best laid plans.
May 31, 2008
This is a report about not running today. Usually, I write my Saturday morning running report in my head, as I run on Friday night. I did not run last night, so I am writing this “live” on Saturday morning.
I chose not to run on Monday night this week because I had to give a presentation I did not want to give on Tuesday morning, and I didn’t want to risk injury (hey, you never know). In spite of not believing in what I was going to do, I chose to embrace the suck and kicked ass.
My attempt to run on Wednesday night was foiled when our employer (Cathryn & I both work for the same company) decided to send her on training until Friday, and I could not get anyone to watch my children while I went for a run.
So I thought, “well, that will give me time to catch up on some other work in the evenings”, which I did. The power of positivity!
Friday morning I was coming down with a cold, and I decided to stay off work as I had put in a lot of time already and could use the mental health break. Besides, I had to prepare for the evening and Cathryn’s return, as it was our 10th Anniversary yesterday.
I had a lot planned, a nice dinner (which was excellent – steak and wine!), and some very unique gifts. The traditional 10th anniversary gift is tin, and pewter is mostly tin, so that was the underlying theme. The modern gift – diamonds – will have to wait until we have a chance to visit South Africa (my wife is a native of South Africa).
I thought with some luck I might catch a short run last night, once everything was quiet.
Dinner was excellent, as I mentioned, and the children were playing as they usually do before they go to bed. I had just brewed the coffee and we were about to share a cup when “BOOM”.
Sometimes at my house, things go “BOOM”.
Last night’s “BOOM” went something like this.
(lots of noises of kids yelling and screaming) untelligible as I was downstairs getting the pyjamas
“Owen’s just split his head open, there’s blood everywhere!!! Call 911!!!”
I’m still not sure who pushed who into what corner of a random wall / door / chest of drawers… there is blood everywhere in one of the bedrooms, it looks like a drive-by shooting gone bad (not that this one was bad, mind you…)
We had a good look at him while we were waiting for the ambulance, and it appeared to be a scalp wound (very vascular, those are) but as it was a head injury, it was still a good idea to go to hospital. My mother was available to watch the other children, so we followed the ambulance.
I’m happy to report he is fine today (he’ll just have a nasty scar to explain if he ever decides as an adult to wear his hair really short). Today is his birthday (along with the other 2/3 of the triplets) so that should be fun!!!
In any case, I didn’t run last night 
as we had to stay fairly late at the hospital for observation. And this morning was just *not* going to be an early to rise day!
I did make some progress on my writing – 2632 words. Next week, I plan to at least triple that, if not more. Should be easy as I won’t be Mr. Mom… and assuming we don’t have to hang out at the hospital again 
Welcome to life with four kids! These are some of the stories that are contained within my book.
Take care of yourselves and your families, and have a safe and happy weekend.
Aw man, poor guy… I feel all bad now and want to go kiss my kid. Who will probably split her head open one day too, just because she’s that kind of kid. Rough n’ tumble.
Oh, and I’d like to have the story of the mouse, please. I kept reading and thinking, “Where does the mouse come into it?”
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post..When Do Bloggers Get a Break?
He’s back to normal now and hitting his brother (who probably is the one who pushed him!)
Oh, it was a mess I tell you (Owen has curly blond hair, very nice)…
The mouse, the mouse. The story of the mouse will have to wait until later today. We’re heading out for breakfast in about 10 minutes and then for much of the day.
But I’ll be back! Have fun everyone, and thanks for stopping in.
I’m dreading the day my granddaughter gets her first serious injury. It’s inevitable. And it won’t be until she has her own children that she will ever have any idea what it feels like.
Glad the kid’s okay, Brett. Take care and have fun today!
Michael Martine’s last blog post..Gateway Blogging 101
@Brett: Whenever this kind of stuff happened to me, my dad would smile at me and say, what did you do this time? He never freaked because, like James’s kid, I was rough ‘n’ tumble. I’m glad your son is all right, though!
I’m also happy you got to work on your book and that your writing seems to be going well. How you fit it in your busy life is a mystery, just like that mouse!
steph’s last blog post..Fiction: Episode III
@Brett
Awww…Poor Owen!
Reminds me when I was three. I fell and hit a sharp-edge Formica coffee table (with my mouth!). Split my gum open and I went to emergency. I vaguely remember it, but my Mom’s description of the event (blood everywhere) sounds very similar to your story.
