My day as a designated responsible adult

Mr. Nearing and I spent all day Friday at the local hospital. Mr. N. was having minor surgery performed at the Same Day Surgery Center and I was the designated responsible adult.

I consider Mr. N. the lucky one since he was the one with the intravenous Valium drip.

As with our luck at the car dealer’s service department, Mr. N. wound up being the last patient into surgery and the last patient out of recovery. At around 5 o’clock, the nonmedical staff left for the weekend and asked me if I wouldn’t mind answering the reception desk phone. Great. I am now officially in charge of the Designated Responsible Adult Waiting Room, but I am only in charge of myself since I am the only one there.

Eventually they released Mr. N, who is doing spectacularly well and is in great spirits. The man’s recovery abilities are truly impressive. He’s been bingeing on NCAA basketball and PS2.

I, however, have aged considerably.