County Hospital

Friday morning. I'm live in front of Metro Hospital with my reporter, Obie and our other photog Derek. Derek is in the truck we're using for the live shot. We're live in front of the emergency entrance to the hospital because the TB clinic at said hospital diagnosed a person with TB.

We do our first hit, and head back to our truck. A Hospital cop shows up and just wants to shoot the breeze with us. Pretty nice guy too. We chatted for a few minutes and then the cop leaves. As soon as he leaves, the crazy guy heads to us, of course.

"I WANNA TALK TO SOMEBODY ABOUT THIS F*$#@(% HOSPITAL AND WHY THEY DON'T FIX MY LUNGS!!", he starts screaming at Obie and me.

"THESE F'ERS DON'T WANNA HELP ME. I'VE HAD 3 PE'S AND PAIN FOR THE PAST MONTH AND ALL THEY DO IS GIVE ME A SHOT OF MORPHINE AND SEND ME HOME. PLUS MY DOCTOR TELLS ME TO MY FACE HE DOESN'T GIVE A S^%& ABOUT MY LUNGS."

He then proceeds to light up a cigarette.

We look at him and ask, "Well, why not stop smoking??"

"HEY...I'M DOWN TO 3 CIGARETTES A DAY. USED TO SMOKE A PACK AND A HALF A DAY."

And he wonders why his lungs hurt and why they won't help him.

Been Busy

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy and my son, Joshua was back in the hospital again. He's coming home today, and it's a good thing too. His little brother, Joseph is bugging the heck out of me asking when Josh is coming home. So, in the world of domesticity, everything is getting back on track.

Work has been work. The usual assortment of shootings, fires and car accidents. Ah, the life of being an overnight videographer.

We have one really interesting story going on, here in the city of Cleveland. Seems a councilman was arrested for DUI on early Monday morning in the Warehouse District of Cleveland. He was pulled over, field tested, failed the test,he refused a breathalyzer, demanded another field test, and started swinging when he was told no more field sobriety tests were being given.

I was dispatched to check out a possible stabbing near the Warehouse district and drove by three police cars that had surrounded a Red BMW.

Traffic stops in the Wareouse District are common and seeing three police vehicles around a car is not uncommon, so I paid no attention to it.

I should have. Turns out it was the councilman and I had just missed seeing him get all mouthy and start swinging.

Ahhh....timing.

Guess What's Cooking

Well, this will be the last post from the vacation dept. I start back to work tonight. Anyways, this involves my son Joshua again. He woke up at around 5:30am this morning saying he'd wet himself a little. So, my wife gets out of bed and gives him a new pair and washes his wet underwear out in the sink and places it on the air conditioner to dry them out.

Well, about the time we need to leave and pack everything in the car, my wife checks the underwear and it's still a little damp. So my wife puts the underwear in the microwave for 20 seconds to try and dry them out a little....

Fast forward an hour when we're in the car driving home.

My wife screams, out of the blue..."OH MY GOD!!! I LEFT HIS UNDERWEAR IN THE MICROWAVE!!!"

I'll spare you all the conversation about who was going to call the hotel back and let them know WHY there would be a pair of Spongebob underwear in the microwave.

My wife had a hard time telling the woman on the phone about it, but she did.

Hush Yo' Mouf

Well, since I'm on vaco, I thought I'd share at least one little nugget of how things have gone thus far. I am currently staying in a Best Western Resort in Lancaster, PA. It is really nice and the Wi-Fi works great here.

Ok, back to the nugget. After driving a looooong time and dealing with the kids becoming bored out their skulls, the wife and I decided to stop and have the kids get out and stretch their legs at a miniature golf course. A fun time was had by all..(I even got a hole in one!)

Well, on the way back to the hotel, the boys decided to start their crying, whining battle of 'He's Touching Me!!' And while this is going on, my navigator/wife tells me to stay in the current lane I'm in and next thing you know, I miss the turn because the wife was wrong. Thus adding to the stress of the moment.

I mumbled in exhaustion and frustration "F*@%!"

And Joshua (4) asks, "Did daddy make a wrong turn??"

Wife: "Why do you ask that??"

Joshua: "Because daddy said "F^@#".

The wife and I were laughing so hard, we almost missed the turn around.

See, I normally don't speak like that but I'm modeling my vocabulary after Lenslinger and his cavernous mastery of all words written and spoken. So, if anyone is to blame, it's him...or is it, it is he??

Who the F*%^ knows???

On Vacation

I'm on vacation this week and not a moment too soon. I'm headed with the family to Strasburg, PA to take the kids to a huge railroad museum. The kids are nuts about trains. Plus I get to go back to my home state of Pennsylvania.

My wife was featured on a CNN story about a doctor who does surgery for migraine sufferers. She's the victim on the table while surgery is being performed. What some people will do to be on TV.

Have a good rest of the week.

My Son

My son is out of the hospital finally. He has been diagnosed with strep reisistant pneumonia. He has something called a PICC Line inserted in his right arm. It's a long IV line that goes to a central artery so that it can get medication into the body faster.

He'll have this line in his arm for three weeks and need to have daily infusions of medication.

The doctors hemmed and hawed for four days debating whether to put in a chest tube.

But, my son is home finally. But he's pissed at me big time.

What is my sin?? I left his woobie at the hospital by accident.

Yes, my son's security blanket. And I forgot it when we were discharged...

I feel like a totally horrible parent for forgetting it. It really made me sad. That's the kind of thing you save for them in their memory box.

Well, I can't now...unless the housekeeping staff at the hospital cared enough to save it...

GOD..PLEASE LET THEM HAVE SAVED IT...

I cannot stand the wrath of a four year old....

I am such a horrible father.....

Please Pray

My oldest son, Joshua, is in the hospital. He's got pneumonia and a whole lot of fluid around his right lung.

They might have to insert a needle for a culture. This may lead to a chest tube.

He's scared. I'm scared. My wife is a RN so she's taking it all in stride.

Please keep my son in your prayers for a few days.

Thanks..!!