Wednesday, November 4, 2009

GRAND SLAM


Afraid of the H1N1? 

Not me.

No, I’m afraid of—my grandkids!

TWO DAYS AGO

4:45 A.M.

Felt great!

After making my coffee, I entered my office, the aroma wafting from my cup waking up my senses. I took a sip, sat down and turned on my laptop. Blue lights flickered, the hard drive hummed, and like magic, the desktop came alive. I clicked on my Internet New Age radio station and felt transported as Enya’s song, Wild Child streamed through the air.  

Sitting back in my chair, I sipped my brew again and opened my manuscript, How Em Found Her Cha Cha, excited to make the changes my critique partner had suggested.

I planned to work until 10:00, then switch to the screenplay I’ve been working on. Plenty of time before my 3:00 appointment.

6:00 A.M.

Ringtone Ringtone Ringtone

“Hello?” 

“Mom!”

“Hi sweetie, what’s the . . .

“The kids are sick.”

“Oh, no . . .

“I think one’s got the croup.”

“Cripes, is that still around?”

“Yeah. Half her class is out with it.”

“And the . . .

“The other’s got a fever. Not sure what it’s going to wind up being.”

“And the baby?


“Diarrhea.”

“Yeesh!”

“Can you watch them?”

“Today?”

 “Yeah today. I just said they’re sick.”

“But I . . .

“Mom please! I’ve got to prepare for a big case in court tomorrow.

“Well I . . .

“Please mom? I really need your help.”

“OK, sure, I guess I can uh, I mean I’ll just reschedule, sure, yeah, OK, I can . . .


TODAY

4:30 A.M.

Felt like crap!

Cough! Chills!

Ugh! I can’t get up out of . . .

OH YES I CAN!

I blasted out of bed into the bathroom!

FLUSH

Falling back in bed, I recalled last year’s cold and flu season.

And how many different bugs my grandkids got.

And how many times I watched them.

And how—NO GOOD GRANDMA DEED EVER GOES UNPUNISHED!


Always, Em-Musing

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hope you feel better soon! I have (so far, touch mahogany!) avoided any major breakdown this season. I feel somewhat protected since I work from home (no grandkids) but I am going to be travelling a fair amount over the next few months, so who knows? Keeping my echinacea and zinc tablets close and other people at a safe distance....Patrice

Karen Baldwin said...

Thanks, I'm warding off whatever bug I'm coming down with by taking Vitamin C, garlic, and Grape Seed extract. Plus Cold-eze for the zinc, and Aleve Cold and Sinus for the symptoms. We'll see...

Jill Kemerer said...

Oh, you poor woman! I hope it's not croup! Take care of yourself, okay?

Sloan Parker said...

Oh no. I hope you're feeling better soon! I did like your last line about "no good grandma deed..." Good one!!

Jennifer Shirk said...

Oh, no! They got you good. :)

Hope you feel better soon!

Karen Baldwin said...

Thanks, I am. and thanks all the herbal supplements did what they're supposed to do. :)