I’m sitting in the ER with my son JL. We are in an actual room with a door that closes and everything. I like this particular hospital, having been here with JM when he had his appendix out and most recently with a friend who had a bit of a health scare. There are phones in the rooms, and TVs with cable in several of them. This room doesn’t have a TV, but it’s ok because JL is sleeping and I have my laptop. And there is free wireless that doesn’t require a password. I could move in here.

We expect to be going home soon. They did a CAT scan a few minutes ago, but they will likely just send him home with steroids. He has some paralysis on the left side of his face. It started last night, apparently, but today was the first I heard of it. Kid’s only been home two days and he’s already creating a stir.

I’m hungry. The Boyfriend is right this very minute fixing barbecued chicken and corn on the cob. On the grill. Have you had grilled corn on the cob? Oh my heavens, it is fantastic. I almost want summer to never end. I would fully want it to never end if we could have the gorgeous weather we’ve had the past two days.

Fall semester started yesterday. I have assignments due on Sunday. I’ve half started one, and tried to work on the other one during lunch, but I can’t concentrate with everyone there. I might have to start disappearing into one of the quiet areas of the library during my lunch hour.

I hope they let us go home soon. I have limited battery power left and it’s freaking cold in this place. JL almost left his jacket in the car. Wisely (for once), he listened to his mama and brought it inside with him.

I’d be a bad mom if I stole his blanket, wouldn’t I?

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I would just like to wish Kat the happiest of birthdays - and not only because I take great joy in knowing that she turns 42 a full month and 11 days before I do.

But also because she is the bestest ex-stepsister I could ever have. And she knows that the “ex” and the “step” part mean absolutely nothing. She is my sister and she is my longest long-term friend, for the last 33 years.

Holy hell are we old….

Love ya, Kat! (And Laurel too!)

P.S.  -  Remember, Kat, that my dad reads this too. So as old as we feel, he’s feeling even older. Hehe… (Love ya too, Dad!)

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This is Zola.

Pending the outcome of her visit to the vet (hopefully early tomorrow morning), she’s going to be Alex’s new little sister.

He hasn’t met her yet. Well, not officially. I’m sure he’s encountered her outside once or twice. You see, Zola is one of the four cats abandoned by the asshat neighbors across the street. I was convinced none of them would make good pets because I couldn’t get her to come near me. But H, my neighbor next door to the asshats, had somehow coaxed her up on the front porch and it turns out she’s quite the affectionate little lady.

So, hopefully she’ll get a clean bill of health. If she does, we’ll have cats from A:

to Z:

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I’ve been excessively whiny the past few days. The bulk of it comes from needing sleep, with the frustration of having limited use of my hand. I always thought I was somewhat ambidextrous until I *had* to stop using my left hand for most things. Turns out that about the only things I can do well with my right hand are:

1. Using a mouse
2. Operating a 10-key adding machine
3. Drinking
4. Throwing things in frustration over all the things I can’t do with my right hand

In an effort to avoid #4, I may have to soon engage in #3. Excessively.
I had a huge fight with JL last night. A very aggravating, repeat topic fight. And I started composing a blog post about all of the emotions that I was feeling; all the things I’d love to be able to say to him; all the reasons it upsets me that he just doesn’t get it.

But then I started to cry as I was typing, and it was really hard crying, and jeez… it just depressed the hell out of me. Life sucks sometimes and 2008 hasn’t been all that great so far. Bad things have happened to other people. One of my favorite bloggers lost her father earlier this year, for example. Last year, her cat lost a leg. I lost my cat this year, but I still have my dad (although he did lose a nipple).

My point is, I’ve been through worse. Others have been through worse. Still others are going through far worse. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Suffering builds character. All that jazz.

And yet, I still whine. I’m still cranky. I need sleep. A bona fide full night’s sleep. Anyone know where I can get one?

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Seventy-three years ago, you were unleashed upon the world and the place hasn’t been the same since! If I weren’t on the clock (ok, actually I’m at lunch), I’d raise a margarita glass in your honor.

I hope you’re out enjoying the sunshine today and not sitting inside reading my blog. Plenty of time for that on a rainy day.

Love ya!

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Well, Dad’s home from the hospital. Let’s hope that’s the last he sees of the place for a while. I talked to him briefly this afternoon, but he was pretty sleepy from medication so I didn’t keep him on the phone. I was going to go out to visit him tonight, but I have two days to finish up a project for one of my classes because this weekend, I don’t want to be on my computer for anything.

Yes, you read that right. I’m unplugging for the weekend. And if all goes well, I’m making it a regular thing. It’s become too much of a distraction and until I can make some progress in other areas of my life, I need to limit myself.

So, every night this week (with the exception of last night), I’ve been trying to spend the majority of the evening working on homework. The only thing I haven’t figured out is how I’ll work in the genealogy research. Fortunately, I’m at a point now where I have to physically go to a couple of libraries and the family history center. My aunt from Texas is coming into town next month and I want to pick her brain. She’s done extensive tracing on my dad’s side of the family, so I’m hoping she can give me some encouragement.

The death certificate I ordered is for a man that I believe is my great grandmother’s younger brother. I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to learn their mother’s name. Here’s what I know:

In the 1870 census, she appeared as Adaline Briggs, born in Pennsylvania about 1847. She was married to John Briggs, and they had three children: Alfred, Emma (my great grandmother) and a child listed as Thomas. Fast forward to the 1880 census and Adaline is no longer listed. Thomas isn’t either, but there is a James Dallas born the same year (and given what I’ve learned so far, he went by Dallas, which could have been confused as Thomas by the census taker). There’s also another daughter, Laura, born about 1874.

I know that Emma and Alfred both ended up in Ohio and I know that Dallas stayed in Pennsylvania. But I don’t know what happened to my great great grandfather, nor do I know what happened to the younger sister. Most of the 1890 census was destroyed in a fire, so there’s a large piece of the puzzle missing, in which I might have learned where both father and daughter ended up. And what happened to Adaline?

Even curiouser, what was her actual name? Emma’s death certificate lists her mother’s name as Ada Ebert. Alfred’s lists his as Elizabeth Ebbers. I can’t find ANYTHING on either one of those names so far. So, I’m hoping that the death certificate of James Dallas Briggs gives me a little more concrete information to use.

I only wish I would have developed an interest in all of this sooner, when my grandmother was still alive to answer some questions. But I’m not giving up. Someone somewhere has the information. I just have to find it. And finding information happens to be one of my strengths.  It’s a mystery. Good thing I grew up reading Nancy Drew!

And now it’s back to the homework… a little less worried and scared tonight. Dad, if you’re reading this, I love you. In fact, I love you even if you’re NOT reading this.

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