The Best Laid Plans

 

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I had the best laid plans for following my #1 New Year’s resolution – say no to anything that takes away from writing time.  Big Boy was going back to school on Monday, Baby Boy’s babysitter was all lined up to be there.  I had my new manuscript ready to start, a great idea for an opening scene brewing in my head.  I had my Starbucks gift card all ready to order a venti Pumpkin Spice latte and a slice of iced lemon pound cake (the ultimate creative fuel).  But did Monday morning find me writing?  No.  It most certainly did not.

Why?  Well, let me back up a little…

Last year Big Boy wanted a bike for Christmas.  He’d just learned to ride a two-wheeler and was ready for something bigger, sturdier, and less cartoon character themed.  So, The Man and I (with a little help from Santa) got him this:

He loved it.  Rode all over the neighborhood in it.  Unfortunately, during that riding around the neighborhood, one day he went to a friend’s house across the street, left his bike on the lawn overnight, and in the morning it was gone.  (This was when we lived in the neighborhood where anything that stood still for more than five minutes got stolen.)  He was, of course, upset.  But trooper that he is, he took up skateboarding as a means of transportation instead.     

Fast forward to this past Christmas.  My mom wanted to replace the bike that was stolen last year so that Big Boy could ride his bike to her house after school.  She had it wrapped up at her house, where we were planning to visit Christmas afternoon.  Big Boy opened his presents from Santa on Christmas morning, was thrilled with what he got from us, but then said in a kind of sad voice.  “You know, I still miss my bike from last year.”  Hehe!  It was all I could do to not spill the beans that he was about to get a new one. 

Once we got to my mom’s house, the first thing Big Boy saw was a large, bike-shaped present for him.  He immediately tore into it, then took off on his bike riding around the neighborhood for the rest of the evening.  Yay!

At this point you might be asking what this has to do with me not writing.  Good question. 

On New Year’s Day, Big Boy was out riding his new bike when The Man and I heard a scream.  Then more screaming.  And crying.  And Big Boy calling for Mommy.  (He’s 11.  If he’s calling for “mommy” it must be bad.)  We raced outside and found him at the bottom of the driveway (steep hill) in a crumpled pile tangled in his bike.  He’d fallen and hurt his elbow.  We rushed him inside, iced, checked to see that all the parts were still moving and nothing was swollen.  We debated the emergency room, but considering that everything looked in working order, went the ice route instead.  After a bit, Big Boy said he was feeling better and took off to play video games.

The next day he said his elbow felt a little better. Not great, but better.  Two days later, it was still hurting “some”.  Five days later he said, “You know.  This isn’t getting better very fast.  It still hurts a little when I straighten my arm.”

Uh oh. 

So I packed him into the car and we went to the emergency room to get a “just in case” x-ray.  Four hours later, the verdict came in – he’d been walking around for a week with a broken arm!  I felt horrible.  I told him that I owed him a big ice cream cone – maybe even triple scoop – as they bandaged his arm and put it in a temporary sling.

So, what was my Monday spent doing instead of writing?  Calling our insurance, our pediatrician, the orthopedist, and then the insurance again trying to get him an appointment to get a permanent cast put on his arm.  Then calling the E.R. to get a note from the attending doctor to get Big Boy out of PE class.  Then emailing all of his teachers to say he can’t write or take notes in their classes.  Then doing all his homework for him as he dictated.     

Some day I’ll get back to writing.  I swear it.  In the meantime, I’m just hoping that our bike luck doesn’t get any worse.

~Trigger (but not bike) Happy Halliday 

P.S. If anyone is looking for a good book, my entire Hollywood Headlines series will be available for FREE on Amazon.com this month.

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