TGIF?

I had a huge audit due at work this past Tuesday. It was a demon, taking all my time. It was monotonous, frustrating and very tedious work. Add to that I've had a slew of personal issues keeping me up at night.

My 96 year old friend was recently released from the hospital after they removed a significantly large tumor from her colon. Her beer guzzling, racist and chauvinistic son dropped her off at her apartment without food or money. Sure he stayed a hour or so the first night. She fell in the bathroom, he picked her up and then left her alone to fend for herself. I suppose I should be grateful he didn't leave her on the floor. She had a woman come in evenings for a couple of weeks, but then the sitter went on vacation. So my friend sits in her apartment and prays the neighbors or a friend will stop by and bring her food and maybe help with her cleaning or care. I called the son on Monday at my friend's request and he informed me in no uncertain terms he wasn't going to spend her money to care for her as this will mean he'll be left with nothing. This was their business and I was to butt out. So I filed a complaint with APS informing them of a ton of neglect/abuse issues I've watched unfold over the past few months. (Truth is though it dates back much further.)

Since reporting the situation, I've sat in my house like a prisoner, jumping at every sound. I just know this Neanderthal and/or his 20 year old thug son who still can't graduate from high school is going to come after me. (The mail drops in the slot, and the sound causes me to fall out of my chair.)

Anyway, yesterday I finally finished that audit at 4:45pm. By 5:02 I was pouring a glass of wine. At 6:30 my cousin called to say another cousin was in the hospital ICU paralyzed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. By 10pm I had received 2 phone calls and an email outlining the newest drama with my little elderly friend. By 10:30 I was in bed watching a DVD on my sister's brand new computer noting it skips and plays at the wrong speed causing a stop-motion effect. (Yes she will freak out!)

This morning I get up and for the first time in days do not run to get on the computer as my report is done. I wait until 7:30 before starting work and it feels great. I stopped around 9:20 to jump in the shower. At 9:45 I'm wrapped in a towel and walk past the computer as an Email pops up. Emergency, we have to audit 5 more files! I call in to a co-worker in Austin. As we discuss strategy I hear heavy breathing behind me. I hang up and turn to find the pug lying at my feet having his 4th seizure in 8 days. I throw on clothes and rush to the vet. As I'm driving he is shaking out of the seizure. By the time I'm at the vet he's already able to stand shakily.

There is no point seeing the vet unless he is in the seizure. That is my dilemma. He always has them after hours. And while the last ones have lasted nearly an hour, this one was very mild and only lasted possibly 30 minutes.

But now I'm at the vet's and his head is still twitching in the bizarre Stevie Wonder-like manner so I figure I'll try to get the vet to see something. I walk in with wet hair looking like hell and face a jam-packed room of owners with no less than 20 animals. I go to the counter explain my dilemma and state, "He's pretty much out of it but there are still some effects." The assistant says, "We'll see" and tells me to take a seat. I turn and note there is one small space available. An elderly lady with curlers in her hair, covered by a Camel Cigarette scarf sits there holding a small, white Maltese type dog. She is deep in conversation with the man next to her who has a cat in a carrier sitting in front of him. He doesn't even pretend to listen to her as he reads from a science fiction novel. As she's facing him I sneak into the spot and sit with the pug squirming in my lap.

Her dog nudges towards us and she turns surprised and says, "Here's another cute little dog for you." My ass has not even warmed the seat and she begins…

Marge, so she'll be known for this story, got the dog from her daughter, Peg who died in a car accident a couple of months ago. Marge's husband told her she couldn't have another dog because when the first one died Marge cried so much he didn't want her to go through that again. So when Marge's husband died, Peg couldn't stand her being alone so she gave Marge the little dog about 7 years ago. Marge is 81 years old, Peg was 59. Peg lived in the hill country, she was an artist who drove a van with all the materials, she loved the hill country. Peg was married 39 years to her husband. Peg was driving the van when she stopped and then just pulled in front of a huge truck. (Marge suspects she had a stroke or something, because you know she had heart trouble.) Her body was so mangled, no one could bear to see it, so Peg's husband had her cremated, just like Peg wanted. He's going to keep her ashes in the Hill Country because that's what she loved most. Peg had a daughter who was 38 years old. You know on Mother's day they were sitting together on the couch. Marge didn't know that would be the last time she would see Peg. Peg's husband traveled all the time and Marge often wondered what Peg would do if he crashed and died, funny it turned out the way it did. Marge had another daughter but she also died. Yes, her husband and her two daughters died. She still has three sons, but no daughters. They were both blond and very small. Just little things. You know people say dogs are just like children. Marge feels her dog is her child.

I look at my child. His head is no longer twitching. There are no signs of the seizure. I look at the line of people ahead of me. Marge is now telling me about the funeral, and God is my witness she is naming each person who attended as though I knew everyone personally. I touch her arm to gain her attention, "Take care of yourself." I tell her. Her eyes well up and she nods her head. For the first time her mouth stays closed for more than a second.

I tell the assistant I've decided not to wait, I don't think it will do much good. I get in my car and drive home. After all, I now have a few more audits to do, and to be honest, mind-numbing, monotonous and tedious sounds like the most fun I'll have today.