Eight hours thirty-five minutes. That's how long we sat in waiting rooms, ER and the pharmacy. It was a LONG day.

Well, Krl's leg is broken. They call it a commuted fracture meaning it is not a clean break and fragments are present concerning the larger bone. There is a hairline fracture of the smaller bone. She also has an issue with the other knee. The small clinic we use simply packed us up and sent us to the ER. The attending physician told me they felt sure it would have to be addressed surgically. In fact, three doctors, a physicians assistant, four nurses, and two x-ray technicians said exactly the same thing. Our longest wait was for the orthopedic surgeon. They wouldn't let Krl have anything to eat or drink because they were positive she would be in surgery before the evening was out. In fact, they even had all the surgical prep work done. Finally the ER doctor came in and told us the orthopedic surgeon was not coming. The surgeon said if the bones were not displaced, splint it and have her in his office Monday morning. This doctor must have been good. Yeah, right, good and lazy. And with that I am sure he returned to his sasparillo sour with a twist of lime and three olives. When they were giving us our "orders" (I'll never understand, we are paying them and they are ordering us, I don't think so.), I told them if the orthopedic surgeon on call didn't have the courtesy and professionalism to come in, I preferred to see the orthopedic surgeon of our choice. And he didn't even make our short list. The nurse told us that since he had been on call they had to refer us to his office. I told them thanks but no thanks, we would show him the same courtesy he showed us, we just wouldn't show.

The final thing they did to irk me was gave us a prescription for Krl's pain meds. I asked them if the could give us enough pain meds to make it to morning and they said no. At this time of day on a Saturday there is only one pharmacy open and I had tried to use them before but they proved to be the pharmacy from H-E-L-L which is located across the street from H-E-B. They hadn't changed, they had only perfected their program. When I gave them the script, they asked if I was coming back or waiting for it. I told them we needed it and I would wait. They said fifteen to twenty minutes. They only missed it by a smooth hour. There were two people who were waiting there when I began my wait. We watched and listened to the technician repeatedly say their scripted spill, the three of us should have been hecklers. One lady told me she would like to see the clock they were using! The other gentleman might have spoken in broken English but he could make it clear that fifteen minutes had repeatedly passed and there was no problem with his watch!

All day long I told Krl I was going to kill these people with kindness. I was appreciative, I was cooperative, I was pleasant. The best part of our experience were the nurses. One of them was an absolute hoot!

I don't know how, but we survived the day. I finally got my sweetie home and on the couch and that is exactly where she stayed, all night long. I fed her stew and cornbread and made her tummy happy. We got her leg elevated and with just a couple of exceptions she seemed to have rested well. She is so funny though because she doesn't want to "bother" me. I heard the office chair once in the night as she made her way to the bathroom. Our biggest problems are the two young pups. They both know that something is wrong with Krl and they want to be close, which unfortunately means they are either bumping Krl's leg or the pillow it is resting on. Krl and I both laugh that Maple Syrple needs to get close where she can doctor!

Krl told me that she wished she had cleaned house Friday. I told her I didn't think it would be that bad in eight or ten weeks! She didn't see the humor.

I did get home in time to see the last thirteen laps of the Bud Shoot Out. They could have let anyone win but Smoke. I just don't like that guy. In the thirteen laps he exhibited one of the reasons I don't like him. He doesn't race clean. I do hope Kyle Busch puts Smoke "up in smoke" later in the year. Today sees qualifying for the Daytona 500 which they are running next Sunday in honor of my birthday. Of course qualifying is unique at Daytona, only the front two positions will be filled today, later in the week they will run twin qualifying races to determine the rest of the field and the starting order.

I didn't get to see enough of last night's race to see how the Toyota entries did. I know at one point they were tenth and fourteenth. This year is Toyota's first in Nextel Cup and they have the competition running scared. Some people think they will throw so much money at the series that other manufacturers will not be able to compete. Jack Rousch is the biggest cry baby. Of course he owns five race teams and has thrown $ after $ into the fray, but then he is not a foreigner so it is O.K.. If history in other series repeats itself, Toyota will be competitive but not dominate.

Well, I've got to go get me some scrubs so I can begin my new job. I need the scrubs so I can get into my role!

Have a day!

FATHER, once again I'm asking for healing. Mend Krl's leg. Comfort her. I pray for YOUR kingdom.