I feel a bit like Rip Van Winkle at this moment. I went to sleep for a while, and I awoke to find that everything had changed. The A's have a 1-game lead in the AL West? What happened? Last thing I can remember, they were 2 1/2 games out.

* * *

I did not intend to be AWOL from the blog the last few days, but my little Jason Kendall fan suddenly got sick. We're not sure what it was, but it resembled West Nile Fever: she got some mosquito bites, followed a few days later by headaches, a high fever, and a skin rash.

You treat West Nile Fever just like the flu, unless there are signs of meningitis or encephalitis, which happens in 1 out of 150 cases. So not being sure--it takes a blood test to confirm the West Nile virus, but that doesn't change the treatment, so why stick needles in her?--I spent last four or five days just watching her closely for any signs of trouble.

* * *

Last night as she went to sleep, her fever was still above 102. Today was supposed to be her first day of kindergarten. You only get one first day of school per lifetime. How sad that she would have to miss out on sharing the first-day experience with other kids.

But when she woke up this morning, her fever was suddenly gone. Four days of high fevers, and miraculously, everything was back to normal, just in the nick of time.

Wow. OK, so, I guess you get to go to school after all, kid.

We saw her off to her classroom, made sure her teacher kept a close eye on her, and said our goodbyes. My wife and I hung around the school talking to other parents until recess, so we could check her temperature again, just to be sure. She was fine.

* * *

When the school day was done, and both my kids were home playing with each other, I snuck off by myself for a little while and turned on the radio. The A's were playing a tense extra-inning battle, which they won on a Nick Swisher homer in the 12th.

Winning is nice, and first place is nice, but that wasn't the best part of the game. Happy endings aside, it was simply a relief, even for a few minutes, to escape.

* * *

I'm totally drained. Going from worrying that my youngest kid could be seriously ill, to sending her off to school for the first time, all within 24 hours--my emotional tank is empty.

* * *

Tuesday night, the A's-Angels series begins. The pitching matchups should make for three close, exciting ballgames. It should be baseball at its best. I should be looking forward to it with intense anticipation.

But I'm not. I don't think I can take it, I really don't. Not right now. It's too much.

Wake me when it's over.