Friday, August 12, 2005

Parking in Cambridge

I forgot to put my permit in the window last week and I got a $30 ticket. In a fit of efficiency, I paid that and the other unfair tickets I'd gotten in Somerville recently. I just didn't have the energy to argue. One was the day of the fire. I pulled up to a spot in Davis Square and it had a big sign on the meter that said "Broken."

When I got back five minutes later with The Boy, the sign was gone and I had a ticket. WTF on SO many levels? What kind of cheapskate would bother to tape a sign on a working meter? I went to go put my money in, saw the sign and went on my way.

Another I got while trapped in the waiting room for two hours at Cambridge Health Alliance. They're usually not that bad, but that time they really screwed up. They had this new computer system that makes them sit there and type while they talk to you instead of jotting down illegible notes. It's very distracting. I was afraid I'd lose my spot if I went out to feed the meter, so I just waited, and lo and behold I had a parking ticket. I just paid that one too.

I have this paranoid theory that all the departments in the City of Somerville are connected and that if I start balking over parking tickets, the Building Department will drag out my inspections, and we need four of them just to complete the foundation. So, I gave into the paranoia and paid the tickets.

Now we've got to start fighting with the City of Cambridge because I got another ticket yesterday for parking for more than 3 days with a visitor permit. We were granted a waver on 7/20 for 30 days to park without hassle. I guess in the People's Republic 30=20. We're checking on that. This one I will fight because I'm stuck here until at least 9/9 (our best estimate move-in date) and I need my car during that whole time because of my knee. It's doing better, but I still hurt after doing stairs and I still can't stand for long periods of time. But at least it's moving in the right direction.

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Eric's Senses

Eric has conjunctivitis and a nasty ear infection. The doctor did end up seeing us at 6:30 today after a short wait. I can't believe I didn't figure out the ear infection sooner. But I guess I knew something was up this morning. They gave us some heavy duty antibiotics that should have him back to normal.

What a hard day. I'm exhausted from the summer's insanity and taking care of my little boy was really hard. I suppose my view of stay-at-home-motherhood is tainted by the fact that the only time I'm alone with him for sixteen hours straight, he's sick. And it's really, really hard.
The Sad Little Bubby and his Tired Mummy

Eric bolted awake just before five this morning. Rich went into check on him and he shrieked "LIGHT ON!! LIGHT ON!!!" which means he's ready to get up. If I had checked on him, I would have given him a hug and a kiss and told him to go back to sleep, but R usually just sucks it up and gets up with him.

He's had a little eye infection over the last couple of days. For some reason it's been accompanied by a fundamental exhaustion. We sent him to school yesterday because he seemed fine in the morning and by the time I picked him up at five thirty he looked like he was going to fall asleep in his tracks. He crashed last night at seven.

So, this morning he was crabby and tired and I was going to try to bring him to school, when he crashed at 8. I popped him in the crib and lo and behold he slept nearly two hours. Then we walked over to Harrison Street where they are ripping my roof off to accommodate the dormers. This is SO cool.

But Eric managed to cry all the way home after an incident where I took his juice to fix the dripping lid. Somehow he lost it after that and wouldn't take the juice back. Over an hour later he finally seems to have fallen asleep.

Poor little bubby. I wish I knew what was wrong with him but the doctors can't see him until THURSDAY.

ARGH!