The Birthday That Almost Wasn't

Nancy shot under strobe, 1/200, f/6.3
Details about this image will be the subject of a blog posting later in the week.

As anyone who follows this blog knows, I have the most awesome partner in the world. Nancy has done the impossible this year. She stood by my bed in the ICU, knowing the pain my body was in, not knowing whether I would ever regain consciousness, not knowing if I was really even in there. And she sang to me.

So I came back from that strange place. Bringing with me all the problems of one whose body's warranty has expired. Heck, at this point, I am shocked I haven't been issued a recall on most of my organs. Still Nancy has remained steadfast and determined to keep me on this side of the universe. As she wrote about it in her blog yesterday: I wasn't supposed to see this birthday. No hoopla, no party, but boy oh boy were there a TON of facebook birthday wishes.






She asked me a few days before my birthday what I wanted for my birthday. What could I say? What I wanted at the time she asked would strike most as funny, pedantic, pedestrian even. I wanted sleep. I hadn't slept since before surgery back in September. Not more than two hours of continuous uninterrupted sleep... at all... for over six months.

That's what I wanted.

What I got was my lovely cpap machine and its concomitant hoses and headgear. For my birthday, I slept nearly six hours at a stretch. I didn't toss and turn. I didn't change position in bed at all. When I woke up I felt like no time had passed. Apparently, the exhaustion is so severe that once I zonk, I ZONK very hard.

Tonight Nancy joined me out in the studio to try out some new flash project ideas I had. Now that I can see where the light is heading I am so excited to play!