Aint life interesting... or at least never boring,... but its important to keep perspective.

Well I am back in the US... Just landed after being awake 42 hours (teaching all day fly ou that night 20 hrs in the air with an 8 hr layover in Tokyo).

I was really looking forward to seeing Tish, the house the dog and just generally being back - status quo- ...

Well we all know that’s when luck sometimes throws you a curve ball.

As soon as we touch ground, (and after waiting 20 additional minutes for a plane at Gate D4 international Houston to pull back), I get my first call into Patricia. Although I was really brain dead and half focused one of the first words I clearly made out was "I'm at the Hospital",... my pulse dropped,.. as tired, and happy as I was to be home.. and I went blank... all I could do know was worry.

As you may know my wife is halfway though our pregnancy. It would appear that at least for now her body wanted to start having regular contractions,.. and as you know this is way too early.

Going though customs, although quicker than normal, felt like an eternity of waiting... If I was stopped I would just tell them 'look you keep the bags, just let me get to my wife and we will settle up later'... but thankfully, the guy just looked out of the corner of his eye, and said... 'go on though,.. and welcome home....'... Home,.. home.. I could even begin to think about 'home' when my world had just been put hanging atop the upper curve of a question mark... was everything going to be ok.. what are the details... how is she taking it?..?...

I caught the first taxi I could, (and unlike me ) cutting in front of other people waiting... I then had a chance to call her again... I was nervous, and I went into my typical analytical - review all details - mode... I wanted to talk to the doctor, and in my tired state, it seemed incomprehensible to think that the doctor was not right at her side... making sure the baby is fine, with a complete diagnosis.

I only had a $100 bill US, so I asked the Taxi drive, an older black man who sounded like he was from new Orleans or at least raised in the deep south, if he could break this bill. He said he would have to stop... No problem,.. just get me there as soon as possible.

The driver then - probably in characteristic fashion - informed me that after the conversation he just heard between my wife and I (which coincidently got cut off in the middle due to a crappy cell phone service), was a bit too high strung (who me?.. no not me...) and that I calm down when I talked to her again..

Very good point, and worth every penny of the tip, for the sage like advise... perhapes a bit of a guardian angel, or at least a person who has been though 4 child births of his own (as he had told me).

Arriving at the Hospital, I must have been something to see... 42 hrs of at best lite napping, dragging two suitcases (one with a broken strap) and a briefcase... and of course being disheveled from the long journey... I took the sprit of the drivers advice and my first stop was the hospital gift store...

After a short but comprehensive search of the small store I had a teddy bear in my hand.. But then I realized that what my wife needed now, was peace and calm and beauty.. So I set down the bear for a pretty flower arrangements with all kinds of exotic flowers of each bright color… Although I normally don’t by flowers for people (as flowers die and other things remain), this was a time for some of natures beauty to accompany my wife during this time of worry, and concern.

When I walked into the room I could tell she was tired. But her smile brightened the room in an instant.. I dropped everthing and leaned carefully over her bed and gave her the firs kiss in more than 16 days.

The next several hours were a journey between sharing the stories of my trip and the concern over the fact that the medicine that she was on was not stopping the contractions. Although reassuring for Patricia, the almost midnight late visit from the doctor was enough to get my more concerned.

The first medicine she was talking was not working and she was still having regular contractions… Her cervix was not dilated, which is a very good sign, but like the doctor said… at this far along, the cervix does not need to be very open to have a birth… and from my schooling both through television and academia I knew that a baby born now would not have much of a chance.

We were now going to try a stronger medicine, this one would make Patricia fell a bit sick and weak. But thankfully , at least by the time I left in the morning to come to the house and feed the dog, this medicine appears to be working…

When I left Patricia was about to go back to sleep after another hourly session of waking up to go to the bathroom or be checked on by the nurse… and although I had just been awake long than I had ever before in my life,, I was far more concerned than tired.


So here I am, the dog is fed, and I have half a bowl of soup sitting behind me on the counter… For once (and probably many times before) this blog is a lot more therapeutic than entertainment…

So I ask this one favor of you (whomever you are reading this, here or in afar off distant place like the one I just traveled from),… Please say a little prayer, blessing, or good thought for my wife and growing child,.. We will likely be ok, but it would be much appreciated…

Good morning everybody… lets hope we are all here when the night falls again.

Trey