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The Black Plague: Day Five

Really? Still?

Day five is feeling pretty similar to day four. I suppose the congestion is slightly better, but as of last night the cough, which started this whole torture, is actually worse. I haven’t been sick like this in over 100 years. I mean, really? Five days and still this bad? Give me a fricken’ break, eh?

Threat

The kids and I were all packed up and ready to go to school this morning when my beloved wife, who was sitting at her desk feeling sick as a dog, told us to hold on a second.  She had just checked her email and there was something from the superintendant of schools.  Apparently, there was some unspecified threat made against the school system and the super was forwarding the information on to all of the parents.  The FBI had been notified and there would be police present at all schools today.

A quick discussion was had between my wife and the kids father and it was decided that we should keep them home today.  It’s the last day of school before Christmas vacation, so it’s not like we would be depriving them of any vital knowledge.  Nana and Papa were coming over today anyway, so we figured we’d try as hard as our sick bodies would allow us to have a bit of an early Christmasy kinda day.  When Jen called the schools to let them know the kids would be absent today, she got busy signals.  It sounds like our kids won’t be the only ones MIA today.

I know this is going to amount to nothing.  It’s just some asshole trying to feel important in the wake of Newtown, CT.  Still, why even mess with it?  If the risk of danger is 0.01%, that is too much risk.  Better to keep them home where the only danger is catching this bastard of a cold/flu/whatever it is bug that Jen and I have.

Now on a personal note, during the mom and dad discussion it was decided to not let the kids know exactly why they were being kept home.  So if you read this, you have to keep it to yourself, okay?  No telling the kids.  Thanks

 

The Black Plague: Day Four

It continues…

I don’t feel any worse today, but I don’t really feel any better either.  Today was already scheduled as a vacation day so I didn’t have to call in to work or anything.  Jen is still in the same situation.  Sick, sick, and all kinds of sick.

We are having a Christmas Eve party and the house is a pit.  I need to clean every room.  We have a mountain of Christmas gifts that need wrapping.  We still actually need to go out and get gifts for two family members and my work grab.  We haven’t hung the stockings yet, we haven’t put out most of our decorations yet.  Urgh!

All that too do and all we want to do is go back to sleep.

This sucks.

Here’s hoping Day Five shows some improvement.

The Black Plague: Day Three

Okay immune system, enough’s e-freakin’-nuff!

Three days and I’m still dying over heah!

I woke up this morning feeling like dung again, but still the slightest tiny bit better than the day before. I got out of bed, got my crap together and went to work.

Big mistake!

Whatever energy I had was sucked out during the 90 minute commute and from then on it was coughing and nose honking and rubbery limbed awful all the way through.

I’m waiting for the kids to get out of karate class so that I can just go home to that one place I’ve been fever dreaming about all day: Home.

See how sick I am? My crappy writing is crappier than normal!

Curses upon thee, Black Plague of a flu type bug thingie.

CURSES!!!

Saddest Conversations Ever

What do you call it when your family includes step children whose time is split equally with another family?  Is that a blended family?  I think that’s the proper term.  Last night we had a loss in our blended family.

My wife has two kids.  Two fantastic kids.  Two amazing kids.  They spend half of their time with us, and half of their time with their father and step mother.  I might have mentioned that a few hundred million times, but I am just clearing it up for all the new people.

In our house it’s me and my wife, the two kids, and a cat.  We had some fish there for a while, but they didn’t make it.  We also had a mouse for a couple of days, but he wasn’t exactly an invited guest.

At their father’s house they have two dogs and three cats.  One of those cats had to be put down yesterday.  Squeaky Cat, a Siamese who lived a whopping 14 years.  When the kids were dropped off at our house last night they weren’t exactly clear on the details as they were still pretty upset, but it sounds like Squeaky Cat’s kidneys were failing and she was suffering.

Both kids were very brave and very strong.  They watched the procedure and told us what happened.  They were both clearly upset by the loss, but they were handling it great.  Right up until bed time, that is.

My step son went to bed first.  He was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and I happened to be walking by and noticed that he was crying.  Hugs were given, tears were shed, I told him he should focus on his happiest memories and he said that Squeaky loved jumping into boxes, especially laundry baskets.  Is there anything cuter than a cat in a laundry basket?  At one point he said one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard.  He said, “I’m going to make a wish to Santa to bring Squeaky back.”  Eventually he was able to pull it together and he went to sleep.  I am very proud of how he has handled the situation.  He’s a fantastic kid.

30 minutes after my step son went to bed, my step daughter’s bed time came along.  She just walked up to me with tears beginning to well up in her eyes and leaned on me.  Again, hugs were given, tears were shed.  I asked her what her favorite memories of Squeaky Cat were and she also said Squeaky jumping into boxes.  Again, is there anything cuter?  She too got herself together and was about to go to sleep when she started crying again and asked, “Whose going to feed her?”  It was just gut wrenching, the poor thing.  Still, I am very proud of the way she handled the situation.  She too is a fantastic kid.

I’ve said it a millions times before, but I am the luckiest man alive.  The obvious reason is the way my wife and her kids have let me be a part of their family.  I couldn’t ask for anything more.  Even when it’s sad and difficult like last night was, I still could not imagine being luckier.

Rest in peace, Squeaky Cat.

 

Thoughts from the Sick Bed

On Tuesday I got up at about 6:00am.  I took the trash out to the street, and I moved my car out of the driveway so Jen could get her car out.  I then went back to bed.  I woke up again at a few minutes to 9:00 and called into work.  I then went back to bed.  At just about noon I heard a really loud bang that seemed like it came from out front of the house.  It sounded like a washing machine being dropped into a dumpster (exactly like that).  I got up and did a walk around the house to make sure everything was okay.  I then went back to bed.  When my wife came home, also sick as a dog, at 3:30ish I got up to let her in.  I then went back to bed.  At about 7:00 I got up and sat on the couch to visit with my beloved.  That lasted about 10 minutes and then we nyquilled it up and went to bed for the night.  I was probably out of bed for maybe 30 minutes in the entire day.

Today I did a little better.  I got up and sat on the couch long enough to watch an episode of Bob’s Burgers.  Later I actually drove to the store to get my dearest some orange juice, and then I cooked us both a can of chicken noodle soup.  We ate together, sitting on the couch watching a movie.  After that we went back to bed.  The kids are on their way over right now.  I got up to open the door for them.  My heart’s desire is still in bed.  I’m going to have to get them dinner, and to cook some more chicken noodle soup for me and my beautiful wife.  I think I can handle all of that.

I don’t know about tomorrow though.  There are a couple of things in the office tomorrow that I have to be there for.  I cannot call in sick, but I don’t know how I am going to pull myself together by then.

To make matters worse, the NHL didn’t even have the common decency to end its lock out while I was stuck in bed.  I figured two full days of not watching the kettle would be enough for the talks to boil over to an agreement.  Nope.  Assholes.

The Black Plague: Day Two

I’m still sick. I was hoping to be well enough to go back to work today, but its not happening. I spent the whole day in bed yesterday. I slept a lot, and the rest of the time I just lay there with my eyes closed. I tried to keep myself hydrated, but its tough to drink clear liquids when you are asleep. In did my best though.

I’m going to head back to bed now until its time to call work. I didn’t eat anything yesterday, so maybe after I call in I might try a piece of bread or something.

Want to hear the best part of all of this? Jen has it too. She left work early yesterday and called in this morning. Merry freakin’ Christmas.