Thanksgiving, Etc.

Bowman came over with a ladder on Wednesday morning. He helped me get the lights up.

During the lighting of the porch, who should arrive but Kevin Raney! For those of you who have not been following my life, Kevin was the guy who rented this house before me, and was my roommate here for about 20 months or so.

So that was a nice visit.

Then I started putting up the tree, took some junk to the curb, Sara arrived and helped me with my NEW AND IMPROVED TREE LIGHTS, I rushed to pack and get the dishes done (because coming home to a smelly kitchen and dishes waiting to be done is for the birds), got Christmas music loaded into my CD player, and found Christmas music to take home with me.

This way, I'm prepared with holiday music for the drive back to KC, and when I return to KC on Friday night, I can turn the porch lights on, turn my tree lights on (it's still not decorated yet, by the way), and turn on some holiday music.

But I get ahead of myself. There's all sorts of fun between the leaving and the returning.

Just before Sweet Springs we have a flat. Hooray!

While changing the flat, I lose one of the nuts. Hooray!

For the actual "Hooray!", I found the nut, eventually.

We slowly made our way to first Booneville, then Columbia (did you ever notice how few and far between good tire spots are on I-70 at 5:45 the evening before a holiday?), where we lucked out and caught the Wal-Mart folks still open.

New tire. Hooray!

Total time for a trip that usually takes 4 hours on a SLOW trip, and about 3 hours and 15 minutes otherwise: 5 hours and 10 minutes.

So I get home. Not long after I get home, Ruth and Leslie pull me into Mom's room to talk to me. (It's always a good sign when people want to pull you aside, right?)

Short version: My older sister had a cancerous lump in one of her breasts, and opted to have both breast removed, and the surgery was that very day.

Why am I just hearing about it on this day, you may ask?

Well, you need to know a little of my early history, and if you already know this, I apologize. When Mom was in the hospital giving birth to Dane (and probably some time before and after that, but I don't know exactly), my sister took care of me a lot. I was 18 months old when Dane was born. I probably bonded just as much with my older sister as I did with Mom.

So, everyone who knew wanted to put off telling me until they knew where things were. Things are in a fairly good spot now, so it seemed safe to tell me.

Leslie was worried I was going to lose it and start crying, which would mean she would do the same thing. Luckily this year has beaten me down so much and taken so much out of me, all I can do is stare at the horrible things with my mouth slightly slack, and maybe blink a couple of times.

On a less upsetting (but still very stressful) note: The oven decided at 6:30 on Thanksgiving morning that it wasn't going to work.

Luckily Wade knows the people out at the Junction, and they allowed us to use their ovens.

I go to see Les & Paulette, and I got to see Leslie and Jordan, and it was good being home, and I wish I would have spent more time there. Right now I'm debating a trip to Omaha to visit Say.

Anyway, the return trip home wasn't a big deal, as I didn't have a flat or lose a lugnut. And when I got to my house nobody had any horrible news.

I did hear that Ben & Tricia made a big meal on Thanksgiving because Maddie insisted on having a Thanksgiving feast like on Maya and Miguel, and when the turkey was finally done and on the table (there's a whole garbage-disposal-erupts-and-Ben-must-repair-it-as-Tricia-cooks subplot that makes this next bit even better), Madeline says she wants Bologna.

So Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May your holiday season be a good one.

The Quest for a Ladder

I'm trying to pre-plan my holiday lighting, which mostly revolves around finding a ladder so I can put my big lights on the roof of the porch.

Last year I borrowed one from Ben & Tricia that was left at their house by the people who re-did their deck. But those people eventually came and got their ladder, so that won't work.

Bowman has a ladder, but and it's a matter of scheduling when he can come over for me to use it. That's no big, but I probably should just invest in one.

But then I think, "You're going to invest in a ladder that you'd use basically once a year?" (Taking down the lights actually doesn't involve a ladder, you see.)

