A few days ago a long lost friend showed up on my doorstep.

His name is Shawn.

I know that most of you are thinking that Shawn cannot be a long lost friend because he’s my husband and normally you’d be right, but not this time.

After months of appointment after appointment my bed no longer bounces me awake like the Northridge quake did when I was growing up. He is sleeping better due to his CPAP machine. This means he has more energy and is not quite as crabby as he used to be.

On top of the lack of energy he was having a hard time taking care of his hair. I know this seems silly but it’s hard to brush your hair when you can barely lift your arms. We talked about getting his hair cut over and over again always deciding that we didn’t really want to cut it. We’d always say, “just a few more inches.”

Well those “few more inches” added up. In September his ponytail measured 12”, we thought about cutting it and sending it in to Locks of Love but we didn’t want to cut his hair short. Growing it out is always a huge pain in the rear. We decided to grow it out two more inches so that he could donate 12” and still have his hair past the growing out point.

After another 2 ½ months of growth he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to get a haircut. A trip to Marinello’s was planned, and the length discussion was started again.

Normally we go to the beauty school in the evenings, but a three hour haircut doesn’t work well with an 8pm bedtime. The earliest we can go is 10am, we showed up about 10:30. The place was packed. I forgot that all the local q-tips go to the beauty school for their weekly cut’n’curl.

Everyone was amazed and shocked that we were cutting off all that length. Even the q-tips said it was a shame to cut off all that beautiful hair. The only that made it okay was that he was donating it. All 16 inches of it.

Yes, I said 16 inches. His hair grew four inches in 2 ½ months.

When they placed him in the chair a crowd gathered. No one could believe that he was going to cut it all off. They all stood and watched as Ceara made the first cut. As soon as the length was gone everyone returned to their own stations but stopped by occasionally to check on the progress.

I decided that shorter was better, but explained that he has two horrible cowlicks, one in the front where his hair naturally parts and one at the crown, kinda like Alfalfa. This makes cutting his hair a challenge for an experienced hair stylist let alone a student. I even threw in that he really wants to keep as much length as he can. There’s nothing like a he wants it short but not too short, but he doesn’t want it too long either, to confuse a student more.

Hair was parted, clips were placed, the cutting began, and hair fell.

I’m pretty happy with the way the cut turned out. At first he looked like Robert Redford in The Sting, but once we tousled it a little bit he looked more like Blake Shelton.

I’m getting used to the shorter hair, but after three years of nothing but trims, it feels like there’s a stranger in bed with me.

*title By Shawn

I should be sleeping.

I know this.

I am even tired enough to go to bed.

But I can’t.

Instead I sit here and read blogs.

I don’t even know what I’m reading.

None of it makes sense.

None of it matters.

This is what happens when I forget to take my pill on time.

Things manifest all day long and then bombard me when everything is quiet and I can’t ignore them anymore.

While I’m feeling better Shawn is feeling worse.

He didn’t go out last week because he was really sick.

When he talked to the doctor on Monday she told him to stay home and go for tests.

We picked up paperwork for a complete lab work-up and an ultrasound.

Tuesday he went in for the blood work and urinalysis.

Wednesday he completed the stool samples.

Thursday he went in for the ultrasound.

Friday was his appointment with the doctor.

His cholesterol is a little high. (134???)

She can’t give him a prescription because his liver enzymes are slightly elevated.

She’s not worried about the level on it’s own, but with the pain she has to be sure.

Good cholesterol was at 40.

His blood pressure is high. (134/100???)

He was sent home with samples to lower his blood pressure.

His blood sugar was fine.

He has to lose 34 pounds.

He has to be on a low fat diet.

No red meat.

No pork.

Eat some fish.

Eat lots of chicken.

Go in for a Cat Scan on Monday.

Go back to her on Friday.

I’m praying everything will be alright.

We can’t afford for him to be home.

We can’t afford for him not to be home.

I don’t know what to do.

I’m really afraid that I’m going to lose my husband.

I know that nothing showed up on the ultrasound.

I’m still scared.

I feel guilty for leaving him at home while the girls and I go play.

I want to call him.

I don’t want to wake him up.

Waiting another week is not going to be fun.

I think I’ll go read more blogs.

Tonight I am blogging from the comfort of my own bed.

Well, that is if you call a garage that’s probably only 40 degrees comfortable. But, my bed is warm. The only cold part are my fingers. I sit here in a flannel pajama top, sweat pants (because the bottoms didn’t get washed yet), with a flannel jacket over my head, and Shawn’s head in my lap.

Oh, I should probably mention that I am doing all of this from Shawn’s new Super-Uber-Laptop, “Sampson.”
After days of research and two trips to Office Depot, I walked into Circuit City and bought the first one I came across. just kidding. I walked in said I was looking at this HP and this Toshiba what do you have that is comparable. So after a quick discussion about their extended warranty, everything is covered from the screen to the battery, I chose Sampson. I think it took me longer to pick out his backpack than it did the laptop.

All in all it has turned out to be a good computer. Our friend the computer guru was impressed with what I got for what I paid. And no, the prices listed are not what I paid.

Since it’s officially tomorrow now I should probably go to bed. Oh wait, I’m already there.

later I will upload photos of Sampson, along with my other purchases. Target, Sears, and Claire’s all had clearances going this weekend. It was great.

Shawn took the test for his CDL today, and passed all but the Hazmat portion.

The only reason he didn’t pass was because we didn’t study for it. But when you take the test at the same time there’s no additional fee up front, where if you take it later you have to pay 30-something dollars. Now he just has to get a physical before he can get his actual permit.

Then he has to pay $94 dollars to have a TSA background check done so they know he’s not a terrorist and going to highjack a load of Palmolive* and blow up a building with it. Hopefully we’ll have the money before he takes his drive test in a month, which is the first available appointment. If not he’ll get his license without the hazmat endorsement, and pay for it after he starts driving.

So tomorrow we’re going to go back and he’s going to retake the hazmat portion. Hopefully one night of cramming will do.

Oh, and before I forget, Rapunzel is getting an award tomorrow but we don’t know what for. So you know what I’ll be writing about tomorrow, right? She’s so proud of herself.

*And yes, dish soap is considered a hazardous material when in transport. For that fact so is Coca-Cola syrup.