13 October 2007

Baseball report

Diamondbacks lost and are down 2-0 in the series. Boo. Dang, those Rockies look strong.

But Cousin Doug looked great in 5 innings and even scored a run!

I don't have much hope for the Diamondbacks OR the Indians. My only hope is that the Rockies might be able to humiliate the Red Sox in the series. Bwaa haa haa.

In other news, I am having lunch with my baseball-loving friend Stacy at La Super Rica. La Super YUM!

Every year she and her mother make a pilgrimage to a different ball park. This year it was Boston. She promises to wear her Red Sox red socks, just for me.

12 October 2007

Eid Mubarak

Happy Eid Al-Fitr to all my Muslim readers! Eat a date for me.

 

 

11 October 2007

The update

My dad calls the long talks old people give about their health "organ recitals." (Now you know where I get my sense of humor from).

Surprisingly, the old dude is okay. I would say he has 90% of his speech and memory back. Pretty shocking considering that they couldn't even give him any treatment.

The standard treatment for stroke is blood thinners. But last time they gave him coumadin, several years ago, he suffered massive bleeding everywhere and it almost killed him. He spent months sitting in his recliner, barely moving, losing weight.

I went to work today and worried all day. My brother-in-law called about 3 pm and said he had spoken to Dad and that he made perfect sense.

Suddenly the clouds parted and they day grew a little brighter.

Thanks for all the wishes and prayers. I love you people!

*********

And now - go Diamondbacks. I have fear.

10 October 2007

All about the glamor and fun

So Dad had a stroke.

I dunno when. He woke up this morning talking all goofy. I went over to drop off the dog and mom told me he had awoken at 6 and hadn't been talking right since.

I waited til he came out of his bedroom and started trying to talk to him. I was heartened that he could walk, move both arms, talk. But it was all weird scrambly talk.

Mom said she didn't know what to do. I suggested the ER but she didn't think he would go. She thought he would get angry. His frustration level has been pretty low lately.

I drove toward work. Was bugged. Had to do SOMETHING. I called Dad's cardiologist and had him call Dad. The doc advised going to the ER, so Dad agreed. Mom called me. I flipped my car around and we all met up over there.

He just couldn't get the right words out. The triage nurse asked him how much he weighed. He said 650. He knew he was supposed to reply with a number, but he couldn't match up the right one (he weighs about 175 lbs).

So they admitted him, he got a CAT scan, an MRI, etc. My sister came down from an hour north, my brother drove 3 hours. I have the best family. They are rocks.

You may know how ER time goes. I hope you don't. Hard chairs. Some judge show blaring on the TV in the corner, way too loud. A lady with a colostomy bag in her lap that she shows to everyone who passes by. A schizophrenic woman, standing in the corner, crying. A man in work clothes holding an ice pack to his head. Hours pass.

They get him up to the medical floor. He wants to leave but my brother makes him swear he will stay (he left against medical advice when he was there yesterday).

We visit him up there. He is still scrambly but surprisingly strong. The nurse asks him to raise his feet. He lifts both legs from the waist, leaves them hanging there in midair for the longest time like a Pilates champ.

It's funny but my prime feeling is of gratefulness. When the triage nurse was doing (another) medical history, the answer to everything was no. No diabetes, no cancer, no asthma, nothing. An 89-year-old in pretty much perfect health. How many people can say that? I know a lucky star when I see one.

09 October 2007

Guilty as charged

The Part of You That No One Sees

You are wise, insightful, and brilliant.
Your wit is sharp and occasionally hurtful...
Revealing your scorn for people with less intelligence.

Underneath it all, you feel burdened by the stupidity of humanity.
You know what's right in the world, but it's overshadowed by everything that's wrong.
People see you as arrogant. While this is partially true, you are also very sensitive.


"Burdened by the stupidity of humanity..." yes, yes it is true. I want to pretend otherwise, but that is exactly it. That's why I thought the movie "Idiocracy" was so brilliant and true.

08 October 2007

Fright night

I thought I would be arriving at my parents' house to share a lasagna dinner with them, my brother-in-law and his daughter.

"Where's Dad?" I asked as I walked in.

"Oh, he's laying down," my mother said. My hair instantly flew up.

"WHAT'S WRONG??" I asked. Dad does NOT lay down.

Turns out he was having chest pains. He is 89. He had a heart attack 2 years ago.

"What's up, Pops?" I asked, sitting on the bed. He looked pale.

He admitted that he was ready to go the to ER. When he got there, he said his pain was 8 on a scale of 10.

Two hours later, the EKG looked good, the pain was receding. He's there overnight, in good hands, I hope.

So no lasagna for us. We went to a coffeeshop and stuffed ourselves with hearty American food. That's all we know to do sometimes.

Testing

Am I posting via email?

 

 

 

 

Life hint

My parents are in their 80s. Their friends keep dying on them. It is really sad - if you live long enough, you end up outliving your whole peer group.

Note to self: make some younger friends.

07 October 2007

When black Sunday comes

Season's over. Boo.

And here's a news flash: Pres. Bush was an idjit about baseball, too. It's not just wars, torture and public policy that he is all f***ed up about.
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