britzkrieg very thoughtfully lured/nudged me out of the house yesterday for coffee. I definitely needed a change in scenery. We chatted for several hours on a wide range of topics: pets, hubbies, writing/editing, our varied states of health, etc., and it was so therapeutic getting my mind off things. Felt much more focused and relaxed afterward–relaxed despite the grande mocha britzkrieg treated me to; that’s pretty salient indication that I needed an afternoon out.
fosteronfilm called his folks. His dad sounds pretty good. It was very touch and go on Friday and Saturday; he was in emergency care all that time, and they weren’t sure if he was going to make it, but he’s stabilized now, although still going through periods of disorientation. It seems the hospital folks are wanting to try something after all, according to my mom-in-law, now that they think he’s strong enough to undergo treatment. So my dad-in-law is going in for some sort of surgery on Tuesday. Unfortunately, his folks’ grasp of medical procedures leaves us a bit uncertain as to what that will be.
It seems there were two options: 1. Full open heart surgery, the cracking his ribs and putting him on a heart-lung machine variety. And 2. I believe a balloon angioplasty. I say “believe” because the description from his mom was along the lines of “some other invasive, but not that invasive surgery that involves a balloon which would have about a 6 month benefit if successful.” After a search on “heart,” “surgery,” and “balloon,” Google informed me that it’s probably an angioplasty.
DIL was all “just do the open heart and get it over with” and MIL appears to have talked him out of that and into the angioplasty. I’m agog that they were even considering open heart, but maybe they’re at the point where they’re running out of options. I wish I knew more. At least (so sez my Google-fu) it’s possible to do an angioplasty without having to administer a general anesthetic, making it a much less traumatic procedure than the alternative.
I’m clinging to optimism . . . tinged by frustrated confusion.
Writing Stuff
Still waiting on the notes from the editor regarding my middle-grade novel-to-picture book rewrite. Tempting to start on it without the notes. Also tempting to get back to work on the novel I’ve been neglecting. And likewise tempted to start on an Egyptian folktale. I haven’t submitted anything new to Cricket since last year, and I’ve been devouring Ancient Egyptian Magic in my non-copious free time. My brain is beginning to bubble with ideas.
So much to write. So few mes. How did I do this when I had a day job??
New Words:
600 on my rewrite of “Nobodies and Somebodies” for Aberrant Dreams. After I got back from my outing with britzkrieg, inspiration hit as to how to address the editorial request, and I was off. Going to give it another couple passes to smooth out the prose in the new section, and then send it off to ye olde editor. Pleased to have another major item (nearly) checked off my Things to Do list.
500/day
17
I need your snail mail address, hon.
Sho’ nuff. I just emailed my info to you to your yahoo account. I’ve had some problems getting emails through to yahoo addys recently, so if you don’t get it in the next few minutes, lemme know.
My curiosity overfloweth.
It’s a little gift that may spark some new stories.
Squee! You don’t need to be sending me gifts, Steve. But, squee! *hugs*
Just remember to be careful with the scissors when you open it; the eyestalks are very delicate and the slime corrodes most metals.
Erm. The phrase “care package” takes on new meaning around you
.
(note to self: retrieve hazmat encounter suit from attic . . .)
It likes the little gelatin that forms under the lids of Spam. But don’t feed it after midnight.
Y’know, I’m thinking maybe you ought to send this to my neighbor. ‘Cause, um, I might be out of town then. Yeah, that’s it. I’ll just pick it up when I get back . . . after it’s nice and full after eating their kids.
Tell Hobkins not to worry; I checked Wikipedia and it’s definitely not mephivorous.
Glad to hear the dad-in-law is doing a little better. And if you’re taking votes on what to write next: Egyptian folktale!
One vote from the peanut gallery for Egyptian folktale
. Check.
I’m so happy to hear you had a little ‘mental break’ from it all. Grande mocha is my therapy of choice. (Well, or a Venti depending on how fragile a state I am in). 🙂
Much luck to you DIL!
wishing, you, M, and your family the best – I’ll be thinking about you all the next few weeks and sending warm supportive, healing thoughts your way.
I vote for the Egyptian folktale. 😀 Eugie + Egypt = double cool!!
I’m glad your dad-in-law is sounding better. Hugs!
So much to write. So few mes. How did I do this when I had a day job??,
Man do I know what you mean there. And unfortunately I do have a day job. (Although Gene Wolfe says that’s a good thing for a writer because it means you’re not dependent on making a sale for money, so you can afford to spend the time to make your work just right, and stand up to publishers who might want you to compromise too much. All well and good, Gene, but it’s not so easy when you can only find a couple of hours a day to write, and it’s after you’ve been frying your brain at work all day and can’t even think straight anymore…)
Jesus Christ, have you been reading Jay Lake’s LJ? 6 stories in a weekend? He cranks out 23,000 words in a couple of days? That’s insane. The most I think I’ve ever written in one day is about 2000 words, and that was awesome for me. Usually I’m down around 500, and spending months on a story.
Another vote for the Egyptian folktale! 😀
Keeping your DIL in my prayers.
“So much to write. So few mes. How did I do this when I had a day job??”
What an astute observation? It’s a question that plagues me daily as I trudge through both salt mine and writing chores.
Hope all goes well with Matt’s Dad. I’ll be thinking of you all.