 14 hours out of his weekend (wouldn't blame him), stepfather suggested that it might actually be cheaper to find someone to tow it straight from Terre Haute to South Bend. So, with Rex's help, I called aorund, found a place willing and able to tow it, and then we got to the cost. Roughly $900. Soooo stepfather and mom would be driving down to pick up the car in the next couple days.
Now, with all that taken care of, we turned to moving ourselves along. decided we'd shell out for the rental car and continue out trip. But guess what. Rental car places, all of them, are closed for the weekend by Saturday noon. And it was now 1:00. We even tried calling the (still open) Enterprise at the Indy airport to see how far that "we'll pick you up." slogan carried. Not as far as Terre Haute.
So, since clearly getting ANYWHERE would be a challenge, we shifted gears towards just getting home. And asked if there was a bus station nearby. And there was. 3-5 miles away. And a very nice woman watching our melodrama playing out before her offered to drive us there when her car got done in a couple hours. And Rex, also with a front row seat to the whole production, said, "Hell, Wilma, you can take 'em in my truck right now," and tossed her his keys.
So, at the Greyhound station, we baught our tickets back to South Bend. South Bend to Indy, a two hour break, switch busses to Chicago, a half hour break, and switch busses to South Bend, arriving 2:50 am, local time. At least we'd be home.
I think we got the last two seats to Indy (for the buss we took. We could have chosen to wait for a slightly later buss to Inday, but decided, if we were going to have to kill 2 hours, we'd rather do it in Indy). And our time in Indy wasn't bad. Would have been nice if it had been the plan. Got some food, browsed a bookstore, and back to the bus station.
And the bus pulled in. The busdriver and some passengers got off. And...nothing. Being familiar with boarding commuter trains and more standard passenger trains, and figuring this should be similar, I said to myself: "Seating will be first come first serve. I'd rather spend the trip to chicago with my wife than a stranger, so we'd best get on now. I would expect this to be more like a standard passenger train, where people line up and get there tickets checked while they board. but there is no line. and the bus door is wide open. So it must be more like a commuter train and they get your ticket once you are on. And if not, its their own damn fault for leaving the bus door wide open and unattended or not clearly designating what the procedure is."
So I urged Amy to get on the bus. Who still had more patience than me and a greater concern about following rules even if they are not clear. So she asked someone on the bus "do they check our tickets when we are all onme, or are we supposed to show someone before we get on." and of course, the asnwere was "before we get on".
This really pissed me off. Because I was tired and impatient and what the fuck were they going to do, kick us off because no one was there to check our ticket before getting we got on? But now, at amy's insistance, we had to disembark and stand around and wait. And while we were standing around waiting for someone to come to the buss to take out ticket so we could legitimently get on the buss, a whole crowd of people clustered at the doorway inside the station. The bus driver came to the door at the front of the cluster and started checking people tickets, who then walked past us and on to the bus.
And thus my pateince snapped.
I was there first. I had been waiting 20 minutes, in clear sight of any number of Greyhound employees. And now I was going to be the last one on the bus and have to sit next to some smelly, sweaty stranger for 4 hours because Geyhound doesn't believe in posting a simple fucking "line up here" sign and any number of people who surely knew this unspoken, unwritten rule could have tapped us and said 'hey, if you're waiting to get on the bus, you'll need too line up over there", and my wife had to be too much of a goody-goody to just let us sit on the bus and wait for them to figure out we screwed up because of their scrweed up system. BULLSHIT. Someone was getting an earful of something!
But damn Amy again, she wouldn't let me. And this time, she was right (I still say we should have stayed on the bus when we got on the first time. It's there problem for not educating their customers on boarding procedures). I probably would not have gone so far as to get us banned from our bus, but someone else was already cause quite a stir, a policeman was already sorting out that altercation, and my ranting probably would have had authorities against us quicker than for us.
So after 15 minutes on the bus I lightened up and let it go. At least I did get to sit next to Amy, after she asked someone if they would switch seats.
And on our way to Chicago, the bus made a breif pit stop. "Get your snakcs and get back on, "said the busdriver, "you've got ten minutes." and what had to be 30 minutes later, the bus left the truck stop.
We arrived in Chicago at 12:18, wondering if maybe the busdriver forgot to set her watch back before announcing the time. We got of, checked out tickets and frantically set out to figure out where we needed to go to catch out connecting bus, which could leave any minute (again, yeah Greyhound for making everything so clear). While I was trying to decifer the departures arrivals board, Amy snuck away and came back long faced. "Our bus left 8 minutes ago."