I guess this is what kids do. Fall, get stitches, scrape their knees…etc. But fear not….they’ll eventually outgrow these “Darwin Years” (which ends at about age 25!).
So I guess the Tin Anniversary is now the “Head-Split Open” Anniversary. :- )
Friar’s last blog post..A Break from the Cube Farm…
Okay well, if we’re going to share horror stories, my teen fell down a flight of stairs at a friend’s house when she was 8 or so. Ended up piercing her bottom lip with her teeth. Ambulance, blood all over, potential stitches (none, thank god. The doc said it wasn’t worth the scare and bandaids would hold the holes closed enough).
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post..When Do Bloggers Get a Break?
Brett,
Poor thing. I’m glad everything’s okay. That must have been scary.
My little lady always has a bang-up of some sort, but manages to avoid hospitals. We’ve both gotten some good gashes ice skating, but I’m a patch up and move on kind of person. Unless it was like Owen’s gash. Some amounts of blood are not for home patching.
I definitely want your mouse story.
In the meantime, can I retell one? Judy Garland, the little lady with the Big Voice, was taking lessons early in her career. Everybody loved how she could belt a song out, but her coach gave her this advice: “Think of yourself as a wrestler with a mouse in his palm. The image is much more powerful if he holds it gently. Don’t squeeze the mouse, except when necessary.”
So she learned to let things build and release slowly. Pretty good advice for bloggers and runners, too. If you squeeze the mouse too hard, all at once, or for too long…
Oops.
Go gently, Brett. Happy birthdays and anniversary. I hope you get to relax in June.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Learn Something Old Every Day
@Michael,
Thanks my friend – we had a good day for sure, and you’re right – it is inevitable. It doesn’t make it any easier, and I’m sure the fact that I have four little ones to worry about will take years off my life.
Fortunately, I plan to live to at least 1,000 years old, so I’ll be okay.
The only way they learn is by doing, by falling, and getting up. So in spite of this happening, my father and I gave them *the* most kick ass present (I think).
There’s a tree house in the back yard, the floor being about 6 feet off the ground. Cool enough, right?
Wrong!
Now there’s a big slide coming out the front of it!
@steph,
It was one of those where once we’d stopped the bleeding and cleaned him up a bit, we knew it was not serious. Of course, 911 had already been called… the conveniences of our society
On a farm, we’d have just given him an ice cube in a facecloth and sent him on his way.
Well – what do I do? I don’t watch too much TV (I’m not up on my soapbox as I know a lot of folks like TV – I just choose what I like and time shift it with my PVR), and I have a schedule that works for me. I’m an early riser and I get my most productive work done while everyone else sleeps. I believe in spending the best part of my day on ME. That’s why I front load my day on my important projects. I put ME before my employer. I think if you try to work on personal stuff at night, after the end of a 9 to 5 job, you’re cheating yourself. Maybe it doesn’t work for everyone, but that’s my theory.
@Friar,
Yeah, we’ve all done it – and this is just the start. One day they’ll be racing my car up and down the roads, and blowing stuff up. I know. I did it.
The trick is to instill them with just enough common sense so that they’ll say, “hmm, maybe I shouldn’t do that”.
Yep. This one’s going in my book. I’ll be including it the intro I think.
@James,
Ouch, that’s not a nice one. I broke off my two upper front teeth in a bike accident – so mention anything to do with teeth and I feel the pain, literally.
(*gross out alert* it was the most surreal thing, I felt the impact – like being punched in the head by Mike Tyson or something – and I could hear the sound of my teeth on the pavement, like a file on a piece of metal. I thought, “hmm, that wasn’t good”. Then, stood up and went to the hospital. I looked like a mess when I got there.)
@Kelly,
I was pretty worried at first, when someone says a head’s been split open, I was thinking the worst, you know. But he’s just the happy little guy he always is today.
They’re all sleeping soundly right now, and they had a great birthday.
Hey, I like your mouse story very much. I think I’ll tell my mouse story as a blog post. Sorry the spam filter caught you again today, stupid thing.
Thanks for the birthday and anniversary wishes. I’m relaxing a day before June, with a nice glass of wine.
Brett,
Nobody loves me. It’s happened everywhere I’ve gone today (everywhere!), except one place. Very odd.
Glad all is well and peaceful, looking forward to the mouse story.
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Learn Something Old Every Day
(Aw, for crap’s sakes, it happened again. Memo to Akismet: I officially hate you. I’d rather have the Viagra spam than lose my friend’s comments in your cursed filters.)
