The View From Drew

When Eddie was three he made his first real request for something for Christmas.  It was one of the hottest Christmas toys that year, a Spider-Man playset for the Spider-Man and his Friends action figures.  It took a little tracking down and I probably paid more than I should have for it, but it was the first Christmas Eddie wanted something and he still remembers getting it to this day.

Now, Mikey has made his first request and it too is a hot holiday toy.  T he p roblem is, it ain't happening.  I would love to do it, but this isn't a simple $40 toy that I may have paid about $20 more for.  It's - http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3022873.  He sa w it today at BJ's and it's all he's talked about since we got back.  Mikey loves di nosaurs.  He watches Land of the Lost with me.  His favorite P ower Ranger series is Dino Thunder with the original series a close s econd.  It's not practical to get something like this, but as I see him talk about it, I feel the heartstings tug and I just want to say, "Fuck it."  I know what it's like to want something so bad and never get it.  (Actually, I did get it eventually, my Six Million Dollar Man doll from Sue for Christmas one year.  Best Christmas ever.  Problem is, he'll never be able to ride it if he has to wait until his 30's.)

I've started doing some searches on the Internet, trying to knock the p r ice down.

Sucker.

So, with everything going on, school, podcasts, writing, audio dramas, the new dog, the boys, the after school activities - something had to give.

That was me.

I was fine during the day yesterday.  Tired, but fine.  The evening proved to be another matter.  I started burning with a fever of 102.  I felt chills running up and down my body.  I went to bed at five and woke up at eight this morning.

I am exhausted.  There is not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do.

At the moment.

I need to work things out.

So, I'm going to stop getting up so early in the morning.  I like my morning time to focus on the day, but I do have a first period free now, which is when I get my act together anyway.  I can sleep in a little.

I'm going to the principal tomorrow and asking him to cover my classes for one day this week.  I'm still going in, but I need the time to log in and catalog all the video footage the kids have recorded so far.  I need to also get comfortable with the video editing suite I purchased so I can teach it to the kids so they can handle all the editing chores.  I need to get into the school newspaper office and see what cameras and layout software is available to me.  I simply can't do this after school as I have the actual club meetings or have to pick up Mikey from daycare.

I can do this, but I need to set some priorities.  Like I said, I'm going to not think about the Rift for a week, except to see what, if any, reviews the first show gets on our boards.  I've set up a Google alert in case it's written about anywhere on the web.  The alert is pretty sensitive as my post yesterday was noted by Google.

Mikey likes to play games on the Sesame Street website.  He actually only plays about two games as they only require you to press any key to advance the game.  The rest require the use of the mouse, something he wasn't any good at - until yesterday.  Mikey was playing this game where you had to highlight and count the eggs in Elmo's farm.  He wanted to move the mouse.  We're playing on a laptop.  I took his hand and guided it across the mouse, explaining that he had to do it slowly or else the cursor would be all over the place.

Now, Eddie had mastered a mouse by this time when he was a baby, but it was a hand held one and there is a difference between a hand held mouse and a laptop one when you are a two year old.  I was waiting for a meltdown as I was sure Mikey would just rip across the screen.  I let go of his hand and let him go to it and it was a amazing to watch.  He had the patience and the steady hand to move the cursor across the screen and position it to click on the eggs.  He counted ten in all and the look of pride on his face when he completed the task was so satisfying.

I'm so proud of him.

Got the vocabulary lesson completed.  (Yeah!)

Didn't get to go over the pitch.  I'll do it tomorrow after school.  I was obsessed with working on the website.  Thanks to trillsie and popfiend for their thoughts on the site.  I brought my warts and all page up to date.  This are the quotes from reviewers of my work, both good and bad.  It now includes two reviews from the COE omnibus Creative Couplings which features my novella, "Paradise Interrupted."

The letter campaign in front of the church went well.  We had a lot of sympathy and I got one guaranteed pledge of help.

The rest of the day was spent with Mikey.  He's got this new thing now about going to bed.  I don't know if it's fear or just that he can't be bothered, but he goes into hysterics every night.  I tried to explain to him tonight that everyone goes to sleep and he replied, "Mikey doesn't."

So, I'm sitting in my car with my laptop, just outside the house.  Mikey fell asleep on the ride home and I didn't want to wake him as he doesn't nap anymore unless forced.  Grandma can't deal with the crying so she never tries.  Yesterday, I had to simply put him in his crib and let him jag it out for about five minutes before he settled down and went to sleep.

I just find it amazing that I can sit out here with the laptop and post this entry.  I also touched base with the producer of Justin Case; answered some other emails and comments to past posts; read two emailed term papers drafts, one good and one bad; and am now putting together a message on Facebook for zebrapix concerning an offer he made to me recently.  (Keep an eye out for it, Jay. ;))

Oh, and I kicked trillsie's butt again in Scabulous.  No worries though.  She and zebrapix have me on the ropes in a three way game.  (Wait, that didn't sound right.)

What?

Spent the Sunday before St. Patrick's at my sister Bridget's house with the family.  My niece, Katelyn, took some pictures of me with Mikey and two of his cousins.  It's something that they will all be turning two in a few short months.  Time flies.  My brother Denis and sister Bridget are expecting additions to their families in the next few months, so that will bring the grandchildren total to ten for my parents.

So, I'm in bed in my room and Mikey follows Sue in.  We've made it a point to keep him away from me as we don't want him to get sick.  He runs right up to me with a big smile and Sue quickly explains as she drags him from the room that I am sick.  He breaks from her and goes to close the room door.  As he does, he looks at me and says, "Miss you," and then shuts the door.

Well, just spent another hour with Mikey.  He wouldn't stop crying.  Fortunately, the fever is down, but he just seemed to be beside himself.  He took a little bottle and a few bites of some apricots, but that was it.  I also gave him some Orajel in case it was the teeth.  He's up to four teeth now and he has a number of white nubs on the gums, ready to burst. 

He just called out a moment a moment ago, talking to himself.  It's the most peaceful I've heard him in over twelve hours.  He settled back down though and went to sleep.