Interesting article brenda. Yes, it is my assistant who was so diagnosed. She was supposed to have seen her oncologist yesterday for a plan of action, but we have not heard anything from her this week. Since she is on disability, we are not supposed to call her. It is a waiting game - hoping for good information.

Well, I'm cold and tired - gonna crawl in bed and watch DVD's for the rest of the evening.

I don't know what that dry blue stuff overhead today was. It was all bright and shiny and even kinda warm. So strange with the no water falling from the sky.

So, because I am lazy and I suck, instead of dealing with year-end paperwork like I was supposed to, I took the cats outside to enjoy the sun, mopped up some storm damage and rearranged some potted plants, which is very comforting and always makes me happy. I set out the old concrete birdbath I liberated from a teardown. It's old and mottled and antiquey and looks like a sundial. I certainly got my alloted share of load-bearing exercise on that one.

Then I went to do errands in such a way that I had to go to the bead store.

If I knew what kind of recipe required three old black bananas and a pile of tortillas, I wouldn't have to go to the grocery store for another week.

I would SO have done chores for books back in the day when I felt like I would DIE if I couldn't order everything I wanted from Scholastic.

Maidengurl, hasn't the new year gotten there yet ?

t kicks mail

I'm sure no one else is watching the Rose Bowl, right?

It's USC 10 Texas 16 at the half. The Trojan marching band did a pretty wicked rendition of Beat It, and the Longhorns did a medley of Beatles tunes.

Hook 'em Horns!

I'm not a sports fan but I'm always happy to see SC get their asses kicked.

It's a close game. SC is up by one now, with a few minutes left in the third.

steph - that is the craziest thing...

I have the next 2 days off - they have been reserved in my mind for domestic renewal. I am pleased about this - but oddly I want to go to bed so tomorrow can happen. that's just silly.

DH just had another interview with a place he interviewed with through an agency. But the agency had told him the job was gone. he called the hirer, and found out it wasn't. now the company needs to figure out how to deal with agency. Agency that had no contract with company. This is the area I where I think DH should just step back and let them figure it out. But as neither one of us has ever been in this situation, we don't have any ideas. ( The agency has been good at finding places DH fits, but not good at finding places that fit DH) ( and it looks like they have exaggerated or lied to him.) ( and I am not so sure they are doing business in a bussness like manner)

I'm posting this in the places were I lurk...

Need a floor to sleep on in NYC Feb 23-26

As the manga columnist, I am getting press passes to the first New York Comic-Con, but my publisher can't spring for hotel rooms (no surprise.) So if anyone can put me up in NYC for those days, I would appreciate it.

email is cabil@aol.com

I'll take ya, baby!

(will email shortly)

Well, I'm finally back from the hospital. I need a drink, but don't really *want* one, which is just....odd.

Tep, you won't be mad if I'm picturing your grampa as PuppetAngel will you?

Heh. At some point before I left work, Puppet!Angel popped into my head and I started giggling. (Like with Big!Boss and his amputated arm, when all I could think was "Boo hoo -- let me wipe away the tears with my PLASTIC HAND!")

Tep, I'm sorry about your Grandfather. Is there any chance the doctor got in there and couldn't go back excision-wise? (I don't know how these things work)

This is how the cancer-removal thing happened (I asked caretaker!aunt tonight): grandpa has had several skin-cancer spots removed over the years -- he used to work in his garden in the summer, shirtless and hatless, for 5-6 hours a day. And he's Irish, which is essentially melanin-free. (Like me, and yes, my makeup has SPF 15, so I'm keeping MY nose.)

Caretaker!aunt has power of attorney because of the fact that Grandpa has senile dementia. The dermatologist told her that it was squamous-cell carcinoma, and that it was extensive, and it would mean removing a significant portion of Grandpa's nose.

I said to her, as diplomatically as possible (because she was exhausted and upset and stressed), "Wow -- even though Grandpa's 90, and removing the cancer would mean a reconstructive surgery that would be hard on him, the dermatologist thought it was a good idea? I would have thought that, given his age, leaving a cancerous spot wouldn't be the risk it would on a younger person."

My aunt, who is not a doctor, replied to me, and I swear I'm not making this up, "Oh, no -- he had the squamous-cell carcinoma. That's the kind that develops roots, almost like tendrils, that would go up into his brain and blind him and cause a painful death!"

Given that the nose removal was a fait accompli and given the fact that caretaker!aunt was, at that moment, stressed and exhausted and upset, I decided to NOT lose my shit at her. But what I wanted to say was this: "What percentage of patients with squamous-cell carcinoma actually experience metastases? And, even if Grandpa were in that percentage, how long would it take? Meaning, he's *90*, and while I don't want him to experience undue pain and agony, he's probably not going to live long enough to get brain tendrils. AND BY THE WAY, what the HELL are you talking ABOUT with the brain tendrils?!?" But I didn't.

....and maaaaaan, the Ambien just kicked in HARD. Will post more later, when I'm awake. Woof.