The Twins

The very best part of a very busy day yesterday was the hour spent in the NIC-U watching the little twins sleep and smile and stir just slightly as they slept on pillows in their mom's lap, both now free of the IVs that kept them tethered to the machinery of a new and still somewhat tenuous life.

And, while each must return to her respective Isolette - what another generation called an incubator - Amelia is also freed from the necessity of those ultraviolet lights used to treat the effects of an immature liver. Which means that, depending on her ability to maintain body temperature on her own, she may soon be free of the Isolette as well.

In the meantime, they are both eating and digesting well and have shown remarkable talent at being very cute. And both mom and dad are attentive to their needs and anxious to have them home.

LPK
LiveJournal
1.31.2012 (a)

Customer Service

I'd just gotten home from grocery shopping, and was putting things away, when I decided to take off my jacket. As I did so, my cell phone flipped out of my pocket and fell directly into the dog's water dish. Which was, of course, full to the brim.

In an act of extraordinary bravery, which can only be appreciated if you've smelled this dog's breath, I fished it out and tried to dry it off. Then, I immediately texted several family members to say that if I didn't answer my cell phone they should call the house instead. Several texted back to say that they'd gotten the message.

In fact, the only one who didn't was Her Nurseliness who, having endured some thirty-odd years of marriage, probably figured that she owed me nothing. Especially while seated on her throne at the casino.

Soon after that, the phone started doing wierd things all on its own, so I figured that the best thing for me to do was to get over to the Verizon Store and inquire about my options.

On entering the store, I was greeted by this sour-looking service rep who seemed intent on letting me know, in every way possible, that I hadn't any.

So all right, maybe I had something to do with the rocky start. When she asked what I was there for, I said that I wanted to enter the stupid stunt of the day contest. And she didn't blink, didn't smile, didn't give any sign at all that she was even slightly amused.

After asking several questions about the recent drowning victim, which by now lay prostrate on the counter, its back opened and stripped of its battery, she said, "Best thing you can do is put it in a bag of rice for three or four days and see if that dries it out. You've got about a 50/50 chance."

With that unhappy statistic freshly in mind, I thanked her and made one last attempt to salvage a bit of humor from the situation.

"So," I said, "After the three or four days, can I still eat the rice?"

As she turned to walk away, she didn't look at me, much less smile...

LPK
LiveJournal
1.31.2012 (b)