h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

By now I was hoping to be bored having time on my hands, and seriously thinking about having a clear out or something.

The long Christmas holiday is supposed to give me a chance to disregard time. I never seem to have much of the stuff and weekends are too given over to housework, shopping and family visits so I never, ever get that feeling of time stretching out before you with nothing on the horizon. Except at Christmas.

Please note that what follows is from my entirely selfish point of view and in no way indicates that I don't care about what's been happening, because I really do. I'm just mourning the loss of my anticipated time.

I broke up on Friday 20th at lunchtime, with 12½ days of fun, festivities, family and freedom ahead of me. I was also looking forward to a week of of not having to leave the dog much after the actual big day. I went to visit a friend and we spent the afternoon drinking tea, eating mince pies, and chatting our jaws off.

Then on Saturday my eldest nephew was taken to hospital with suspected appendicitis. His appendix burst on Sunday morning and they finally operated. Poor thing, he's 5. That was really hard on his mum & dad.

So I was babysitter to niece & youngest nephew. I have no kids of my own and being in loco parentis is challening for me but we managed. I got home at 4am on Sunday morning to be back again at 9.30am Sunday. I spent the day alternating between their house to give their dog some company and my house for mine. Their dog is a 6 momth old bundle of energy with no barriers about personal space and my dog is a grumpy 8 year old with a liking for his own space and no tolerance for over-enthusiastic, oh-come-on-let's-play dogs, so they can't be together at the moment (they've never even met yet).

Nephew was discharged on Monday night so we were all pleased he'd be home for Christmas. And I got to spend Tuesday doing all the things I'd meant to get done over the weekend.

Christmas day was hectic and fun and lovely, but marred by the fact that nephew was in some pain and had no appetite. He did participate at times, and clearly had fun, but he looked like an old man when he could be encouraged to walk around the room a bit.

Boxing day at my mums. Again, hectic and lovely. Nephew still old-mannish, though, although he had more appetite. I left there in the evening anticipating the coming days of getting up when I felt like it, going to bed when I felt like it, and doing whatever I pleased in between.

Friday me, my mum, my brother, my sister in law and my youngest nephew were down with either food poisoning or some other kind of stomach bug so it was a lost day. I surfaced from my bed at noon to take up residence on the sofa but basically I just slept all day.

Felt a bit better on Saturday, just in time to take up babysitting duties again as nephew has infection and was readmitted to hospital. This time it looked like both parents would need to be at the hospital most of the night so the kids came to mine. I'm afraid one dog had to be left alone and it wasn't going to be mine basically. Luckily my sister-in-law's mother and sister came up from down south, arriving in the middle of the night, so their dog ended up taken care of too, so that was a relief.

Nephew was opened up again and cleaned out, and is now being given antibiotics.

Took the kids home and handed them over to the care of their other auntie (SiL's mum was at hospital with her) at teatime on Sunday. My brother went home a bit later, taking his mother-in-law, so he could freshen up, etc, and my mum drove over to the hospital to visit nephew then bring SiL home when my brother got back. Nephew really wanted daddy time so he was taking the nightshift, as it were.

Lunchtime today I picked my SiL up to take her to the hospital and have a visit myself. Nephew looks unbelievably improved. He must have been feeling really poorly at Christmas. He's cheeky and smiling and eating junk, it's so good to see. And they're sending him home this evening.

And I'm mourning the fact that I now have 2 more days off, so basically just your average weekend, except I'll probably be expected somewhere on both new years eve and new years day. At no point have I had a sense of time stretching, only a sense of it passing, and I'm gutted. Because I know I won't have that feeling again until next Christmas.

And I haven't even started my first ever guide entry.

Deb

Sorry to hear about the nephew, hope he recovers well.
Here's wishing you have a Happy New Year and hope you get more time for yourself during the year rather than the long wait till next christmas.

I am sure you have heard the saying “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” I guess that fits the bill perfectly <smiley<

Just console yourself that you have spent almost the entire time helping other people, and that the little fella is getting better, and somewhere along the line you will be repaid, however long it takes.

Happy New Year,

Websailor

Thanks BMT. How are your eyes?

Deb

I like that, Websailor!

Yes, I was helping out & I don't begrudge it. I really enjoyed spending time with the other 2, we had fun & I showed myself I could cope with them for more than a couple of hours.And they could cope with me!

But I can't help feeling the loss of that glorious sense of timelessness.

Deb

Gosh Deb!

what a time! That will certainly be one Christmas you'll remember.

Poor little lad, I hope he's fit and well soon.

What Lanza said. Poor little mite.

Well done you for taking care of them all - and the dogs, too!

Use the spare weekend for recuperating from the stomach problem. It takes more out of you than you think.

Thanks Lanza & TC. He's so much improved since the weekend it's amazing.

My sickness bug had completely gone but my tummy still feels tender. I'm actually looking forward to getting back on the diet on thursday. Bring on the melon breakfasts!

Deb

You did NaJo! I know you can do an entry. Happy new year!

Absolutely, writing an Entry for the Guide sounds a bit scary at times, but the worst part is making a start. After that it's not too hard at all, and I am totally sure that your writing style is well up to the challenge deb.

Thanks Lil & Lanza. I had planned to do my entry on Wonderland over my holiday, and although that didn't happen I'm still determined to do it. It's a subject I feel I know about as I've been several times, and during my recent visit with my niece & nephews I made sure I picked up a map of the place to give me tips and jog my memory.

It will get written.

I'm just not sure when. It's my birthday in February and I'm going to set that as a deadline. I can do it bit by bit then, treat it like NaJoPoMo and do a bit a day.

Deb