The ticket counter people told her that our ticket was still good for the next bus to South Bend, whihc would be leaving at 7:15 AM. so we could wait in the bus station in downtown Chicago until then, or there was a hotel a few blocks away. And though I was tired, I thought this might be a more appropriate moment to pull out the hint of outrage that my irritated but exhuasted self could muster.
I walked up the the "customer service" desk, holding my temper but clearly frustrated. The 'customer service representative' gave me a very monotone "Can I help you, sir".
Not sure where to being, I said as much, and handed her my ticket. This seemed as good a starting point as any.
She looked up at me, blank-faced, and said, "You missed your bus, sir."
And I explained, in the halting, akward manner of someone who is very angry, very tired, very frustrated, and very much trying to be reasonable, that i was well aware of this, that I missed it because of poor scheduling and a bus drivers whim to take a 30+ minute "ten minute" stop whith only 30 minutes time between the connecting bus schedule, and what was Greyound going to do to get me to my destination on schedule or otherwise make good on the situation.
And she looked up at me, with all the expression of a sack of potatoes, and said, "That's what you get when you take public transportation, sir."
Now, THIS would have been the appropriate time for me to go apeshit. But really, how can you argue with that. When you go to the customer service desk, and complain about poor service, and the customer service representative's response is "that's because we have bad service" -- there's pretty much no place to go from there.
So we went to the $$$ hotel, got a good night's sleep, and took the South Shore commuter train into South Bend late the next morning.
It took us 4 hours to get as far as Terre Haute. It took us 44 hours to get back home.
But now, the story shall be told (on the blog. It's had more than its share of being passed down in the oral record.)
Memorial Day Weekend: Needing a vacation, I took the whole week off. But we also decided decided it would be a good time for a long weekend road trip to Missourri to see my brother, sister in law and the adroable sack of cutness that is our niece, Morgynn. So Amy got friday off, I carved another half-day off out of my Friday afternoon, and we were on the road by 2:00pm Friday.
It was a hot day, but otherwise a good drive. Until we approached Terra Haute. That's when Amy's overheating light popped up on the dashboard. So... off to the side of the road. Pop the hood. Everything look OK. No plumes of milky steam. A higher level of coolant than maybe there should be on a hot engine. Probably just too much AC on too hot a day with a car that isn't used to it. No problem. Wait a few more minutes. Get back on the highway. And pull over again half a mile later. Repeat the primitive diagnostics scan. Everything still in order. A longer intermission. One more time back on the road. And Overheating light and check engine light within a mile (and less than 2 miles from the Terre Haute exit).
Sidenote: we have resisted getting a cell phone for years. Amy dislikes the idea of anyone being able to reach her anytime, anyplace, and I just don't talk enough to justify the expense. By a stroke of syncronicity, I had purchased our first cell phone three days earlier. Thank God.
So, new cell phone in hand (and fully charged, because i also decided to by a car recharge unit), we called for a tow-truck. The freindly/surly tow man took us to a nearby place off the next exit, with food and lodging nearby. The repair shop would be open first thing in the morning, and took business on a first come first serve basis. He also suggested that, hungry though we were,we'd be wise to get our hotel first, because, although there were a number of hotels visible within a mile, it was getting lat, it was Memorial Day weekend, and, most dooming, we were an hour from Indianapolis - which, Memorial Day weekend, means the Indy 500. Which meant rooms would be unusually scarce.
We didn't have to look long, but that may have been luck of the draw. We got the last nonsmoking room of the first two hotels (side by side, owned by the came chain) we checked. There was only one other smoking room. Which, sadly, might have gone to the woman and her three pre-teeners who came in just after us, also with car in tow.
A good, late dinner and up early the next morning. But not early enough. We arrived at 7:40, ten minutes after opening, and they already had all three garage stalls open and working, and a few cars waiting to get in. they had us in by 9:00, and by 10 were able to deliver the news. the news being of the not good variety.
It wasn't anything as simple as a shorte fuse or temperture gauge misread. It was probably the water pump. But they weren't sure, didn't have the part anyway, and were already booked for the day even if they could get the part. Which they couldn't. But they were willing to check around for someplace that might be able to help. And found one. Nearby. Close enough that we could drive to it without any car trouble.
