Well, this has been a trying week. There have been ups, and there have been some severe downs. Today I found out my mom is anemic and will have a blood transfusion Friday, so keep her in your prayers. Sunday El Prego Diablo and I spent the day in the hospital. We thought she had a touch of food poisoning as she was up all night running to the bathroom. Sunday morn she called the doctor and we were sent to the hospital to be treated for dehydration. After a liter of fluids Sar was feeling better, but I want you all to listen closely to the wisdom I am about to impart:
1. Don't ever go to the emergency room on a Sunday if you can help it. Apparently the good doctors are at home, church, or the golf course. I say this as a public service announcement. The two times I have ever been to the ER on a Sunday the doctors have been terrible.
The first time many of you may remember when I broke my nose in high school. After the ill-advised double flip the "doctor" (and I use this term loosely) told me my nose wasn't broken, go home and ice it. Four days later when it was still bothering me an ear, nose, and throat specialist asked me "What happened to your nose? It looks like it's broken." as I walked through the door. To this day my glasses have a slight slant.
This past Sunday the doctor (all 4'10" of her, this isn't to say small people are not smart enough to be a good doctors, but if two men were standing in front of me in white coats I would solicit advice from the humongous healing hands of Peter before approaching the carni-esque hands of Kurt) was not able to find the baby's heartbeat. The nurse struck out as well. Which brings me to my second pearl of wisdom (I know you thought I would never get there, give me a break, at least it's not the honeymoon story).
But first a word from our sponsor: This pearl of wisdom is brought to you by the Coalition for Common Sense, helping to pry your head out of your butt since 1892.
2. Don't ever, EVER, say the word miscarriage to a woman carrying her first child.
EVER.
You are an ER doctor, not an OB/GYN. Admit that you suck at using the little heartbeat finder and that you need to call in the pros. For the love of God whatever you do not "make us feel better" by non-chalantly adding, "if it is a miscarriage there isn't anything we can do, the body will expel it on it's own". WTF? Is that doctor speak for "I have no bedside manner because I'm jaded/bitter and a little incompetent?" So the ultrasound tech was called in from home and the baby was just fine, good heartbeat and wiggling around. Longest hour of my life waiting for the ultrasound lady.
The weekend had started out so well too. We went to KC for cinco di mayo and saw Steph. Amy and David came up to buy a car, and Carrie and her fiance came into town for dinner. It was almost like we had friends. Not friends that sit around a fire and have a visit from Grand Rapids' finest, but friends none the less. I should've known when it took 6 years to buy the car on Saturday that things were heading downhill fast.
There was a bright spot. Monday morning we welcomed the Majority Leader to Topeka and raised $70,000. The largest amount ever raised in Topeka...ever. More than any other Congressman or Senator. $31,000 more than the campaign has ever done in Topeka. A happy boss is a good thing.
Alli the SP (satan puppy, super puppy, you be the judge) was responding well to the spray bottle, but now we have to make sure to get her right in the face or it doesn't faze her. Unfortunately she will probably revert to her old ways because she gets to spend the weekend with Aunt Sadie (yes the dog) who taught her it was OK to bark in the first place.
My debate was pretty rough. She is not a nice person. I held my own, restrained myself mostly, and beat her to death on abortion and the process of passing legislation. There was a question or two I couldn't answer, but it was because I am still getting to know Jim and couldn't speak confidently on his behalf. The lady just has no idea how Congress works, or does and is relying on the fact most people don't. I never understood how much people's understanding of government is based on School House Rock commercials.
I'm a bill, I'm a bill, up on Capital Hill...everybody now.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Thursday, May 04, 2006
What's a Month Among Friends?
Ok, so I said I would update once a week, and I realize it has been a month (I can do the math), but I've been a smidge busy. This "Taking Over the World" thing has been keeping me pretty occupied.
Where to start? Since we last spoke I've spent two weeks traveling the great 2nd district. In the last month my ability the produce more children has been challenged. I toured a nuclear power plant (and have just recently stopped glowing), procured a Blackberry which seems to have a transmission strength just short of the infamous 400lbs microwave purchased in 1978 that is 3 days younger than me (which is still in use in my mother's classroom...apparently to shape the minds of the future you must first melt them with large doses of radiation), and to top it off I spent an afternoon with the VP. Dick Cheney is not as radioactive as a power plant, but we were on a military base...there are lots of guns...you do the math.
