Weary Weekend Warrior

I am wiped out from all the extra work caring for Maggie this week. She is improving every day, but still needs supplemental oxygen. That requires extreme vigilance by us because she yanks the tube off at least 20 times an hour. At this point she is strong enough that she doesn't get into trouble immediately if it's off, but she will not improve without the extra "O's". The poor kid is bored out of her mind. I did tell her I would take her to school today to visit becasue it's the last day. She is out of her mind with excitement over that. She keeps making her talker say "mom, mom I am happy I go to school please mom." Over and over and over again. Like 30 times in the past ten minutes.

Darling.

Steve is also sick and has been for three or four days. We assume it's the same virus that put Maggie in the ICU, but we cannot be sure, so I'm keeping him away from her. That means all the extra work falls to me, which is fine, but tiring. Now I feel the tell tale signs of an oncoming headcold. Blargg. Steve was supposed to take his dad out of town for the weekend to celebrate my father in laws' birthday, but Steve's illness postponed that trip. He can barely get out of bed; a road trip is out of the question. He seems to be improving, so if I DO get this, he can take over with Maggie. (We still have to figure out something for my fil's birthday on Sunday).

I can't get sick because there is so much going on this weekend, which will involve alot of family togetherness. It started last night with a a dinner for my mom's birthday. My sisters Kate and Ellen, my brother Pat and I took her to dinner. Then it's graduation parties. My brother's daughter Emma and my sister's son Vinnie both graduated from high school and there are two separate parties, one Saturday and one Sunday. (Emma will attend my alma mater, UCLA, and part of her gift is a vintage UCLA sweatshirt that I have been saving low these 32 years. It even has a small hole near the shoulder. I'm sure she will be thrilled. )

The coolest thing, though is set for later today. There is an officiall/unofficial dedication of "Coghlan Beach"" in honor of my late father, Frank Coghlan. (I wrote about that here http://sfmaggie.blogspot.com/2009/07/coghlan-beach.html#links)  I  say officially/unofficially, because the swimmers form the South End Rowing club are donig this, but they don't own the beach. The sign may be down in a week. Apparently they have contracted the city and officials are interested in the story, but I'm pretty sure that's federal land, so the city doesn't have authority. Even if it does, nothing has been done to get this approved. Sometimes, though, you have to create a reality so that the government can accept it as such. If there's a sign called Coghlan Beach, then that's the name.

This was a last minute thing, but we will head down there for the ceremony. Twenty five bay swimmers will stand around in their speedos, we will affix the plaque and they will all jump in the bay and swim back to the South End Rowing club - a distance of maybe 1.5 miles.

The Coghlan family will wave at them from the shore. My father's prowess as a Bay swimmer apparently skips a generation.