Kelly – I’ll just have to keep my eyes open for you! Your direct email just popped in my email box as I was writing this…
^ ^
. .
^
o
PS – we actually *do* love you. Technology – the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems…
This is exactly why I have so much respect for parents. I am pretty sure if I had a kid and this happened, I would go into shock, and what good would that be? I’m just glad everything turned out alright, Brett and your little guy is back to his old self. Congrats on your anniversary
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone and Pushing Your Boundaries
I’m glad to hear he’s okay!
Reminds me of my brother.
He’s the biggest daredevil… he nearly shattered his shin last week, before that he screwed up his knee, and he’s had all sorts of other injuries before that! Never been to the hospital for anything aside from his leukemia though! And he *still* goes BMX biking and does all sorts of dangerous things. 
I find it really interesting how different people deal with pain. Son (my bf) can barely have his blood taken at the doctor’s, but when I stabbed my hand (pitting an avocado… VERY stupid accident), he freaked out more than I did.
Must be the years of pointe shoes. Built up my tolerance for pain (dancing in those things with toes covered in blisters is not very much fun!) 
@Friar – I did something similar when I was three… except it was my nose on the coffee table and I didn’t go to the hospital. Also fell down my backyard steps onto a concrete patio full of sand when I was three… still have the scar from that!
Who, me? Clumsy?
Allison’s last blog post..Orange-Flavored Mochi
That little mouse is probably a good little runner! So cute! Meow.
Jaden @ Screenwriting for Hollywood’s last blog post..Sunday Picture Post 13 / Flaws
Mabye the mouse is a play-toy for Brett’s cat
Friar’s last blog post..WordPress Party in San Francisco
@Brett
Whaaat? That Comment Luv is advertising a post I had nothing to do with.
Wordpress is messing with me again!
Friar’s last blog post..WordPress Party in San Francisco
@Melissa,
I’m sure you’d be a good parent – it’s one of those things, you just do it. He’s most certainly himself today and was trying to go down the big slide *backwards* – the next big stuntman I think… thanks too – the anniversary was great!
@Allison,
Your brother is a real inspiration, you know. I’d like to meet him (and you!) someday. Kids are funny with pain tolerance. Most of them won’t cry until they see blood, or until another child cries. One of our other children was more upset than Owen!
@Friar,
We have to get you onto a hosted blog service… free WP is messing with you.
I second that motion, Friar.
James Chartrand – Men with Pens’s last blog post..Writing the Farewell Symphony
Well Brett, Tomorrow is a new day..new week new running!
I am looking forward to being back on track with everything myself.
Back to Can and Will for both of us!
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..Gifts From Gratitude
@Wendi,
Yes it is – glad that you’re back now. We can and will get that stuff going this week – we should touch base soon and get a call going.
-Brett
@ Brett – Yep, he is! If you’re ever in southern California…
Along those same lines, I remember crying when I was little just from the shock of the fall (or whatever it was), not because I was actually hurt.
Allison’s last blog post..Jumpin’ Jack Fish Roll
… of mice and men. How come I didn’t realize that until now?
*duh*
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Learn Something Old Every Day
Happy Anniversary & Triple Birthday!! A decade’s an awesome milestone, congrats! Absolutely love the pewter theme tho’ you’ll never beat the gift of triplets that was only slightly belated one year.
Tis the season for celebrations.. Today’s Rhodester’s & my anniversary w/his birthday exactly a week away.
Lennon’s observation; “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,” resonates w/people for good reason. There are certainly times that holds true but the ‘while’ should be an ‘as’. Rather than simply happening “during the time” our plans were meant to, life unfolds “even though” we have our plans but the two can converge if we don’t treat them as divergent timelines. You recognized what had to & could slip by ‘while’ still making progress on other things ‘as’ life kept changing up on you.
@Friar – FWIW, entering your site “deepfriar@wordpress[dot]com” will default to wordpress.com’s homepage but deepfriar[dot]wordpress[dot]com will return YOUR posts.
(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.” ~ Paul Sweeney
Dorian aka coffeesister |_|)’s last blog post..Found Fridays; links loved, finding Fridays
@Kelly,
You just needed some of Mr. Chartrand’s jet fuel coffee…
^ ^
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^
o
@Dorian,
Thank you, and thank you. Cathryn liked her gifts very much, and she got me a *very* nice watch which I’m wearing right now. Oh, they are a real gift for sure.
Happy Anniversary to the two of you, and an early Happy Birthday to Rhodester.
