Well, I spoke to soon yesterday about Stevie doing better. I got a call last night from Dan, saying that the infection was back, and that he had to take him in. Little guy is home from school today, ankle wrapped up in hot, wet towels again and propped up. He's in pain, and running a low grade fever.

I have to leave him alone for a few minutes to go get Bill from school (he can't ride the school bus with crutches) and the very thought is killing me.

In addition, both kids have parent teacher conferences today. I am tempted to blow them off, since they are both doing very well in school grade wise. I have always made it a point to go, but this might be the first time I miss them.

And how in the world can I do Bill's doctor appointment, when they take off his cast, and decide whether or not to put on a new cast, when Steven is so sick?

I am at my wit's end today!

 

I am finally making some headway on copying my jazz cds on itunes. I have nearly 900 songs, with only a smattering of CD's left to go. I haven't really gotten going on the classical ones, yet...I've been mostly doing rock with Bill. Poor kid is climbing the walls these days, and feeling very confined ever since he got on the crutches.

I'm thinking about surprising him on Friday. Its a halfday for him, so I am thinking of taking him to the big mall near Ann Arbor, and getting one of those free loaner wheelchairs so he can get out of the house and be sort of mobile for a few hours. All he has had is home, school, and the doctor's office.

His next appointment will be Thursday. They are taking the first cast off, then evaluating his condition, and perhaps putting another cast on (which is what I'm sort of expecting to happen).

Steven is doing much better from the staph infection. He will have scarring on his ankle, but that seems like it will be the worst of it, thank God.

Well, Bush won the election. We've had lying hypocrites in office before **cough cough** Richard Nixon**cough cough** and somehow survived. We will survive another four years of this one, too.

And who knows? The idealist in me says that maybe in the next election there might even be a candidate I want to vote for. What would that be like?

I voted today...man, that place was a madhouse...

The parking lot at the township hall was full, and people were having to park in the cornfield next to the parking lot. They must have been anticipating a big turn out, because they had dumped a couple of loads of gravel down in the field, so people won't get stuck in the mud (it's been raining a lot here lately).

Every other time I've voted since I moved to this house, there has only been a couple of other people there at the same time I was. Certainly not a huge line like today. I don't even want to know what it was like this evening when the day shift workers get off and head to the polls.  

I do not like either Kerry or Bush.  Someone I know said it was like choosing between a douche bag and a turd sandwich. It was a joke, but I can see a lot of truth in that joke. I was really surprised the other day when our local paper refused to endorse either candidate, saying America deserves a better choice than these two guys. That summarized my own feelings very well. But there were four local tax issues on the ballot -- and I would have had to be hospitalized to be kept away from voting on the gay marriage amendment. I voted against the gay marriage ban -- I have very strong feelings about it, thinking it is a human rights abuse.If an individual person is against gay marriage, then they should be free not to enter into one. If a religious group has a problem with gay marriage, then they should be free to not allow such ceremonies in their house of worship. However, enforcing such a religious view upon society as a whole is very, very wrong -- as is denying a basic societal right to a minority group. Unfortunately, this misguided piece of institutional discrimination will probably pass.

But if not for those local issues, I might have been tempted to drive right on by, seeing that mob!

And  -- as Americans we are free to vote or not as we see fit. I love this country.

One more day until the election, and then, hopefully, the disgusting mudslinging political ads will cease. No one I know pays attention to those things, other than to feel complete disgust for them. I wonder how much money is wasted on them? On things no one watches, and everyone hates? But that's politics in this country for you.

I do not like Kerry at all, and I despise Bush. I feel like I am choosing between the lesser of two evils. I will have to pinch my nostrils shut when I cast my vote. One panders to the far left, the other to the extremist religious right. Who does that leave for someone in the middle, who wishes to see compromise between the two sides, to vote for? No one, that's who!!!!!!!!!

Steven has finished his course of antibiotics, and it looks like he will have some scarred areas on his left ankle. But the areas are healing nicely, other than that, and there are no new areas...on Thursday we will find out if Bill will still need a cast or not...

Well, Sparty was reprieved by the weather. Friday night was thunderstorms, and Saturday we had a windstorm. But at least UM beat MSU in the football game.

On Saturday, Steven helped me get two big pumpkins, which are out on our porch along with Templeton. We won't be carving them, no time, but at least we have them.  I also got the candy for the little ones. It's so cold out, I don't know how many kids will be coming by, though...

I am awaiting a check from my father's estate, which will be coming any day now. It's for something around $80,000. I will be giving away every penny later this week. I do not want the money -- I want my father.

Today I took Bill to the doctor. His ankle istill bothering him a great deal. They are leaving the cast on for another week, then taking it off and seeing what is what -- and they might just put another one right back on. The xrays from the ER did not give a definative answer on whether it was sprained or broken.

Stevie, on the other hand, is doing better. The infected areas have stopped oozing pus, and are scabbed over nicely, with no new infections appearing. He is full of energy and wants to play soccer on Saturday!

With all of this going on, I am not ready for Halloween at all. I have to buy candy for the little trick or treaters, and pumpkins!  I didn't get any decorations up this year -- not even Templeton, our huge rubber rat. But my children are the most important thing that I know of in all of the world, and their health and happiness takes first priority.

Speaking of which, weather permitting (supposed to be thunderstorms so might not) they are planning on doing something tomorrow night that will make them very happy. They have a little MSU Spartan doll and they are planning on blowing it up with fireworks in honor of this weekend's UM/MSU football game.  I will finally go grocery shopping tomorrow, and I will pick up meat and cheese and sub buns and chips and dips, so we can have our own little tailgate party this weekend, while we blow up Sparty.

Bill and I are greatly enjoying having itunes. We have copied some of my cd's and I have set him up a $10/month allowance through itunes and aol so he can buy music. He helps with the housework and yardwork, helps his father with his business, participates in 2 sports, and still somehow brings home straight A's.  The allowance is well earned.

Well, thankfully, Stevie is doing better. The last badly infected area on his leg has opened and drained, and he is able to walk now...which is good because Bill tripped and fell down some stairs, hurt his ankle badly, spent half the day in the ER, and is now in a cast and will be on crutches for two weeks.  

Ah, my Billy, my bright and stubborn and sweet and silly son...my heart, my heart...