various situations

The plan was to come home and update you all on Soren, instead, the day went a little pear shaped. To save you all suffering, everything is as fine as it can be under the circumstances.

I got to the hospital several hours later than I wanted to but had a good visit with Soren and Velma. Soren recognized me and waved, and snorted a couple of lame jokes I made. Mostly I caught up with Velma. They put a CPAP machine on Soren and it helped his breathing a lot and he then got some solid sleep afterwards -- I think some of his coming in and out of consciousness over the last couple of days was actually him not being able to sleep properly because he kept waking up from sleep apnea-like stuff.

Then I went back into the city to meet Kali for our story meeting The signals on the 1/2/3 at 14th were broken and we had a huge clusterfuck getting to our shitty bar of choice. ONce we got there we were treated to a drunk pizza parlor employee and a homless guy having a fist-fight and horrible yuppie women. Whatever.

Then I get a message on my phone. My mother has called because my father -- wait for it -- has had a stroke. It's minor -- he can talk, although his words are slurred, and he can walk, although it's a bit lurchy and she says everything is fine and I don't need to come.

So I eat my hamburger.

At which point I' realize, fuck this shit, because seriously? My parents? Not real good at sutff.

So while I page Patty and let her know what is up, Kali calls teh ER so we can find out exactly where it is.

We take a cab over there, and -- wait for it some more -- the ER HAS GIVEN US THE WRONG ADDRESS.

So we finally find the ER, while having this ridiculous conversation:

"Kinda looks like New Earth."
"Yeah, cat nuns."

We go to the ER, but my dad has been admitted to the ICU so we go up there and see my mother. This then leads to her telling me a story about the gay men who are clients of her who have decided to marry and wanted her help picking out rings and how she told them all about me. I thought this might lead to my mother telling me how she told these guys she has a gay daughter. But no! She told them I was an actress! So close and yet so far, mom. This then led to a discussion about bisexuality too idiotic too repeat (don't even ask how).

We saw my dad, I walked my mom home, and then I came home and repeated this whole amazing clusterfuck to Patty.

Seriously? A stroke? A week before the Regency Ball? Just like when mom got diagnosed with cancer? Really?

Anyway, everyone is fine for these new values of fine, but I'm drained and so forth. Details on whatever the fuck tomorrow.

more racism and rage

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/10/mccain.crowd/index.html

At a rally in Minnesota on Friday, a woman told McCain: "I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab."

McCain shook his head and said, "No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a decent family man...[a] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That's what this campaign is all about."

Wow, racist much. I can't even begin to process this shit.

update

Today we managed to do the grocery shop, do the Ikea thing and see my father (twice). We can understand about 80% of what he's saying now, and the paralysis in his face has reduced. We still have no idea when he'll be out of the hospital. Monday at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the update on Soren seem to be good too (reposted with permission from a mailing list: ( Read more... )

I, meanwhile, am still pretty tired and overwhelmed and don't have much to say.

Thank you for your well wishes and putting up with my diminished capacity to do the stuff I do around these parts.

Meanwhile, just watche a rerun of Big Love and had a totally moment about Jack's childhood, that makes me wish I had the energy to write tonight, but I don't.

celiac disease

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/sports/othersports/10celiac.html
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/celiac-disease-sprue/overview.html

More about this thing I have.