On the road again

OK, so it hasn't all been ostriches and pelicans and puzzle trees. My grandmother's back at it again, up to her old tricks, being a stroke victim and all. So we've had to face some hard truths and to hold some hard discussions and, frankly, to raise a little hell at the hospital where her case has been comprehensively mismanaged.

Thankfully, raising hell runs in the family. Without my aunt Joy, a lot of very good things would not have happened, and it's all down to her being vocal and outraged and taking action.

Even more thankfully, my mother - a saint - is excellent at keeping everyone cool, more or less. And my aunt Betty has been taking care of everyone, making sure we're fed and my grandfather does what he needs to do.

My role? I bring the supplies: Triscuits, good cheese, peppered salame, and wine. You name it, I brought it. Croissants, cookies, magazines, photos of people like Molly and C.

Anyway, that's where I've been. I should get back to posting more regularly.

Playing with PhotoMix

So I've been playing with PhotoMix as a PC alternative to Curio for collaging. I like it pretty well - I'd say it's worth the $30, anyway. I whipped up a collage this afternoon, but Blogger isn't cooperating (and frankly, Picasa seems worthless). Stay tuned.

LATER: OK! So Blogger is worthless and so is Picasa. Go to Flickr to see my writing collage.

And this one's for Barb.

If you're not going to Barb's blog, you're missing out. Not only does she feature the lovely Eduardo this week, she also has Shoes On Parade and a "What Color Green Are You?" test.

I am olive green. Et voila:

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

When Actors Attack

What the hell is Richard Gere thinking? http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=258960&GT1=7701

Jude is my hero.

She took my bad mood and turned it on its ear with this link. You have to watch the video at least through the first 50 seconds. There's a payoff, believe me.

Jude Jude Jude (and Jude's Flickr page)! I declare this, April 16, to be a Day of Jude. Let there be maypoles and great photography and brilliant writers! And maybe some wine! And definitely chocolate and adorable little dogs!

Yay Jude! You rule!

Fun!

Thank you, hormones! Thank you for delivering this craptastic day! Thank you! I really needed this week to be bad. Great! Thanks! Back atcha, bitch!

Hello to the rest of you. Sorry it's been so long between posts, but as you can see, I'm in a fine mood and probably shouldn't be bombing the rest of you with Bad Mood Me. The problem is this cold that won't go away, and the hormones, and the fact that my grandmother, after practically sitting up in bed and asking to go to the casino, has backslid horribly, to the point that we no longer know what will happen if the docs remove the ventilator.

Add some work stuff and some writing stuff to the mix, and you get me, stompy and petulant and worried and sick and hormonal, bringing LOTS OF FUN to the world. My karma sucks.

But a present for a friend has been purchased, and in my own totally fucked up way, I did spend a lot of time trying to help people last week. But this week I think I'm tapped. I'm just staying in my office with the blinds closed, trying not to speak to people. I think that's the best thing I can do for the world today.

Carry on.

More pictures

I caught Mom's cold and am getting caught up at work and with various writing projects, so there's not much to say - but there's plenty to see. So here are a few photos for you of the Central California Coast's farmland.

Farmland calms me down.

She woke up, people.

I tell you, invoke a little Kali and ask the Internet for their kind thoughts, and she wakes right up.

You know what that calls for? Photos.

Thank you, Internet friends. We all feel like she heard you, and finally decided to wake on up. We thank you, my entire crazy family and I.

क्विक

That damn Hindi button was the worst mistake I have ever made on this blog. Worse than posting pictures so that an ex who I never, ever wanted to track me down could verify my identity, worse than the crappy things I wrote about various family members, worse than the various boring stories I have inflicted on you. Hindi button, go away!

So listen, my grandmother had a surgery, and then a massive stroke, and then another massive stroke, so my entire huge family has gathered south of the Bay Area in the ICU ward at a local hospital to worry and knit and eat and read novels and talk about Eventualities and make up awful sayings about the family members who are not here, namely those in prison, who we have taken to calling "bio-waste."

Which is a fitting term for the ex who emailed me this week. Darin: Take a fucking hint. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want you in my life. I made that perfectly clear in 1991, and nothing has changed. Leave me alone.

Moving on.

In other words, there's a lot going on, and not much I can say on this blog. Particularly as I envisioned this as a writing blog when I switched over from Odious last December. There is not much writing going on, other than writing down the things various doctors tell us and things like this:

"I love you, and God will never separate us." Grandfather to grandmother, 4/4/07.

"Angels are all around you." Strange bum-like man on wharf to my favorite aunt, 4/3/07.

"I'm just going to eat some chips and get drunk, if that's all right by you." Anonymous family member.

"It's too soon to give up on her." Neurologist.

"We're concerned that it's been 6 days and she's not showing signs of life." Neurologist.

Is it any wonder we gather in the hotel at night to watch American Idol and drink?