I always liked Lennon’s words, and your suggestion to change “while” to “as” is a good one.
Brett Yes, Round table call due…I’m ready.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..Gifts From Gratitude
Brett,
It was fine coffee this morning. Brought a tear to my eye.
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Learn Something Old Every Day
@Kelly
(Awwww!).
If I recall, in “Mice and Men”, the retarded guy didn’t know how to handle mice, and the poor critters came to a sorry end.
Friar’s last blog post..Watercolors: A Couple of Alpine Scenes
Friar,
Yeah, very sad. The song’s about the same, though, if you take just that part. Don’t squeeze too hard.
I really hope Brett’s story is gonna be better than that. If not, we’ll need the Tissue Alert!
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Tip of the Week: Learn Something Old Every Day
I dunno…Brett has a big fluffy cat (really friendly, but a few fries short of a happy meal).
I think he’d have something to say about the mice!
Friar’s last blog post..Watercolors: A Couple of Alpine Scenes
@Kelly & Friar,
I’ll put a twist on the mouse story, for sure. It’s in draft right now, so you’ll have to wait another day or two…
(squeak!)
In spite of my horrifying fear of mice, I pretended that picture was not there and LOVED the post (of course!). Happy Belated Anniversary and I’m glad that Owen is doing okay. Kids seem to produce lots of blood from wounds which can add to the worry. The one thing I’ve learned from training is that stuff happens. You just roll with it. I’m glad you were able to turn it around and find the good in the derailment. Can and will kllted wonder frriend.
Karen Swim’s last blog post..I Am an SOB!
Karen,
I promise then that my “mouse story” won’t have any pictures (you’ll see…) – and thank you! Yes, we just went on with the rest of the night with the other kids as best we could (well, I was at hospital, but my wife just put the others to bed and said “Owen will be home soon” – which he was). By the next morning, good as new!
Yes, can and will – we can and we will have a round table call this week, I think.
Brett, whew! Thanks! I look forward to the story without the picture.
I can read about them just can’t see them, freaks me out and gives me nightmares and I wake up squirming. Weird, since I’d never even seen an actual real one until I moved to Michigan in my 40s, which made me want to head straight back to California! Your book is going to be great. I’ll buy multiple copies. 
Karen Swim’s last blog post..I Am an SOB!
Karen,
No problem! No mouse will be shown…
hey, not everyone likes mice. I’d better get my book finished so that all the great people out here supporting me can have a look at it!
@Karen
You would freak out, if you saw me in high school. I had two lab rats as pets.
They’re quite smart (and quite tame). They actually want to be picked up and petted….
Friar’s last blog post..Corporate Buzzwords that Need to Die.
God Brett, I’m glad he’s okay. There’s always something, isn’t there?
Happy 10th Anniversary to you and Catherine! Mike and I are celebrating our tenth this year too, August 8.
Cute mouse. I can’t believe you could pick it up!
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post..With Love from E: Britishisms
@Ellen,
Yes, that is the chaos we call our life – but it is a lot of fun too. Thanks for the anniversary wishes – and I’ll have to write that down, so I can also wish you & Mike a wonderful day when it comes.
I cannot tell a lie, it isn’t me holding the mouse! No, I found that photo on a free site. My sister Eden could do that, though. She keeps pet mice and she’s very good with them.
Note to self – never visit Eden! LOL!
@Friar, luckily I always got the classes with frogs and not rats or they would have had to resuscitate me. My first mouse sighting almost ended up in a 911 call.
@ Ellen, I’ll have to write that down too. Ten years is a big milestone!
@ Brett, yes, yes, anxiously awaiting your book! Also can’t wait for Ellen’s to be published. I should probably get cracking on mine too.
Karen Swim’s last blog post..Are You Ready to Get Lucky?
@Karen,
Ellen’s book is very good (Ellen – I’ll have some comments for you in about a week).
And I loved your latest post… made me think.
@Brett, I was over here and you were over there. Funny! I loved your Neil Armstrong story, it made me think! We are all going to achieve our goals and we’ll celebrate in NZ . Can and will!
Karen Swim’s last blog post..Are You Ready to Get Lucky?
@Karen,
Yes, we will get there. I’ll have a nice big party on Waiheke Island and fly everyone over (come on Oprah!)
@Brett – I think Coffeesister’s reply is pretty apt right now. You know, I get out my little schedule book and just want everything to fall in place and shit happens. Yeah, this is the fabric of our lives and we make our art from it. I really thought the mouse caused Owen to hit his head. I kept going through your words thinking, oh, he left this out on purpose, to build suspense…Right?
