What a Night!

I'm so glad last night is over and done with! I had a good day yesterday and was hopeful that my evening would continue in the same mode, but it was not to be! When I got to work, I was given a note with instructions from my department manager. It seemed to me that it was probably a little more work than I could get done in my four-and-a-half-hour shift, but I was determined to give it my best shot. One thing the note said was that I was NOT to be called to the front so that I could get my work done. Yeah, like that was really going to happen! When I was paged to go to the front to get on a register, I called up there to let them know that, per the co-manager, I was not to go up there. I was informed that he was the one who told them to call me, so off I went to the front. I ended up on the register for AN HOUR!!!

When I finally got back to the toy department, said co-manager came by and reminded me to call for a zone check before I left, and I asked if he realized I had been up front for an hour. Well, he let me know that he expected me to still be able to get everything done, even though I expressed doubt that it could have been done had I been left alone for my entire shift.

I must confess, that really upset me! It's not my fault that the store is managed so poorly that they never have enough cashiers and constantly have to call associates from the floor to help out up front. Besides, I got off the front end because I didn't want to be a cashier any more. So much for that, huh?

Now, if this had been an isolated incidence, it probably would not have phased me much; but the problem is, it happens ALL THE TIME! I work as hard as I possibly can, and I do my job well, but I can't be expected to do as much in three and a half hours as I could have gotten done in four and a half hours. I became very despondent and was seriously contemplating quitting. Thankfully, God sent along a couple different friends from church who encouraged me.

Then, when I got home, I thought my awful night was over, and I sat down to unwind. I heard someone knocking loudly on the door. It was a neighbor informing me that my car had rolled away. When I got home, I was still a little upset about work and so very tired that I failed to put the car in gear or pull the emergency brake. Once again, God was looking out for me. A curb stopped my car just before it hit a neighbor's fence, and somehow, it barely missed hitting a mailbox. Amazingly, my car (and all the surroundings) survived the incident without a single scratch. I felt stupid but also very relieved!

After such an evening, I was afraid I'd have troubles going to sleep, but I didn't. I believe I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, and slept like a baby.

Back to the ER with Sam

I haven't written in here in quite a while because I've been much too busy.

Last night, after I got off work, I had to take Sam to the ER for a leg injury. He was wrestling with a friend Monday and fell on some steps. His right leg hit the edges of one of the steps. Then, he walked in a parade, which was probably the worst thing he could have done. It was very swollen and bruised, but I thought it would be okay in a couple days. Well, Sam has complained about it all week, and when he showed it to me last night, I was shocked at how bad it still looked. I became afraid that the bone was actually broken.

We got to the ER at 11pm and had to wait in the waiting room for what seemed like forever. (It was actually about an hour and half.) They were very busy, and their computer system was down. Once we got back to a room, the RN apologized to us several times for how long it was taking.

When the doctor looked at the leg, he was concerned that the bone might be cracked, so he ordered X-rays. Thankfully, the bone was not broken at all. The muscle, however, is badly bruised and swollen. Also, there is a large hematoma. The doctor told us to keep a close eye on it for the next week or so because of the possibility of blood clots or compartmentalization. Also, Sam isn't supposed to be using his leg much at all, and no going up or down steps if it can be avoided.

Earlier this year, I bought Sam a loft bed to conserve space in his room. All this week, he has been climbing up the ladder to the bed, and that hasn't been good for his leg. Last night, he slept on cushions on the floor. I guess he'll do that for at least the rest of the week.

Here is a picture I took in the ER last night. It's not a great one since I had to sneak and take it because Sam didn't want me to take any pictures.