Tuesday, August 19, 2008

It must be all those Amelia Peabody books...

...because suddenly Mom has an arm wrapped up like a mummy's.  Yes, we've been indulging ourselves by reading Elizabeth Peters' awesome series together.  I get'em from the Hennepin County Library in book form for me, and cassettes for Mom.  If they don't have the cassettes, we get it from the National Library for the Blind.
But I digress.  I was talking of Mom's mummy arm.  She fell, and has a hairline fracture on her left wrist, and the world's largest bruise on her left thigh.  She's doing ok. 

The worst part of the ordeal was going in to the ER at 10:30 pm and waiting for nearly FOUR HOURS to be seen by a doctor.  We ended up getting home at quarter to 7 in the morning.  Meanwhile, it took 6 (six), yes SIX (6) people to get enough blood out of Mom for a particular test. 

The three of us (Mom, Dad, and me) spent the time telling stories, laughing at the absurdity of it all, in a depressed stupor, in anger, or napping (Dad was best at this, of course).  Then we'd start over again.  We pulled an entire shift in Methodist Hospital, but they won't be paying us.
Some things I learned:

Mom's first job was in a dime store for 22 and one-half cents an hour.  She worked Saturdays only and made enough to go see the serials (cost a nickel).  They  really did leave the heroine tied up on the railroad tracks and you had to wait a whole week to see what happened.

I can still stay awake all night, but I don't want to.

Dad appears to be able to fall asleep whenever he wants, but his legs do too.

Mom and Dad go through a LOT of kleenex.  Now you know what to get them for Christmas.

Mom thinks the ER waiting room should have someone who will "lead us in song."  This activity was declined by the attendent.

Mom and Dad either never saw, or don't remember, Charlie Chaplin and the dance of the rolls on the forks.  Some people might remember this as a Johnny Depp scene in Benny and Joon:
 
I probably learned lots of other stuff that I was too tired to retain.  I'm definitely going to bed early tonight!  In fact, I might (yawn) need a nap right now. 

1 comment:

  1. Hi Mary,
    I know what those all-nighters feel like. Mine was from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. though. Your's sounds much tougher.
    I was told about Mom's fall by my friend Sharon Nelson while having lunch at the quilt shop. I rushed out this morning without looking at my computer at all, but Sharon has Mom on automatic posts from Caring Bridge. I had to use Faye's computer at the shop to check.
    Now when I got home at 9:30 tonight I thought I might call you but Jim said to read the blog. I will let you sleep until tomorrow.
    Sounds like you and Dad did good little sister.
    Love you,
    Nancy

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