I've also have been busy on the campaign trail, raising money, kissing babies, and next Tuesday I have to debate our opponent at the KS Nurses Association meeting. Does anyone else think I should be getting paid more? At the end of the day, I don't get to be the Congressman but I'm willing to trade the title for compensation. We are closing in on the Majority Leader event which has broken all money records for a Topeka event...which basically means I'll have a job for another month or so. After the Kansas Relays event I was actually worried a little, but the money wasn't down just nobody showed up to eat the food they paid for.
Everyone else is doing well. El Prego Diablo is close to a full recovery from morning sickness (read all-day sickness) and has adjusted to her new pills nicely. We had an ultrasound last week. There is only one baby, that has two arms and two legs and apparently a good spine. It is too early to determine the sex, so we have to wait a few more weeks.
Sar anything to add? She says send chocolate.
We haven't really bought anything for the baby yet, other than the standard KSU garb. We got a grill instead. I figure we can just take out the grates and throw in a blanket, but Sarah insists that it is inappropriate. I challenged her to find another baby with a stainless steel crib and added how urban lofty it would make the baby's landing look. She wasn't buying it.
Satan (a.k.a. Alli the Super Puppy) has forced us to find the spray bottle. This horrible habit of barking at anything that moves will come to an end soon, whether she likes it or not. She turned 1 year old on the 28th and received a new kennel, t-shirt, chew toy, and a no-pull harness. That's right, my 10lbs dog has the pulling power suitable for the Iditarod.
It has been raining a lot here lately (so much that we had a mud slide yesterday) and Alli is terrified of thunder and shakes during storms, so we did what any good parent would do...we took her out and sat on the porch with her during a really bad hail storm. Now she shakes when it's just raining. I can't wait for November...screwing up a little human has to be more fun than screwing up a little dog :)
Where to start? Since we last spoke I've spent two weeks traveling the great 2nd district. In the last month my ability the produce more children has been challenged. I toured a nuclear power plant (and have just recently stopped glowing), procured a Blackberry which seems to have a transmission strength just short of the infamous 400lbs microwave purchased in 1978 that is 3 days younger than me (which is still in use in my mother's classroom...apparently to shape the minds of the future you must first melt them with large doses of radiation), and to top it off I spent an afternoon with the VP. Dick Cheney is not as radioactive as a power plant, but we were on a military base...there are lots of guns...you do the math.
I've also have been busy on the campaign trail, raising money, kissing babies, and next Tuesday I have to debate our opponent at the KS Nurses Association meeting. Does anyone else think I should be getting paid more? At the end of the day, I don't get to be the Congressman but I'm willing to trade the title for compensation. We are closing in on the Majority Leader event which has broken all money records for a Topeka event...which basically means I'll have a job for another month or so. After the Kansas Relays event I was actually worried a little, but the money wasn't down just nobody showed up to eat the food they paid for.
Everyone else is doing well. El Prego Diablo is close to a full recovery from morning sickness (read all-day sickness) and has adjusted to her new pills nicely. We had an ultrasound last week. There is only one baby, that has two arms and two legs and apparently a good spine. It is too early to determine the sex, so we have to wait a few more weeks.
Sar anything to add? She says send chocolate.
We haven't really bought anything for the baby yet, other than the standard KSU garb. We got a grill instead. I figure we can just take out the grates and throw in a blanket, but Sarah insists that it is inappropriate. I challenged her to find another baby with a stainless steel crib and added how urban lofty it would make the baby's landing look. She wasn't buying it.
Satan (a.k.a. Alli the Super Puppy) has forced us to find the spray bottle. This horrible habit of barking at anything that moves will come to an end soon, whether she likes it or not. She turned 1 year old on the 28th and received a new kennel, t-shirt, chew toy, and a no-pull harness. That's right, my 10lbs dog has the pulling power suitable for the Iditarod.
It has been raining a lot here lately (so much that we had a mud slide yesterday) and Alli is terrified of thunder and shakes during storms, so we did what any good parent would do...we took her out and sat on the porch with her during a really bad hail storm. Now she shakes when it's just raining. I can't wait for November...screwing up a little human has to be more fun than screwing up a little dog :)
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