Our Day at the ER

Today we spent the day at Children‘s Memorial. Z had been puking every 2-3 days, sometimes after coughing from an asthma attack, sometimes for no reason for the last 2-3 weeks. So, Tania decided to take him to our pediatrician to check it out. He puked in the parking lot. When the pediatrician found that out, he sent her (and then me) to the ER to get a head CT, as Z does have a big head (medical term unrecalled).

We got there ~ 1000a. After waiting with people who imagined they had swine flu, we got into the ER, and they told us not to feed him in case we had to sedate him for the CT. They also took “pre-op” blood tests and talked about a possible admission. This increased the stress level about 100 notches. Since he was tired and thirsty, he began to freak out. He was calm when they put in an IV setup for his eventual sedation, but later freaked out again, and even though we were holding him tight at all limbs, he got his mouth down there and ripped it out. No bleeding, etc., but shook us up even more, as he was as agitated as we had ever seen him. He stayed this way for a good hour. When they came to take him for the CT, Tania kinda broke down. This shook up Z to the point where he stopped writhing and screaming. They kinda papoosed him on the table and he fell right asleep.

Even as they moved him to the CT area, and put the lead suit on me, he fell asleep hard. So, luckily, we didn’t have to sedate him after all. When we got back to our room in the ER, he kinda woke up and got to have his milk. He picked the right 25 minutes to nap. He turned back to our Z almost immediately. The CT came out clean, and similar to a routine CT he had had for his big head a few weeks back, when our nuerologist said to come back only for abnormalities.

The attending nuerologist them wanted us to see an opthamologist to make sure he didn’t have a mass near his optic nerve. We then went up to the opthamology clinic, which was empty, waited for a resident to look him over, which was clean. He had enough eye drops to dialate his eyes that it looked like he smoked five joints. The attending opthomalogist (think Gedde Watanabe) also cleared him, and had just the right smartass demeanor to comfort Z and his parents.

We got back to the ER, and the population inside, we were told, had climbed to 90 kids waiting for treatment, meaning likely 300 people in the waiting room. We were cleared to leave and did so, not out of the ER exit, but through the main entrance. We got home at around 445p.

Our theory now is that the puking is caused by Z outgrowing his dosage of reflux medicine. The serious potential problems were ruled out.

The stress caused contractions in Tania, and we feared we would be going back to the hospital for other reasons. Not until next Thursday….

Does the St. Joseph statute go face up or down? Face out or in? Or should we just go straight to St. Jude?

The Kellys made their first foray into looking at houses in Oak Park this weekend. Of the five we looked at, two were very impressive, one was downright scummy, one was ehhh, and one was probably nice, but the owners were there and insisted on joining us through the tour (actually, the husband sat in one bedroom and watched NASCAR), even correcting Tania on the sex of the dog that scared her ("Actually, it's a she..."). It was good for our piece of mind to look, and while we didnt really fall in love with any one place, we are very ready to leave our current "sunny and bright" place.
Zambrano was happy with all the places that had doors that he could open and close.

Dumb Donald to be Pall Bearer

The Curse of Match Game strikes again!

Actress and comedian Brett Somers, who amused game show fans with her quips on the "Match Game" in the 1970s, has died, her son said. She was 83.

Somers died Saturday at her home in Westport of stomach and colon cancer, Adam Klugman said Monday.

Hosted by Gene Rayburn, "Match Game" was the top game show during much of the 1970s. Contestants would try to match answers to nonsense questions with a panel of celebrities; much of the humor came from the racy quips and putdowns.

Shows from the 1973-79 run, featuring regulars like Somers, Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Reilly, are still seen on cable TV's Game Show Network.

Somers married actor Jack Klugman, the future star of the television shows "Quincy" and "The Odd Couple," in 1953. The two separated in 1974, but never divorced.

They made many television appearances as a couple. Somers appeared on several episodes of "The Odd Couple," playing the ex-wife of Klugman's character.

In the summer of 2003, she appeared in a one-woman cabaret show, "An Evening with Brett Somers," which she wrote and co-produced. She continued to perform after being diagnosed with cancer.

Her son said she was caustic, irreverent and a self-declared bohemian.

"She maintained her independence till the end, and her irreverence," Adam Klugman said.

Day One of BKM 2005 (Part 1 of 1, as it turns out)

The flight was fine, and Kevin met me at the gate, as he had taken the earlier flight, and though he was not paying, he got the aisle bulkhead seat. I was offered a middle seat in the back, but my right knee said no.

The bus from LaGuardia to Manhattan was $12 and left immediately after we got on. Twenty minutes later, we were at Grand Central Station, and we walked the eight or so blocks to the Affinia 50 hotel.

Peter, the brother with the smallest pecker, and Michael met us there, and we had lunch at some Irish bar named Doherty’s. There were a bunch of suits drinking and playing Golden Tee. We had lunch and noticed that they ban smoking in bars in New York. We decided that was a good idea.

By that time, we figured it was time to take the 6 train to Grand Central, and then on to the 7 west to Shea…only 17,count ‘em (we did) 17 stops.

It was Duffle Bag night, and we took advantage of that fact to hit the MBNA stands for a Mets blanket and t-shirt. Perfect for prizes at the 2006 GGO.