It was maybe 2-3 miles away. Halfway there, the check engine and overheat lights popped back on, beeping shrilly for the remainder of the very long-feeling short drive. But we made it. The mechanic, another freindly/surly sort, said of course they couldn't fix it at the other place, they were all idiots over there, and went to have a look.
Rex returned within half an hour asking us if we had any plans for the day, because we might want to consider doing some car shopping. By their diagnostic scans, the problem was engine related. A cracked cylinder. Which wasn't supplying adequate power to the water pump, which is why it wasn't working (if this sounds like mechanical hogwashery, chalk it up to my mistranslation and inaccurate memory. I was also getting counsel from my stepfather--also named Rex, but we'll call him by the less personal 'stepfather' to avoid confusion--via the wonders of the newly purchased cell phone. He concurred it was unlikey, but possible, and the method for checking it was right).
So, that's an engine repair/replace. On a 2000 Volkswagon Bug. In a town with no volkswagon dealership. On a weekend. And a busy holiday weekend at that. And this sort of repair was out of Rex's comfort zone. His experience on Bugs just didn't run that deep. And it'd be 2 grand. At the very least.
No dealership. No available parts. No experienced Volkwagon mechanic available. No time. No luck.
And no idea what to do next.
Rex's shop was open through and including Memorial Day. He offered to let us store the vehicle there, until Tuesday rolled around and it could be dealt with. And that was all well and good. But we were still stuck in Terre Haute. and almost certain not to find lodging one night closer to the Indy 500. And Amy had to work Tuesday. So we couldn't wait around even if it were an option. And the thought of having to coordinate with an unknown mechanic 4 hours from home and drive back to pick up the car later wasn't settling too well either.
Fortunately, stepfather has a car-hauler. Unfortuneately, stepfather also live in Durand, Mi, 7 hours from Terre Haute, and surely had plans of his own for Memorial Day weekend. But it seemed the least unpleasant of the few options we had. So I calledmom to ask her, um, if this was the sort of favor I should even ask, or if this would be kind of an abuse of the convenience of his having married into the family not even three years ago. She put him on the phone before I could gauge the appropriateness. And I explained the situation (what I hadn't explained already on previous calls) really hoping he might feel terrible for us and offer to pick it up on his own. He did feel terrible for us. That was clear. But the offer didn't come up. so back to my mom, and, hesitantly, expaining the akwardness of what I was thinking before being put on the spot. So she discussed and said they could, could we at least pay for their gas. Which would be at least $200. My response: Heck, yeah. And dinner and a hotel if you want it.
Either thinking of my own financial well being or wanting to exhaust one last option so he didn't have to take 14 hours out of his weekend (wouldn't blame him), stepfather suggested that it might actually be cheaper to find someone to tow it straight from Terre Haute to South Bend. So, with Rex's help, I called aorund, found a place willing and able to tow it, and then we got to the cost. Roughly $900. Soooo stepfather and mom would be driving down to pick up the car in the next couple days.
Now, with all that taken care of, we turned to moving ourselves along. decided we'd shell out for the rental car and continue out trip. But guess what. Rental car places, all of them, are closed for the weekend by Saturday noon. And it was now 1:00. We even tried calling the (still open) Enterprise at the Indy airport to see how far that "we'll pick you up." slogan carried. Not as far as Terre Haute.
So, since clearly getting ANYWHERE would be a challenge, we shifted gears towards just getting home. And asked if there was a bus station nearby. And there was. 3-5 miles away. And a very nice woman watching our melodrama playing out before her offered to drive us there when her car got done in a couple hours. And Rex, also with a front row seat to the whole production, said, "Hell, Wilma, you can take 'em in my truck right now," and tossed her his keys.
So, at the Greyhound station, we baught our tickets back to South Bend. South Bend to Indy, a two hour break, switch busses to Chicago, a half hour break, and switch busses to South Bend, arriving 2:50 am, local time. At least we'd be home.
I think we got the last two seats to Indy (for the buss we took. We could have chosen to wait for a slightly later buss to Inday, but decided, if we were going to have to kill 2 hours, we'd rather do it in Indy). And our time in Indy wasn't bad. Would have been nice if it had been the plan. Got some food, browsed a bookstore, and back to the bus station.