@Karen – Thanks for noting my anniversary. You too, Brett. Yeah, there have been times that I have wanted to throw in the towel. Marriage isn’t a long date, it’s a lot of work. But it gets better as time goes on.
I scream when I see mice in the house, too. I think it’s a surprise reaction. We don’t have mice in this house. Thomas would eat them.
@Friar – It disturbs me that we do all these tests on animals. I know it’s for the good of humanity and all that, but it still bothers me. Maybe some day scientists can manufacture cellular material that simulates real cells, without the feeling, and then test this type of material for toxins or whatever else.
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post..With Love from E: Britishisms
@Ellen,
I agree. No matter how much you plan, life happens and you just have to go with it. This event actually resulted in a nice long chat between Cathryn & I the other day in the car, and I’ll share it soon here.
(It doesn’t directly involve mice. But there might be some mice nearby…)
The main point being – what is important in life? Events such as this help us focus on the very important things.
@Ellen
That’s why I took part of the “Biology Club” in school.
Basically, the “Biology Club” was a pet rat club. We adopted a baby rat, took care of it all year, and then brought them home for the summer.
Though rats are kind of heartbreaking as pets. They don’t live too long.
Friar’s last blog post..French-Canadian expressions you’ll never see in a textbook
Since you don’t have a new post yet, I will comment again on this one!
I see little kids beating on each other all the time and I wonder how these sorts of accidents don’t happen way more often. It’s amazing to me that any of us make it through each day.
I think we all have our scars from our childhoods (both physical and emotional). I’ve got the requisite one on my chin from the evil knife chasing babysitter who made me sit on her bicycle handlebars and hit a rock.
What did you and your wife think of Cheaper by the Dozen? Did you see it?
Glad the little one is alright. Just wait til they’re driving! Then you will have lots of fun. Boy do you have your hands full!
Jaden @ Screenwriting for Hollywood’s last blog post..What You Don’t Know About Juno
@Jaden,
LOL, Friar kicked me in the butt today and asked me why I hadn’t posted for a while…
(answer: working on the next best-selling Oprah book! new post coming tomorrow, not the one I wanted to write but the muse decides what I write sometimes…)
Yes, our job is to get them from Day One to Responsible Adulthood with all body parts still attached and accounted for… driving will be fun. The current plan is to have a third car (likely a used station wagon type machine, if that is still available in 12 years’ time) – and a big white board for a schedule. Who gets to be primary driver and when, and where/when everyone else wants to be so the primary knows about drop-offs and pick-ups.
No, we have not seen Cheaper by the Dozen. But I see that Apple now allows movie rentals in Canada via iTunes as of today – maybe we can try that one if it is available.
Our hands are full – but that’s okay – we are blessed
Good! I was wondering where you’d been and hoping everything was all right. Aside from your posts, writing my little story got me rather attached to you guys! Glad you’re working on that book, and I look forward to reading you tomorrow!
steph’s last blog post..Disclaimer
Aaaaah, the blessed Oprah book. Me too! I’ll race ya! Writing posts are actually a nice break.
@ Ellen & Brett — Maybe one day I will succeed past the dating stage to the marriage part. I really commend you on hitting those anniversaries!!! I can’t even pull into the parking lot at the church, there is so much road work and Detour signs. Sort of gave up trying… but then of course a real nice one came along!
Time oh time, the fortune teller of all things.
Turning the Magic 8 Ball, one, two, three: Outlook Good.
Jaden @ Screenwriting for Hollywood’s last blog post..What You Don’t Know About Juno
Teaching triplets to drive? All at the same time?!?! Ooh boy, that’ll be interesting!
Allison’s last blog post..Jumpin’ Jack Fish Roll
@steph,
I suppose I unofficially took my cue from the Men, without announcing a break – just a combination of working on a couple of other things, and being with cold… plus, I still had to hop out once in a while and comment at other blogs – so I didn’t leave any time for mine! I was laughing because I thought of Michael Martine’s post last week about not having a posting schedule and a bunch of posts in the can – that’s me all the way!!!
With all of the encouragement, the book should be finished soon… which leads me to
@Jaden – the race is on, but we’ll both win. There is a good chance that you will get there, and as Ellen says it is a lot of work. But worth it.
@Allison,
And with my luck, there’ll be a technology spike and it won’t be cars, it will be flying cars…
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