May 12, 1992

JoAnna walks back into the bedroom holding Eddie.

"I think we have a sick little guy on our hands."

Eddie has a fever.  She suggests we take him to Ginger Ail, but I volunteer to stay home.

"I have a meeting this morning that I don't have to attend, and I was planning to take off the afternoon anyway."

Eddie's fever stays within the 103 to 105 all day, although by the early afternoon he perks up.  During the morning he's lethargic and clinging when he's not asleep.  So when I take his temperature after lunch, I'm unpleasantly surprised to find that it's still over 103.

JoAnna returns home in time for me to get to the library before 5.  The board meets, and there are a few strange interludes:  Gail's clarification of her request to report grant expenditures, my rambling automation progress report, an unrehearsed explanation of circulation policy changes.  I stay at the library until 11, preparing the minutes, writing letters to the Education Section program panelists, eliminating the clutter from the top of my desk, photocopying articles on the L.A. riots.

Eddie's in bed with mom; he's wide awake but still looking a little feverish.  Actually, he feels disconcertingly warm.  I carry him to his bed but then can't fall asleep as I imagine him burning to a crisp.  He does fall asleep but wakes up fussing shortly after one.  Now he's hotter than a Bessemer furnace, much to his screaming displeasure.  He quickly cools down, literally and figuratively.  We keep him in bed with us, which results in a poor night's sleep for me.

Wednesday, February 26, 1992

JoAnna gets up early.  She had me set the alarm for 5 last night.  Joint Finance is meeting at 7, and Daddy is driving the boys to daycare.  I get Eddie dressed and encourage Andy to do the same on his own, but the bigger boys balks.  I say, fine, I'm gonna fix Eddie some breakfast, you do whatever you want to.  One Mundopie has chowed down a banana and is working his way through a pile of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I decide to check in on Andy.  I find him buck naked in the bathroom ready to relieve himself.

"Don't look at me, Daddy," he pleads.

"I'm not lookin', I'm just makin' sure yer gettin' ready for daycare."

And he is.

And he does.

Lately Andy has been such a mature 4 year old.

At the library, I continue to make major progress on the weekly task list.  I see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as my early responsibilities as chair of the Education Section are concerned.  I follow up on Jane Robbins' suggestion and call Margaret Myers at the ALA Program Office in Chicago for a program request. She accepts; I'm elated, even though I have no idea what the actual development of this contact is going to be.  Before the end of my workday, I've cleared off my desktop, reorganized my shelf space, realized that I've made such major progress toward the week's goals that I can treat myself to Friday off.

I pick up the boys at daycare.

Tuesday, January 21, 1992

JoAnna calls to ask if I'd bring a couple of computer documents to her office.  It's not a problem; I'm going downtown anyway.  I meet with other members of the Education  Section executive board to get us thinking as a group again and discuss program ideas for the fall conference.  I eat lunch at home and return to the library at 2.  I work straight through until 1-.  More comp time.

August 29, 1991

I drive to Wisconsin Dells to attend the Educators Section program being held there.  Ten of us show up, and I'm the only one without a UW at the beginning of my work location.  I stay for just the morning session, needing to return to Middleton to clear the decks for vacation.   I buy some snacks for the road trip, getting enough food for a caravan of travelers and start to pack the van once I get home.  We leave at 5:30 as scheduled.