And then there's the whole issue of how to have the lights on AFTER Thanksgiving, but before I come home from Center (where the big Thanksgiving Bash is this year), as I'll probably be going to Center on Wednesday and returning Friday or so. I guess I could just arrive during the day on Friday... but it's such a cool Christmas thing to arrive home at night with the lights greeting me.

Yes, these are the major issues of my life. How do I make it from day to day? Really, it's my faith. My faith in pain medication and sleep.

Well, if you live near me and have a ladder, give me a shout. Maybe I can save Bowman a trip.

I Am NOT Depressed! I've Just Been in a Bad Mood for 20 Years!

Or 38. Whatever.

Look, I'm not trying to bring you down. I'm just putting this out there so it's out there.

So back off, non-commenters who have issues. Jeez, it's the world-wide web! There are gazillions of other sites you could be visiting instead of the one that depresses you!

Plus, I'm not depressed. I'm introspective. There's a big difference.

So there, sha na.

Luv y'all lotz.

You Know You're in for a Great Post when I Have to Look Up "Callus"

It's a spelling thing.

I got so wrapped up in lookin gup "callus" that I forgot what I was going to say. Oh yes, that.

I'm wondering if my heart has grown a callus in that area that was being slammed against so regularly about two months ago. At first I thought maybe I was just getting over it, but then when Tricia had her situation, my reaction in the privacy of my own home was not that of someone who was feeling okay.

I guess. Like I know what's the reaction of someone who feels okay.

I don't know. (This is my new theme song, by the way... anyone want to set it to music?)

I don't know much about anything. Someone wake me when the world is all better again.

Also, how did I get to be almost 39 without knowing about the two different ways of spelling callous, and their somewhat different meanings? How callous of me! Okay, it isn't really callous of me, but I wanted to put that in a sentence.

I'm going to go to bed now. This thinkin' thing is for the birds.

Yes, I'm Getting Right on That Update

Well, who knew pancreatitis could be so much FUN?

To summarize: "They'll let her eat tomorrow, and if she keeps it down, she may be able to go home earlier than we thought" Fast forward. "Well, she's running a fever, and the pain is back." Fast forward. "She's having surgery on Friday to have her gall bladder removed." Fast forward. "Well, instead of doing that laser surgery, they had to do the one where they just about saw her in half." Fast forward. "She's in lots of pain."

So I guess I should have posted another prayer request before the surgery.

When I had my gall bladder removed (there's a story, of course, but we'll save that for another time), I had to sign something saying I understood that I might wake up with a gigantic "oh man they cut me in half" scar instead of four smaller scars. I thought, "Well, the way my life goes, I think I know which one I'll wake up to."

Imagine my surprise when I woke up with just the four small scars.

Apparently Tricia wasn't so lucky.

They're moving this week, too. She could be going home as early as the first part of next week, but she won't be able to open boxes or put things away.

But she really wants to direct.

Actually, I don't know what she wants, as she's doped up when I go to see her... well, doped up and in pain.

Her mom took the girls back to our home county, and now both of them are sick.

Let me tell you, this family doesn't do the drama thing halfway. Ben with his leukemia, Trica with her pancreatitis. It goes on and on.

And I don't see how it would be karma, as they are good people. They have taken me in on more occasions than I'm willing to go into right now, the most recent being when I had a broken-and-recently-operated-on leg, and couldn't really shower at my own place.

::sigh::

Also, I forgot to call my friend Leigh on her birthday. I must post this, log off, and call right now. I'll solliloquize more later. And if that's a word, I doubt I spelled it correctly.

Get a Calendar!

Lyndsey's neighbor has Christmas lights up AND ON!

As Damien was pulling into the driveway tonight, I saw that and shouted, "Get a calendar! I'm going over there with it!"

I like my lighting of the holiday cheer like I like my comas: From Thanksgiving Night until the evening of January 7th. Or maybe it the evening of the 6th of January. That part I'm flexible on.

Anyway: grrrrr...

