Our Own Crazy Days

The third book in my Big Lake mystery series is called Crazy Days In Big Lake, and as the title implies, there was a lot going on in that little mountain town and everybody seemed to have gone crazy. Neighbors were threatening each other with violence, eco-protestors were on the march, flower children were camping in the nearby forest, two of Sheriff Weber’s deputies got into a fistfight in the ButterCup Café, the grocery store manager locked himself in his office and would not come out, bears were chasing dogs into houses, and somebody swiped the town’s mascot. And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, a mild mannered retired couple shot an intruder during a home invasion.

The last few days, Miss Terry and I kind of know how those folks were feeling. No, we weren’t dealing with hippies or bears or bloodthirsty neighbors, and we haven’t shot anybody, but it has been a bit stressful. Okay, more than a bit stressful.

Monday afternoon I had an appointment with a doctor in Deland, about 20 miles west of us. Then, on Tuesday, cousin Beverly was released from the hospital in Daytona Beach after a two week stay following her brain surgery and some time in a rehab facility at the hospital. We picked her up about 11 AM, then I had to go get an x-ray of my shoulder for a problem I’ve been having there, and we had lunch. Bev loves the beach as much as we do, so when we got back to New Smyrna Beach we drove out to the beach and parked for half an hour or so, just letting the sunshine and the waves relax us.

And no, I didn’t look at any of the girls in their skimpy swimsuits. Nope, not even one. Not even the tall, busty black haired beauty with the micro swimsuit that contained just a little bit less fabric than the average amount of pocket lint in a pair of my Levi’s. Nope, I never noticed her taut bronzed, glistening skin and perfect white teeth. Not even after driving past her three different times. I never noticed a thing.

Beverly had several prescriptions waiting for her at Walgreens so we stopped to get them, only to find out that there was some snafu with her prescription drug insurance. That required a series of phone calls to try to get things back on track, so we went home, finally got things straightened out as best we could, then I went back to Walgreens and picked up her prescriptions.

Yesterday morning I was up at 6 AM because our friend and nearby neighbor was scheduled for gallbladder surgery at the hospital in New Smyrna Beach and he needed someone to drive him home. We got to the hospital a few minutes after 7 AM, then it was hurry up and wait until they finally took him in for surgery about 11. That took a couple of hours between the pre-op, surgery, and some time in recovery.

I kind of wanted to go in and watch the surgery. I even offered to help. But the folks that work at hospitals don’t have a lot of humor for fools like me. So instead, I spent the time in the surgical waiting area, trying not to fall asleep. At least I wasn’t alone. At one point I saw some movement in my peripheral vision and turned my head to see this little fellow checking me out. The ladies at the desk said he’s been in there for two or three days and they keep trying to catch him to take him back outside because they’re afraid he’s going to starve to death. But he’s a lot faster than they are.

While I was doing all of that, Miss Terry took Beverly to a follow-up appointment with her neurosurgeon in Ormond Beach. He said things seem to be going pretty well.

Back at home, our friend spent a few hours relaxing in one of our recliners. A social worker was supposed to come by about 4 o’clock to go over some things with Bev’s care, to evaluate the way we have the house set up to accommodate her needs, and things like that. About five minutes before she arrived Beverly went to the bathroom, lost her balance, and wound up falling again. So, Terry was in the bathroom trying to help her while I was answering the door and letting the social worker, a very nice woman named Tamara, in.

With the position Beverly was in and the small size of a bathroom, combined with my bad back, there was no way we could get her up. We called the fire department and a couple of burly guys showed up within just a few minutes and got her back on her feet. No serious injuries, but she did bruise her dignity, poor kid.

At least this wasn’t one of the blackouts like she had several times before while she was living in Tucson, one of them resulting in her breaking some ribs and lying in the bathtub for several hours waiting for help to come. Yesterday’s fall was just a case of being lightheaded and losing her balance.

We have to be at a lab so Beverly can have some blood work done this morning, and this afternoon she has one or maybe two physical therapists coming by. And Friday there’s another doctor’s appointment, this one in Port Orange. Like I said, it’s kind of crazy around here right now, but we’re handling it and taking care of those we love. One day at a time, right?

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Dog’s Run, my mystery set in a small Ohio town in 1951. I have 24 mystery novels out, as well as 10 or 12 nonfiction books, and I have to say that Dog’s Run is my favorite. It’s a gritty tale that is loosely based upon an actual crime that took place in that part of the country when my father was a young police officer there, and I warn you in advance that there’s some rough language, but it’s appropriate to the time and place. To enter, all you have to do is click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.

Thought For The Day – A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.