Thursday, August 10, 2006

Being sick sucks

It's been a while since I posted. The main reason is that I became ill with a fever and other crappy issues two weekends ago. I thought I was getting better but this past weekend, while hanging in LA, I felt ill and flu-like again. I've been having trouble sleeping and my appetite has gone somewhat south this past week. I really hope that the health Gods will smile down on me soon. It doesn't help that in the past week, I've gone out twice in the terrible heat to help cover a story.

You've all heard I'm sure about the serial shooter spree in Phoenix and how they have arrested two guys--Dale Hausner and a guy who was staying with him, Samuel Dieteman. Last Friday, I was sent to Mesa, a city east of Phoenix, to go to the complex where Hausner lived and interview his neighbors. That was fun: "So, how does it feel knowing the serial shooter was living in your front yard?" But I got one girl who was refreshingly candid. She said her friends saw those two guys together so much, they speculated they were a gay couple. I think Dieteman is the more short-circuited one. According to a Glendale police record (Glendale is a suburb northwest of Phoenix), he once pulled a Wendy's employee across the counter and punched him, nearly beating him, because they put mustard on his hamburger! Imagine if they had put pickles.

Then on Tuesday, I got sent downtown where the roof of a parking garage due to be demolished collapsed on a construction worker. It was pretty scary. Everyone was waiting word for when rescue crews would get him out. The poor guy, who is my age, had literally tons of debris and concrete stuck on his legs. When you have all that weight, the danger comes when it's all lifted. Blood hasn't been circulating and toxins might be released. Last I heard, he's still in critical condition at the hospital. I really, really hope he makes it.

Well, gotta get back to drinking more fluids. Must feel normal again.

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