Cubs lost. Here’s the story:

NEW YORK -- Nomar Garciaparra was back at shortstop, and Kerry Wood and Scott Williamson were both healthy enough to pitch, but the trio couldn't help the Chicago Cubs get back on track.

Mike Cameron and Cliff Floyd each drove in two runs in an ugly six-run second inning to lift the New York Mets to a 9-5 victory Friday night over the Cubs, who have lost five of their last six games.

Garciaparra started at short, his first game since April 20, when he ruptured a tendon in his groin. He went 0-for-4, grounding out to pitcher Tom Glavine in the second, flying out to left in the fourth, grounding out to Glavine again in the sixth and grounding out to short in the eighth.

"From my standpoint, I would've rather had a better result, but I'm glad to be out there," Garciaparra said. "Now I know how I feel, and I'll try to help as best as I can."

Wood (right shoulder) on Friday was activated from the disabled list along with Williamson (right elbow). Wood started the sixth, his first relief appearance after 174 consecutive starts. He got Cliff Floyd to pop up, walked David Wright, then retired Mike Piazza and Chris Woodward. Williamson pitched the seventh, struck out two and gave up a single in his Cubs debut.

"Everything felt good, and I put up a zero, so that's not ever bad. I'll take it every time," Wood said.

He worked out of the stretch in his relief appearance. It's by design.

"The more I get out there, I'm probably going to be out there with men on base, and you make most of your important pitches out of the stretch," he said. "The more I can throw out of the stretch, the better it'll be."

Wood may have started the inning but he didn't start the game. It was weird. "It's different," he said. "Obviously, you're not starting the game, you're coming in in the middle. You still warm up, get loose and try to get guys out."

And if Cubs manager Dusty Baker needs him on Saturday?

"If the phone rings and they ask for me, I'll be ready," Wood said.

Derrek Lee belted his career-high 33rd home run with one out in the eighth and Aramis Ramirez led off the second with his 28th, both off Glavine (8-9), who picked up the win.

But there weren't any positives for the Cubs in the New York second. Cubs starter Rich Hill (0-1) walked Piazza and Woodward to start the inning, and Piazza scored on Miguel Cairo's single. Glavine reached on a fielder's choice as second baseman Todd Walker threw home trying to get Woodward, but the throw was off the mark and the run scored.

Jose Reyes was safe on an infield single hit at Garciaparra, who turned to throw to third, but Ramirez signaled for the shortstop to throw somewhere else, and Reyes was safe.

Cameron followed with a two-run single and, one out later, Floyd drove in a pair with a single to make it 7-1.

"I was going to throw to third," Garciaparra said of Reyes' hit. "Ramy, he pointed. He was playing in, in case they bunted, and I had to make an adjustment. I knew I couldn't go to second, and I took a shot over there. It was one of those balls in no-man's land. I took a shot at first."

Baker was upset at the sloppy defense.

"You're not going to get Reyes on that ball," Baker said. "That's judgement. You don't have a whole lot of time to make up your mind."

"It was a bad inning," Baker said. "It started bad and ended up worse."

"You have those innings," Garciaparra said.

Hill was pulled, giving up seven runs on seven hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings, his shortest start. The rookie lefty struck out one.

What We Did on Our Summer Vacation

The wife and I stayed at the Renaissance Aruba for our honeymoon, and a had a fun time. We did not find Natalee Hollaway, but I am sure she is, as the LHPDW said, she was sold into white slavery.

Anyway, it was not a Five Star Resort, but was real nice and perfect for those who leave their pretentiousness at the door. Checking in and out was no problem, and a brief island blackout was handled real well.We stayed at the Ocean Suites, which are simply large rooms, with a separate bedroom. The rooms were nice, nothing ridiculously different, and had a refrigerator, freezer, wet bar, and microwave. Our refrigerator was dialed way down, but no big deal.True, the hotel is next to the Marketplace, an assortment of shops and yes, a Wendy’s and Sbarro, but they didn’t ruin my trip. In fact, it made for a real quick, cheap meal.

The private island is nice, but the beach has a breakwater which cuts way down the number of waves that come in. Yes, planes do fly low over the beach, but only the most picky find that a bother. The flamingos and lots of lizards were fun to watch.We stuck mostly to the pool area, with lots of friendly people and a convenient bar nearby.The biggest highlight on Aruba was the absence of “island time,” the often interminable wait for basic things at meals and at the bar. Didn't happen ONCE!

We also checked out the Seaport Casino, which reminded me of riverboat casinos back home. The waiters were beyond attentive, and the tourists there were fun, as were most of the dealers. One drawback was that the locals who played there seemed to be there more out of desperation than just some fun. I noticed less of that at the Crystal Casino up the street.

We ate at LG Smith’s restaurant at the main Renaissance, and it was typical upscale steakhouse. The Gaucho was derided as a tourist trap by some snobby types we met, but we enjoyed it. After all, we were tourists. The dining highlight, and possibly the overall highlight of the trip was the Flying Fishbone restaurant. It is a $19 cab ride each way, but the food and atmosphere were top notch, especially for romantics. The tables are literally on the beach, with some feet getting wet. The food was great, with the steamed mussels and crème brulee highlights. It doesn’t hurt that the staff there were some of the most beautiful and attentive women I have ever seen. Iguana Joe’s offers good sandwiches and colorful boozy drinks.