And the bus pulled in. The busdriver and some passengers got off. And...nothing. Being familiar with boarding commuter trains and more standard passenger trains, and figuring this should be similar, I said to myself: "Seating will be first come first serve. I'd rather spend the trip to chicago with my wife than a stranger, so we'd best get on now. I would expect this to be more like a standard passenger train, where people line up and get there tickets checked while they board. but there is no line. and the bus door is wide open. So it must be more like a commuter train and they get your ticket once you are on. And if not, its their own damn fault for leaving the bus door wide open and unattended or not clearly designating what the procedure is."
So I urged Amy to get on the bus. Who still had more patience than me and a greater concern about following rules even if they are not clear. So she asked someone on the bus "do they check our tickets when we are all onme, or are we supposed to show someone before we get on." and of course, the asnwere was "before we get on".
This really pissed me off. Because I was tired and impatient and what the fuck were they going to do, kick us off because no one was there to check our ticket before getting we got on? But now, at amy's insistance, we had to disembark and stand around and wait. And while we were standing around waiting for someone to come to the buss to take out ticket so we could legitimently get on the buss, a whole crowd of people clustered at the doorway inside the station. The bus driver came to the door at the front of the cluster and started checking people tickets, who then walked past us and on to the bus.
And thus my pateince snapped.
I was there first. I had been waiting 20 minutes, in clear sight of any number of Greyhound employees. And now I was going to be the last one on the bus and have to sit next to some smelly, sweaty stranger for 4 hours because Geyhound doesn't believe in posting a simple fucking "line up here" sign and any number of people who surely knew this unspoken, unwritten rule could have tapped us and said 'hey, if you're waiting to get on the bus, you'll need too line up over there", and my wife had to be too much of a goody-goody to just let us sit on the bus and wait for them to figure out we screwed up because of their scrweed up system. BULLSHIT. Someone was getting an earful of something!
But damn Amy again, she wouldn't let me. And this time, she was right (I still say we should have stayed on the bus when we got on the first time. It's there problem for not educating their customers on boarding procedures). I probably would not have gone so far as to get us banned from our bus, but someone else was already cause quite a stir, a policeman was already sorting out that altercation, and my ranting probably would have had authorities against us quicker than for us.
So after 15 minutes on the bus I lightened up and let it go. At least I did get to sit next to Amy, after she asked someone if they would switch seats.
And on our way to Chicago, the bus made a breif pit stop. "Get your snakcs and get back on, "said the busdriver, "you've got ten minutes." and what had to be 30 minutes later, the bus left the truck stop.
We arrived in Chicago at 12:18, wondering if maybe the busdriver forgot to set her watch back before announcing the time. We got of, checked out tickets and frantically set out to figure out where we needed to go to catch out connecting bus, which could leave any minute (again, yeah Greyhound for making everything so clear). While I was trying to decifer the departures arrivals board, Amy snuck away and came back long faced. "Our bus left 8 minutes ago."
The ticket counter people told her that our ticket was still good for the next bus to South Bend, whihc would be leaving at 7:15 AM. so we could wait in the bus station in downtown Chicago until then, or there was a hotel a few blocks away. And though I was tired, I thought this might be a more appropriate moment to pull out the hint of outrage that my irritated but exhuasted self could muster.
I walked up the the "customer service" desk, holding my temper but clearly frustrated. The 'customer service representative' gave me a very monotone "Can I help you, sir".
Not sure where to being, I said as much, and handed her my ticket. This seemed as good a starting point as any.
She looked up at me, blank-faced, and said, "You missed your bus, sir."
And I explained, in the halting, akward manner of someone who is very angry, very tired, very frustrated, and very much trying to be reasonable, that i was well aware of this, that I missed it because of poor scheduling and a bus drivers whim to take a 30+ minute "ten minute" stop whith only 30 minutes time between the connecting bus schedule, and what was Greyound going to do to get me to my destination on schedule or otherwise make good on the situation.
And she looked up at me, with all the expression of a sack of potatoes, and said, "That's what you get when you take public transportation, sir."
Now, THIS would have been the appropriate time for me to go apeshit. But really, how can you argue with that. When you go to the customer service desk, and complain about poor service, and the customer service representative's response is "that's because we have bad service" -- there's pretty much no place to go from there.
So we went to the $$$ hotel, got a good night's sleep, and took the South Shore commuter train into South Bend late the next morning.
It took us 4 hours to get as far as Terre Haute. It took us 44 hours to get back home.
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