I'm sitting here at home in my narrow window of time at home today and I've read all my diaries and so here I am. It's about 4:30, give or take. Just before I left work, one of the teachers I have long deep conversations with from time to time and who is about the nicest person anywhere told me that they found out yesterday her mother has lung cancer. Shit. This elderly woman, who is almost 90, has been in and out of the hospital at least a half dozen times since January and yet this is the first time they happened to notice this. It's already spread and she's in hospice care. She has had multiple ailments in recent years, including a lot of emotional ones, and her daughter is worn out to the bone. There's way more to it than that, but that was my parting story at work. This after this morning, contributing to a fund-raising effort for one of the district people (i.e., doesn't work at the high school) who, it so happens, also has lung cancer which has already spread. A woman about my age whom I also know from when we were Girl Scout leaders together maybe 15 years ago. So, not a good day in that regard, at all.And I'm out of the house in less than an hour, off to pick up the many dozen donuts for tonight's Coffee House, which is thankfully the last one of the year. (Why the last one of the year is in March, I have no idea.) But I'm not staying for the CH because I gotta go get K at the train station -- again! -- because she has to come home this weekend for the Niece's shower and the Hubs is teaching tonight. So I'm in for the set-up of the CH and then I'm on the road, and my co-advisor is skipping the set-up and then coming because he is coping with a) father-in-law passed away on Monday, b) mother-in-law still in the hospital since last week following bypass surgery, and c) partner out of town on a long-planned life-changing career move, and so he's hanging out in the hospital for the afternoon. He's such a good guy.
So last night I did talk to the Niece of the phone and she said yes, she's looking forward to the wedding and to the SHOWER, which she says she doesn't know when it is, but she's so excited! (She's walking and breathing enthusiasm, as a general rule.) I told her I had no knowledge of this alleged "shower" she was talking about. She certainly knows that I do, since last year at her engagement party I gushed to her "And I'll make your shower!" and she knows it's coming but not when, I think. Personally, I don't get all this surprise crap, but I would never let that dissappoint her -- I think she really wants to be surprised -- or her maid of honor, who's really been working hard on this and whom I also adore. All I have to figure out now is how I'm getting four people and a lot of big gifts into my shoebox on wheels on Saturday for the trip to ... you guessed it ... Edgewater. And then I never have to go back to Edgewater again. I'm getting tired of saying it, you know, how when you hear a word and then you say it again and again and again until it doesn't even sound like human speech anymore: Edgwater. Edgewater. EdgewaterEdgewaterEdgewaterEdgewaterEdgewaterEdgewaterEdgewaterEdgewaterEdgewater. See?
And there's more, but it's not mine to tell. Let's just say someone I know is having surgery tomorrow, not illness related but orthopedic, and I wish that was already over too, for all concerned.
Jimmy Buffet is on Ellen, and he sang "Margaritaville". Krikey. How many times do you suppose Jimmy Buffet has sung "Margaritaville" in the last 30-odd years? Does he even know any other songs?
