Interesting turn of events

Yesterday was the day I paid for my on the road tomfoolery.

Working non-stop and getting little to no sleep in the amazingly uncomfortable Comfort Inn came to a head as I tried to make my way back from MN to Indiana. After finally falling asleep at 1am, I woke straight up at 5 - ready to go. I ended up meeting David and we headed to the airport at 830.

Checked in fine - but found out our flight was delayed - and we waited over an hour. Then got on the plane and waited some more. By now - we both were to miss our connections in Chicago.

Once we got in - at 115 - my 130 flight had been delayed till 330 - and David had 5 minutes to catch his flight to Norfolk in another terminal. I got a call from him last night that he OJ'ed it all the way there and got on.

I was not so lucky.

Bought a book - and sat. By the time we actually got on the plane - 5:00 - I was 150 page in. By the time we actually got off the runway and in the air 6:00 - jammed like sardines in a puddlejumper that smelled like a Pakistani bus during rush hour - I was over 200.

Right before I took off - I got a call.

It was my sister saying that she was at the hospital and my dad had to take an ambulance there.

Yesterday was his birthday...Go figure.

She didn't know what was wrong - but thought it had something to do with his heart.

My Dad is a pretty healthy 63. For the last 4 months - we hit the gym at least 4-5 times a week together and get on the machines for about 40 minutes. He has been a runner most of his life - doing a bunch of marathons.

So hearing that it was his heart didn't really set right with me...But age has a way of throwing out the past and leveling the playing field. So who was to say.

As we continued to get delayed and thrown into holding patterns and finally get in the air - I was pretty numb. I had a great "happy birthday" call with my dad that morning - and I told him I loved him - but I knew this couldn't be... Could it?

Finally hit the ground and I ran to my car - and still had an hour drive to get back home. At least there wasn't any rush hour. My wife had called to tell me that it wasn't his heart -thank God - but it was his knee.

My pops had ripped up his knee in high school. He ran track and played baseball - and sometime during that time - he ripped up his ligaments and cartilage. He actually got an honorable discharge from the army cause it was getting worse. But he still went on and ran on it for years - doing all the marathons after this.

In the last year - he knew there wasn't much left to the knee - but the doctors told him - as long as he didn't have much pain - just leave it be.

Well - apparently - all the pain came yesterday. A couple decades worth. He was visiting a guy from church in the jail - and when he came home - the pain got so bad he passed out. My mom freaked - and called the ambulance. He was upstairs - so they called the fire department - and next thing you know - the house has 50 people - but they get him to the hospital.

My sister gets them to give him some morphine he is doing so bad - and then he starts getting silly. I am a smart ass - but my dad is a bigger one. By the time I get there - he is in the emergency room - his leg in a big pillow and he is talking non-stop about silly stuff - chatting up the nurse - and all.

The waiting room has about 10 people from the church - and we all get him in the car and back home. We prop him up on the couch - turn on American Idol - and have some of his birthday cake as he struggles to stay awake.

I run out and pick up the prescriptions we left at the hospital and get his medicine. Then I pack my sleeping kids in the car and come home. Try to catch the Dallas Phoenix game - but pass out.

Long day - but thank God Dad is gonna make it - even though he needs a new knee.