So my 100,000+ degree Tuesday started off with a bang. Since my cell phone is currently incommunicado (Sprint loves to turn me off when I go over my 300 daytime minutes, I think it's a hint that I talk too much), I was greeted about 7:45 with a knock on my door. Now, I was expecting a knock because the clients tower (nicknamed "The Surgenator", for killing not one but TWO of my surge protectors yesterday. No, I did not charge my clients for it, because it didn't even cross my mind to until I started writing this post) was supposed to be picked up and taken back to their business before they opened at 10. So I was waiting around for The Surgenator to get it's ugly grey self out of my dining room, so it didn't surprise me when someone knocked at my door, what did surprise me was the reason why they were knocking.

So it's Robin, and she tells me Laura was just taken away in an ambulance to the hospital, they think she's had a heart attack. So, I am all kinds of worried, rush around and find my shoes (I can never find them when I need them) and it's off to the hospital. During off of this, I load up The Surgenator in the car and drag him along with me. I figure eventually I can get to the shop before 10 and make sure they get it back on time.

When you rush out the door at 8 in the morning, you hit 8 in the morning traffic. Which really isn't something you want to deal with when someone you love has been whisked away because of a potentially fatal reason. So we're sitting in traffic, and I'm counting all the cars that are swapping lanes and turning corners without using their turn signals, and wishing I was a cop so I could ticket them all. I think I should make a cop uniform, and make fake tickets, and ticket them anyhow. Of course, then I'd go to jail, but it would be fun for a while.

So we make it to the hospital, and eventually we find the desk you're supposed to be at (four floors, two elevators and a skywalk later) and try and locate Ms. Laura. She's in ER, they tell us. So we walk outside and around the hospital (there is no inside through way to the ER, which is odd to me) and get to the ER, and the very nice lady tells us she's been taken into surgery (.....) and will be admitted to the ICU later, but we can go up to ICU and ask them if they know when.

In defense of her, she was a very nice lady, which was shocking. The hospital here is terrible, last time I was in the ER I was asked, by a doctor mind you, while I was in horrific pain and vomiting all over their waiting room, what did I want them to do about it? You'd be proud of me though, my answer was "I don't know, weren't you the one who went to medical school?". As good as it felt to be crappy, I paid for it, they collapsed two of my veins later.

So we go up to the ICU (three floors up. Have I ever told you, my dear figments, that I hate elevators with a passion that is unparalleled? Work of the devil, they are) and give them a call from the waiting area, and they tell us it could be anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours.

So, we call them back and leave our number, because we have to go home and let people know what's going on.

So we get home, make phone calls, take my sister to a job interview, I eventually get The Surgenator back to it's owners (who can keep him) and was only a little over 30 minutes late, pick up people, go back to the hospital and we're told that we can go up and visit Laura.

So we head up. Robin, Darthee (my great aunt), Lanie (my sister) and I, and we go in and see her. She's doing fine, they did an angioplasty and she should be able to come home within the next two days.

We're standing there talking to Laura and her nurse, and Lane is standing next to me, and all of a sudden Lane topples over on me, and shoves me almost into Robin, and I turn to see if she's ok, and she's fainted! So I grab on to her, and ask her if she's ok and her eyes are rolling back into her head and she's white as a piece of paper and she's toppling over on to the floor and we get her into a chair, and she looks like she's about ready to yuke so I ask her if she wants to go outside.

So I take her out (and talk a nurse into getting her a glass of water) and we sit there for about ten minutes and finally she looks over at me and goes "How'd we get out here?". Yeah. So I go and explain to her that she decided to faint, and she turns bright red, the poor thing, and feels mortified about it. Fainting in public is bad enough, but fainting in a hospital has to be awful. At least there is people there who can help, I guess.

So now, I'm home. Lane is fine, she had a second job interview (She got a 'we'll call you' which can mean anything. I hope she got it, it's in a retirement home), Laura is doing fine she was taking a nap last time we checked, and I'm pooped. I hate hospitals, they're so draining. I always feel so sad and awkwardly guilty when I'm in them.

I'm sitting on my butt playing at Pogo.com and not doing anything. I didn't get home until almost 3, and I don't know what to do with myself. I feel all off center now. I didn't cry though, not once. Aren't you proud of me?

HotD:

Juicy fruity yum.
Peach iced tea you are a god,
With a little "g".