On This Date in 1999 (February 12)

I had been feeling rather smug, being the only healthy person in the household for most of the week. Yesterday I mentioned running out of gas. After the boys were in bed and I returned to the couch to read my book, I felt as though I had participated in a demolition derby. Even lying completely still, my body throbbed with pain. What’s going on here? I wondered. I took a couple Nyquil capsules and joined JoAnna in the bedroom, where she was watching ER. I thought I’d watch the news and then zone out to Seinfeld, but I was asleep five minutes after I crawled into bed. I experienced a restless night, not an uncommon occurrence. What happened to those days when I could enjoy an uninterrupted 8-hours of sleep? When the alarm sounded this morning, I lifted my head from the pillow and realized it was going to take a superhuman effort to get myself in gear. The first time I tried to get out of bed, my body experienced an immediate chill and my head felt like a spinning top. I managed to find my way to the bathroom. Once I relieved myself, though, I went right back to bed, where I remained for most of the morning. JoAnna had the same symptoms yesterday, the previously mentioned chills and vertigo plus an aching body. She rallied enough during the morning, by force of will, so she’d be ready for her interview for the Department of Justice job. Considering how I felt this morning, I’m not sure how she did it. The good news is she got the job. In fact, right now she’s meeting with Attorney General Jim Doyle, working out the details of her employment as Legislative Liaison. 




I spent my morning dozing off while watching television. I actually caught a full episode of Quincy, the 1970s Jack Klugman police/medical drama that had never been on my TV viewing schedule. Even though the storyline was very predictable -- good/evil twin sisters separated at birth, evil twin murder good twin and takes her place as a Jessica Savitch type TV news personality – I had to watch it until the end. I dozed off during Murder She Wrote and woke up in the middle of Northern Exposure, a show which JoAnna used to love but I always thought was one of the most pretentiously overwritten shows on television. I still do. Even half-conscious, I had to change the channel. I dozed off again while Card Sharks was being broadcast on the Game Show Network.

On This Date in 1999 (February 11)

Around 6:25, JoAnna called from the kitchen, her voice tinged with urgency. 

“Cub Scouts!”

Immediately, I jumped up from the couch in the family room, originally planning to finish the book I was reading before moving again. In spite of the fact that a reminder of Eddie’s den meeting was magnetized to the refrigerator, Mom and Dad had both spaced out.

Eddie was on the toilet in the small bathroom.

“C’mon, Stedmans, we’ve got to get going,” I called out to him.

“I have to wipe my butt,” he informed me.

He also needed a fresh roll of toilet paper, so I sprinted to the other bathroom and quickly retrieved one for him. Before we left the house, he had to put on his shirt, neckerchief, clasp, and shoes, so by the time I dropped him off, he was nearly 10 minutes late.

We have not been the healthiest of families lately. Eddie missed the final hour of school last Friday and was sick all weekend. Then Andy came down with a fever Sunday evening and missed three days of school. Unheard of! He went to band practice, which starts at 7:20, on Tuesday morning, but was in the nurse’s office before 9:00. Eddie even came home from school early that day, right around lunchtime, but he was definitely fakin’ it. He was too full of energy, zipping around the house while Andy lay immobile on our bed watching TV. JoAnna came down with her third cold of the season yesterday, her energy drained and her nose all red by the time she went to bed last night. I’ve been feeling fine, although late this afternoon, while I was tidying up and organizing my desk in preparation for tomorrow’s tasks at the library, I started to feel like a vehicle running out of gas. There has been a lot of sickness going around, a combination of low-grade fever and hacking cough. Andy was in good spirits today, leaving for school at 7:30 so he could play football with his friends before the bell rang. Right now playing basketball on his Playstation game, a reward for getting his homework done this afternoon.

Before I exercised this morning, I didn’t feel the usual chill in the family room. No wonder! It was almost 60 degrees outside, a record high for the day. As the day progressed, the temperature decreased. In fact, when Eddie and I left the house for his scout meeting, we were met with a light swirl of snowflakes. Even over the noise of the TV, I can hear the wind howling. We are supposed to get a couple inches of snow by morning. As a result of the warm weather we’ve had since last weekend, most of our snow is gone. Only a few patches here and there remain. During the middle of the afternoon today, a powerful thunderstorm blew through the area. The skies unleashed a torrent of rain. The lights flickered at the library at least a half dozen times, but fortunately we didn’t experience a power outage. Being so computer-dependent, we can’t operate without power. 

When I returned home from work, I noticed a piece of insulation on the floor of the garage. The floor itself looked unusually wet. We had problems with drainage here. For most of January, a small pond of water obscured the drain. I think it might be a good idea to call Roto-Rooter. 

I haven’t eaten anything yet – supper is serve yourself tonight – and I’d like to get something in my stomach before it’s time to pick up Eddie. I’ll continue this letter later this evening or during Andy’s basketball practice tomorrow.