A Whole Mess of Things

Since the computer doesn't exist yet in my new house, I have been virtually (ha ha) out of touch with the world for the last five days. Now that I'm back in Vancouver for the weekend, I can finally update on things that have been happening in my life during this past week.

One:
Three Saturdays ago, D and I purchased a dining table with six chairs. They didn't have it in stock at the time, but the saleslady assured me that it would arrive in their warehouse in two weeks and since I didn't want to pay $75 delivery charge (which I couldn't bargain off) I told her that I would pick up the furniture myself instead. Two weeks came and went without any notification from the furniture store, so I called on Monday to see what the status was. Neither the saleslady nor the warehouse guys were working that day, but the guy I spoke to on the phone checked the computer to let me know that my dining set had come in the Friday before. He told me to call on Tuesday, which I did and again my inquiry turned up negative. I was given a cell phone number to the warehouse guy and I called him twice. He never called me back. On Wednesday morning I asked to speak with the manager. It wasn't that I was impatient to get my dining room set (which I kind of was), but I was more upset with the lack of communication between the store and me and between the store and their warehouse. The manager told me that I could finally come to pick up the dining set. When I got home that night, we discovered that the warehouse gave us the wrong chairs. Needless to say I was more than a little upset. Before I called the manager again the next morning, however, I prayed and was able to be civil on the phone with him. Now I have six chairs sitting in my garage waiting for me to throw them back to the furniture store on Sunday and hopefully pick up the right ones this time. The only snag now? I just looked at the dining set company's website and it looks like I got screwed on the table as well! Right now, I'm shaking my head; I think I will just keep the table they've given me. Well, apparently, the dining set I currently have is slightly more expensive than the one we've ordered. What do you think? Should I return the table as well? This is getting a little stupid.

Two:
I was supposed to get an air conditioner installed in my house last Tuesday. It would've been perfect for the hot weather that showed up on Wednesday, but it turned out that one of the coils on a part of the air conditioner did not fit with our furnace. Because the salesman made the incorrect calculations when he came to take measurements in our crawl space and of the furnace, he wasted my time and the installation guys' time, so D had to complain. Installing the air conditioner was an 8-11 hour job, so I had to rearrange our schedule just so I could be there for them to explain how to operate the A/C controls. Plus, the installation guys drove the large A/C unit all the way from Richmond on a trailer at the back of their truck only to have to return it back to Richmond after spending less than 1/2 hour here. Now they have to come back next Tuesday and I have to go out to Mission again. I was hoping to stay in Vancouver to prepare for my move next week, but that's not going to happen.

Three:
The mattress D and I purchased turned out to be too soft, so we took up on Sleep Country's 60-Day Comfort Guarantee to trade for a firmer bed. We went from Spring Air to Serta and took advantage of the Serta sale they have this month. After all the other furniture nightmares we've had lately, I hope our trade goes smoothly next Wednesday when the new bed arrives.

Four:
I can't find ribbon for my wedding flowers and favour boxes! Michael's, the godsend crafts store to all my creative friends, did not carry anything remotely to what I was hoping for! I guess it's kind of like the ribbon in the picture on the right, but in greenish blue, bluish green, or silver. I need them to be a certain length and width. I also need ribbon made of organza-type material. Argh! See what I mean?

Five:
This one is a biggie and one of those things God puts in my life to remind me that there are so many other more important things in my life besides ribbon and chairs. My father was admitted into VGH Emergency Monday night at 11pm. My mom and sister stayed with him until 4am, Tuesday morning. Apparently he called for help at home and my sister drove my parents to the hospital. I'm so proud of her! Thankfully, she wasn't out late that night as she usually is. My father arrived at the hospital with a heart rate of 40 (normal is 60) and his blood glucose reading at the same number (target for diabetic patients like my father is less than 7%). The hospital staff were amazed that my father hadn't keeled over already with readings like that. VGH staff was incredible; I guess because my father was put on critical status in the Cardiac Care Unit the doctors and nurses worked around the clock to ensure that my father stays alive. On Tuesday, he got a bit better, but they couldn't regulate his heart beat. They gave him medication to raise his heart rate, but that increased his blood pressure. They gave him medication to lower his blood pressure, but that slowed his heart rate. My father's health issue was quite an enigma. I was totally unaware that my father was in the hospital. All I knew was that he had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so that night I called home to see how his appointment went. That's when my sister gave me the bad news and when I asked her why no one called me, she said that they didn't want to worry me. Worry me?!? I was worried about stupid furniture problems while my father lay dying in the hospital. Since my dad was getting better I felt that I could wait until Wednesday to see him. After all, he always lands himself in the hospital from time to time due to diabetes and then he leaves after a few days.

Wednesday morning I arrive at the hospital to learn that my father's heart had stopped twice that morning. His health had deteriorated overnight. My mother went to see him in the early hours and she left to bring him water because he complained about thirst. She was gone only a few short minutes, but when she went back to his room, several nurses and doctors were crowded in the room trying to save my father's life. A resident had to explain to my mom what had happened. They even had the defibrillators on hand to rescue him, but both times my father's heart resumed beating on its own before they could use the paddles. When I saw my dad, he was more frail than I have ever seen him before. My father's been sick many times before, but this has been the most critical condition he's experienced. (I'm crying as I type this.) My mom, dad, and I cried with each other around his bed, first when my mom recounted what happened that morning and a second time when my father asked D to take care of me and me to take care of my mom once he was gone. Dramatic, yes, but who can blame us? I'm sure friends I have who have already lost their dads to illness can sympathize with me and I draw strength from their stories and courage.

My father had complained of chest and shoulder pain, but an angiogram showed that his vessels are clear. They hooked him up to an external pacemaker to see if that would solve his problems. Before I left the hospital on Wednesday, my dad's doctor said that they will continue to monitor his body's response to the pacemaker for the next two days and if it's all good, they will put a pacemaker in his body next week. Well, yesterday they did that procedure! Today, my dad's looking much better and is ready to be discharged, hopefully by tomorrow (or today since it's 12:38am right now).

What's frustrating about all this is that I have been driving back and forth between Mission and Vancouver to be with my dad. I wish I could live closer, but D and I have had many good reasons to be out there; I will have to live with the drawback of being far away from my parents. At least, it's not a province, country, or continent away.

Now that the main scare has passed, I'll go back to less serious matters. While visiting at the hospital, we've noticed that the residents are all very good-looking and well-dressed. It was like watching a fashion show outside my dad's room; I attribute this phenomenon to shows like Grey's Anatomy in encouraging more of such youthful and fascinating hopefuls to become medical professionals. I would know -- my future sister-in-law is one of them, only she's already made it as a doctor! She watches Grey's Anatomy, too. ;)

Tomorrow (today) I'm concentrating on packing and making wedding programs. By the end of next Friday, I hope to have confirmed cake details, picked up the right dining room chairs, created table setting signs, A/C installed, emailed wedding day itinerary to all helpers, met with our photographer for final details, finished putting together wedding programs, bought ribbons, bought a b-day present for my cousin, and started teeth whitening regiment.

I will not forget that in between all of that I will love my parents, hug my sister lots, cherish D, hold real conversations (not just on Facebook or by email) with friends, pray and sing to God, eat, breathe, sleep, and enjoy life.