I borrowed this title from Green Day, my 2 1/2 year old grandson's favorite band (go figure). I do feel that these days Billie Joe Armstrong is probably having a worse time of it than I am...but it's my blog and he's in rehab so I'm using it.
It's hard for me to believe but just a little better than a month ago I was sitting on the beach. The beautiful Atlantic Ocean was at my feet. I would wake up and see dolphins and my biggest worry was making sure there was enough sun screen in my lip balm so my mouth wouldn't go all Jolie on me again. I was with some of the best people I know. Although all my kids weren't able to go, I did have my grandson with me. It wasn't perfect but it was pretty damn close. I read a book, I ate delicious seafood, had some drinks and tons of laughs.
I remember one afternoon in particular. It was hot, but not unbearable as it was earlier in the day. I was sitting with family & friends and can see my grandson playing in a little tide pool, laughing and having the time of his life. I turned to my daughter, the one who was able to make the trip with her son, the same daughter who spent the summer choreographing the musical with me, and told her to think back. I wondered if she remembered this one day at rehearsal when no one knew their lines and it was a zillion degrees in that theater and we thought we broke those damn tubular bells we borrowed. The show looked like crap and no one seemed to care but us. She did remember, so I told her to close her eyes and think back to that clusterfuck of a day. Open them, I told her and look at her precious little boy running on the beach of this breathtaking ocean on this glorious August day. We earned this vacation....we DESERVED this vacation!
Yep ....this is What I Did on My Summer Vacation Part II ( the original title of this blog), Little did I know this wasn't a reward for a busy, productive summer. It was: enjoy the sunshine sucker..here comes a big poop storm called September.
WeekOne:
Now when you work in a school, it's like you never grow up. The real world goes to work every day January to January. School people start in September and we get that same feeling we got as kids. The nerves, the anxiety, the dread...is that Jerry Lewis singing "You'll Never Walk Alone"? Well this year was different. I slipped on my new school shoes (yes, I still buy new school shoes along with new these are on sale shoes and new hey it's Tuesday shoes ) This year, though, it was the last first day of school at my school because the powers that be (I really hate that phrase) decided to close our school to save a couple mill. I get it, I'm a taxpayer but this is the school my kids went to. Hell, this is the school I came to in 2nd grade. So this will be a bittersweet year of lasts.
I had to face this like a grown up so as I took a big deep breath, I took in whatever was in the air and had the worst allergy attack ever. I say ever because I don't really have allergies or sinus problems. Well I do now. This was the first week of school and here it is the end of the month and my nose is still running. Week One blows...literally
Week Two: After about 7 or 8 second opinions (none to his liking) my dad decided to have that knee surgery we suggested he have in the summer so we can be around to help him. Nah...second week of school is better. My sister, the first grade teacher and I played hospital tag for a couple days. I took the keys to my parent's car (saying it would really help me out if I can borrow their car for a bit). The beck and call situation I put myself in is infinitely better than the "were those your parents that drove through the window of McDonald's?" scenario. Realizing that my dad being out of commission meant that the day to day operations of that house was shut down we had no choice but to roll up our sleeves and play parents to our parents. I cooked, I drove , I cooked , I drove. I took my mom grocery shopping which turned into a horrifying episode of Supermarket Sweep. "I need frozen vegetables ( frozen foods) I need powder (health and beauty) I need milk ( well that's by the frozen foods where we just were) oh and we need Pepsi ...and then she disappeared. OK GO...Find all those items AND your mother.... Tell her what she's won, Johnny!!!
Week Three: More cooking, more driving, more phone calls , more banking "this has been so nice seeing you so much... oh you don't have time for lunch today" ..... oh yeah, more guilt
Week Four: I am at work at the restaurant and get the following from the Mr. Text 1: I am going to urgent care Text 2: I am going to the hospital Phone Call 1: no answer Phone Call 2: no answer Voicemail 1: I'm on (breath)my way( breath) to the hospital. Phone Call 3: "can't talk to you right now we're pulling up to the hospital now."...all said in a voice I have never heard from my husband. Half whisper half moaning. WHAT THE FUCK?!!?
So off I fly to the hospital in my little waitress uniform. Now this is the second time I have left work to fly to the hospital in my little waitress uniform. The first time was a for fall on the ice and my kids called and said he was fine, and I met them there . This time was different. This time I had no freaking idea what I was going to find when I got there. Well I got there and he was standing in the ER...obviously having chest and abdominal pains. Deep breath...this is better than what my over active imagination had me thinking. Miraculously, within minutes of my arrival the pain got better, it down right disappeared. Wow...I had no idea how powerful my presence was...seriously...I'm like Mother Theresa. Although I doubt Mother Theresa would have downed 5 shots of cherry vodka afterwards. Anyway... we still had to stay, for what turned out to be hours, to find out what was causing this. The smell of hospital doesn't mix well with the chicken wings and beer perfume I brought in on my little waitress uniform. Ughhh... I hate hate hate hospitals, so add a dose of panic and fear and a Latino family with the little boy who hit his head crying next to us and the endless parade of unprofessional personnel ("you guys are waiting for the doctor and stuff"...a direct quote) slide over honey I need to lie down too. Turns out the man has a bum gall bladder. After a couple of days of we need to do surgery, no a procedure, no surgery, nah, we'll send you home instead. So they sent him home BUT he needs to have that thing taken out not later but sooner ...Oh boy bring on October!!! If I'm not mistaken, Green Day has a song called BASKET CASE....just sayin'
