Really, there are days I do wonder if someone whispered that curse over my crib in the nursery.

Over the past couple days, I’ve discovered that I am once again jumping every time the phone rings.  Then I remind myself I don’t even know who is calling and I should take a breath - except for the fact that I pretty much have to answer the phone anyway ( Read more... )

Cause I’m not keen on playing God.

My grandmother has pneumonia.  It does not surprise me that this happened, I have actually been expecting it.

I did not expect that the care center would put her on antibiotics for it.  They say it is pallative, but in an 88 year old woman with end-stage dementia and very clear advance directives, antibiotics are ( Read more... )

New laptop!  Probably a good 3x as fast as my old one, at half the price.  Mind you, this wasn’t on my list of things to do today.

My timing is just so impeccable.  The old laptop died today.  2 papers and an exam to write in the next two weeks and it can’t boot up.  Couldn’t have happened on the 15th when time would have been a luxury to figure ( Read more... )

Honestly, I think just one instance of a pepper spray wielding customer should be enough for stores to say, “You know what, let’s not do this 10PM or midnight opening crap and actually let our employees have the WHOLE day off for Thanksgiving.”  Because guess what?  People will still shop between now and Christmas.

As it is, studies have shown that ( Read more... )

We’re staying put for Christmas.

I’ll go out there for a couple days afterwards.  I can do Christmas or her birthday, but not both anymore.  (Lord knows I didn’t manage it with any grace or dignity up until now anyway.)  The stress isn’t even remotely worth it, and she’s to a point where she doesn’t know if we’re there, and on the off chance that ( Read more... )

for some sign/indication of the weather to come.  Given that they didn’t have a reaction strong enough to wake up my brother in the moments leading up to the earthquake, they might not be the best indicators of weather-related things that may become reality.  But I’m watching them anyway.

Carmen is getting high off her catnip butterfly I bought for ( Read more... )

I was in PHX wondering, “Well WTF do I do now?”  I mean, hell, when they said my grandmother was “death imminent” I actually thought, “Well, at least this time I know what to do.  I have INSTRUCTIONS!*”  So, yeah, there has been some emotional whiplash to say the least.

My grandmother is what I would describe in a “very crappy but stable” status. ( Read more... )

The Dead Collector: Bring out yer dead. [a man puts a body on the cart]
Large Man with Dead Body: Here’s one.
The Dead Collector: That’ll be ninepence.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not dead.
The Dead Collector: What?
Large Man with Dead Body: Nothing. There’s your ninepence.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not dead.
The Dead Collector ( Read more... )

Got a call this afternoon, “Your grandmother is not doing well, do you want her to go to the hospital?”  Insert string of unprintable language here.

Push for a slightly more comprehensive version of “not doing well” and the symptoms line up perfectly with her aneurysm finally rupturing/leaking, which is something that we certainly saw coming.  ( Read more... )

Ready for what, I can’t say I’m exactly sure, but I feel like whatever it is, damned if I’m not ready for it.

I truly cannot remember a year when I have been packing up from the oceanside sojourn feeling more recharged and ready to take on whatever nonsense Karma, the Fates, the Universe, et al decide to chuck at me.  Granted, saying this out loud ( Read more... )