my elbow story

i woke up in the middle of the night with Z's coughs; it was a dry cough so i got up to get him a cup of water. when i was in the kitchen i heard the fish tank making excessive noise so i went over to it, one of the pumps had come apart.

the stream of bubbly water was going down but then it all surfaced, that was the noise. bc i was already up, i knew i would hear this from the bedroom & wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, so it couldn't wait for morning.

i was 1/2 asleep so my 1st attempt was to simply force both pieces back together...that doesn't work so well when a stream of water is pushing the pieces apart. not only that, i hadn't thought about the fact that the water, the streaming water, would have less distance to rebound from thus having a stronger current & closer to the surface....ie, a water fountain, all over the place.

then i figured out i should unplug it, so it's easier, but i'm still wrestling with it because it's in an awkward position for my height & i have to reach up & over the light fixture then down into the tank.

[i don't know why i was still futzing with it, it was unplugged so the noise was stopped however it didn't even occur to me that i didn't have to continue with this. so onward we go....]

the container came out much easier now that i didn't have to fight the water stream, that is until i got to an adjustment screw & it didn't fit through the open space. so i twist, turn, angle it this way & that & lift the top glass/light fixture a bit & finally, finally get that darn thing out of the water.

YAH!

remember, it was the middle of the night, i was sleeping not that long ago, still pretty out of it & i'm working with only the small light from the kitchen sink area.

by now my arms are jello from holding them up & over & down & the container is heavy bc it's still filled with water. i pour the water out & get some relief, then bring it up & over to me, happy & relieved i'm done, knowing in just a second my aching arms are going to get some fresh blood flow, i bring them down with quite a bit of force.

left arm is happy, right arm came down & whacked the top of a chair.
hard.

i stood there, dazed, trying to take it in without making too much noise & once i was able to compose myself & remember my original intent was to get Z a cup of water. by now the coughing spell is over & he's in deep slumber, but hey I GOT UP FOR THIS.

i'm holding the cup in my right hand & using my left hand to try to rouse him awake. i call him & shake him a bit...no response for awhile so i probably should have stopped, but NO.

i shake & call out some more & he moves! he brings his knees up....hitting my right elbow...AGAIN...& bc it was in rough shape from being previously whacked on the chair i dropped the cup on water on my sleeping child.

i frantically reach & grab...haha, yeah right, i'm still somewhat asleep & honestly who, who i ask has reflexes that quick? not me. thankfully only about 1/2 of the cup poured out on his bed & it landed pretty much sitting upright, so it wasn't the entire thing.

i told B about it later & then he said something to Z along the lines of "at least i don't pour water in your bed while you're sleeping"...thanks, prior to that Z didn't remember!