But, you know, I'm not going to write my congressman or anything. It's just bothersome.

Yes, yes, put up the lights while we're having the 80-degree heatwave in November, I'm fine with that. But can you not hold off on lighting them until we've sorta wrapped up the whole Thanksgiving thing?

I know: this is not the most important issue in the world, so I should shut up about it.

Look at me, I'm the cranky old man.

Well, I've got to get to bed... but I'm still reeling over the ending of Lost last night, as I was not expecting what happened until right when it happened. And I'm in denial, because I'd just gotten to where I liked that character. Maybe she won't die. But I'm not holding my breath.

Yes, only the important issues are discussed here, folks.

I need to get an e-mail sent out about the upcoming concert. I have a solo in the 2nd act, and I portray a fun character (well, fun to portray, anyway... I'll let you make your own judgment as to how fun the character is when you come to see the concert). If you know what concert I'm talking about, you should go order your tickets now. They're selling fast. If you don't know, I'll probably be sending out an e-mail soon with all the details.

Well, be good in the meantime, children.

Sunrise, Sunset

Due to me being lazy and/or tired this morning, I was driving to work at about 6:30 instead of 5:30, and thus got to see a very beautiful morning sky. The cloud cover was that sorta bumpy spread-out deal, and it was very bright pink, deep purple, and a mix of some colors in between.

Then, as I left the school at 4:45 tonight, a great sunset was in the making. The clouds were very... streaky, I guess would be one way of putting it, and were very deep purple with bright pink and deep red surrounded them.

And I had to think, "What a waste."

I kid. But I was a bit bitter about it, because I just think, "Why waste such great views on the likes of us?"

A friend of mine mentioned something yesterday about there being no god, and this is a religious friend who is going through some stressful times this past... um.. nine years or so--off and on.

And I found this to be upsetting. See, despite my agnatheist status... okay, I'm kidding... I don't know what I am... humanist, maybe? Anyway, despite that status, unlike the recruiting-happy branches of one religion that shall remain un-named in this post, I'm not interested in getting other people to think like me.

Granted, it would be nice to meet people who think like me, but that's another issue.

Anyway, I don't know what to do... or if there's anything for me to do. I just find it very upsetting, because there's not a lot of comfort in believing what I believe. I don't like to think of someone who used to have some belief losing that faith.

But the sunrise and the sunset today were pretty.

Another Prayer Request

Tricia's in her favorite hospital (Providence). You people who pray can feel free to pray that she's out of that place as quickly as possible. Pancreatitis is what they're going with right now, and it's a matter of waiting for the swelling to go down.

So do her a favor and pray hard, praying folk.

To Business! (SFX: glasses clinking)

I kid. And I quote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Well, I added the sound effect so you'd get the idea.

Anyway, not getting to business.

I was actually going to say a thing or two here, but after all the housekeeping I had to do on this site, I've forgotten what I wanted to say.

I think I was going to mention that Jordan had a birthday yesterday, and is now less than two years away from being a teen.

I also wanted to say something about my crazy holiday light issue, as I just found a great deal on lights for my tree.

And I was going to mention how life keeps trying to seem better, but jarring memories and emotions are lurking behind the most innocent-looking bushes. This led to a thought about how it's like living in this crazy place where the road is kinda bumpy and you never know what's around the next corner, but you're almost guaranteed to not be happy to see it... and then I realized we had a four-letter word for that: life.

Ha ha. I kid the end of the world, but I love it.

MST3K quote there.

Things are going more normal these days. I had dinner with the family Reynolds over the weekend, and I saw a MST3K (a Joel one, even) I'd never seen before. Fun stuff!

Also, Halloween party on Saturday. Very good time.

Yes, good times abound.

Hooray.

Next week I'll shoot for an exclamation point.

Okay, I'm tired. I don't remember what I really wanted to say, but it seemed cool when I first thought of it. How better to memorialize it than with this pathetic substitute ramble-fest?

::sigh::

Charlie Brown, we miss you so.