Hot and Sweaty Toil

Ok, so here is what's going on, in a nutshell:

• Craig and I are moving
• Summer class stared Saturday and already have a paper due in less than a week...
• Work and figuring out long term plan (what I want to be when I grow up)
• Dad was re-admitted to the hospital yesterday with a fever
• Mom's back in CA for a week to make the house livable and 'stem cell safe'
• Craig has been feeling ill on and off for a month now.  

I just need to take deep breaths to avoid a panic attack.  Actually, I'm not too panicked at the moment, but that may be from fatigue.  Got up early for a dentist appointment, then stayed up late for class.  Plus, yesterday was toiling around all day.

Mom is in town for a week, and Craig and I offered to help Mom get the house ready for my parents to move back in.  Having to leave for Chicago, in addition to my dad's untidy (I use the term very loosely) nature, has left their house looking like it just survive a tornado made out of paper.  So we moved boxes, shredded papers, and Craig did the heavy lifting.  It was pretty tiring - a lot like moving (which reminds me - we need to move OUR stuff...), but well worth it.  I think my mom seems a bit less stressed with the house a bit more clean and cleared out.  While we would have come down just to help, my mom fed us, in addition to other treats- such as odds and ends of things we picked up from the house.  Plus, we made out well at a Costco trip when we went there to pick up a battery for one of the cars.  All of the cars had dead batteries when we got to my parents' house from being idle for so long.

But I'd have to say the best part was being attacked by some guy in a jester costume.  He looks a lot Craig in an outfit that looks a lot like one of my old Halloween costumes we found in my parents' garage.

Note to self about tilting the camera while recording.

The worst part was finding Playboy magazines from the 70s... Some things a daughter never wants to find in her parents' home.

Unfortunately, we got an unfortunate call from an extremely groggy Dad as we were on our way to a well-deserved dinner (and for me a well-deserved cocktail).  He spiked a fever of 102 and had to be re-admitted to the hospital.  His sister is out with him in Chicago this week, but it seems the shit always hits the fan the moment my mom leaves him.  Or maybe the shit just hits the fan a lot.  Either way, my mom hadn't been gone 48 hours before a crisis.  Never a dull moment.

Since my mom has scheduled appointments for the house all week (cleaning, floor installations...) I asked Craig if he'd stay at my parents and deal with all that if the situation with Dad got works worse and Mom had to book an emergency flight back to Chicago before her original return date next week.  He said yes, and we told my mom.  There have been emergencies before where such trips were necessary.

That was last night.  This afternoon I got an update- Dad is still in the hospital with a fever, but it's less of a fever and he's doing better.  I just hope he'll improve, and my mom can stay out here for the week.  In addition to all the stuff around the house that needs to get done, she really needs a break.  If all goes well, I'll be dragging her out to Glen Ivy this Sunday for a much needed day of rest.  It's a precarious balance game of making sure Dad is ok, and that we don't all go crazy or get too worn out making sure he is ok.  As Mom says, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."