3:00 am -
Day starts with Claire's feeding time. She eats but is plagued with gas pains. We take her to her neurology appointment. Like most hospitals they were designed by incompetent architects. I say that because the one place you need to find a place fast and you can't. After parking in the incorrect parking lot we hiked a half mile through loading docks only to be directed eventually to the building that was not located on the map we were using. Once inside the overhead instructions were better than normal but it still took 4-5 different people directing us or walking with us to get us where we need to go. We would hoof it down a hallway for about 50 yards and have to check to see if we were on the right one or not. For goodness sake, it is a freakin' hospital! What would happen if I was inept at finding my way around or if I just collapsed. I suppose I would eventually be found and transported somewhere. It is just frustrating when you get directions like "Take the second right to a bank of elevators. Take those to the blue floor. Exit the elevator and make a right and take the cross walk to the John Doe towers. There you will take your second bank of elevators to the 2nd floor and take three right turns until you reach a receptionist. They can direct you to the clinic that I have never heard of" No idea on how long you walk or if the turns are only a few clicks away. Ever traveled to Atlanta's airport? Think of walking on the international terminal? I recall once thinking ... "It doesn't look that far". Luckily I had someone yell at me and ask what in the **** I was doing trying to walk there. Today I managed to find the clinic and when we finally got there and asked for a map they didn't include the entire medical complex. Seriously. So, we lucked out and they called security to give us a ride back to our parking garage. What a mess. Did I mention I was holding Claire the entire time? That was our ticket for politeness I believe. It is hard to get pissed at someone when they are holding a newborn walking fast in a hospital. Here is a tip for hospital design. Make it a rectangle or square like every other building in the city. They have predictable elevators either in the middle or on the edges and rooms correspond with the floor. Fourth floor = suite 4**. That isn't rocket science or in this case brain surgery. There is a book you should read called The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman. Architects will get an epiphany if you think current hospitals are designed great.
ok... I'm off my soap box... for now
I went to a family counseling center to evaluate it for my family. That was very very hard. Then to the grave of my wife to discuss things. This was the first time I had been there by myself. I think those that care for the property thought I was a little bonkers. I just sat on my future plot and had a chat with Jan. Like I said, it was hard and the experience made it real since I was talking to a pile of dirt. The flowers are gone except for a few wilted ones and there is no marker yet. This is yet another thing I need to do. The list goes on.
-more later-
