My sister Jeannie called. My nephew Chris is home from Iraq.

Nope, not a furlough. The good kind of home.

Health-ma request for my brother-in-law. The bottom 1/3 of his esophagus has changed to intestinal tissue (I guess this is called Barrett's syndrome) which is considered a precancerous situation. He's on meds, but the one oncologist in town is moving in two weeks. So ~ma for the meds working, and whatever lifestyle changes he needs to implement.

I just got off the phone with Maria who asked me to post here for her because she is without internet for the next three days.

She would like a little medical ~ma sent PA-ward for her mother, who is going to the hospital due to an allergic reaction. She's not too concerned about the reaction itself, but she's very concerned about the fact her mom does not have health insurance and may end up stuck with a big bill and/or an expensive medication.

March can end now. Anytime.

Job~ma for me, please. I've just turned in my resume at our Big Regional Theater for a job that I would not only kick ass in, but take names as well. I desperately want this job. I need this job.

(Also a little "don't make an ass of yourself"~ma, because I'll be seeing the woman who will be making the hiring decision at the show opening tonight, and I fear enthusiasm- and wine-induced babbling.)

A Buffista is in the New York Times! (Not printing her pseud here for fear of Google, but I think you all know who she is.) [link] for password;

[link]

Nice picture, too.

A friend from gaming (in Maine) just got back from Iraq, and like Daniel's nephew, she's not just on a furlough.

Woo-hoo!!!! Her daughter Q (who's also a gamer) must be so frelling relieved!

Hello? Uh... Hello? Is this thing on?

Uhm, this isn't Raquel, it's actually her husband, and I have been asked to relay that yesterday at 1430hr Athens time, young Mallory James came kicking and fussing into the world. Mom and baby are doing well and resting comfortably.

Labor was a 10 hour affair, and Raq has some lovely stories of being surrounded by nearly a dozen burly Greek nurses all shouting encouragments in Greek through the final stages of the 10 hour labor. She plans to share.

Young Mallory is a healthy 2.2e+27 atomic mass units (8 lbs), has the normal count of eyes, fingers, and toes, (two, ten, eleven) and if genetics run true, currently has more hair than he ever will again at any other point in his life.

So, errr, thanks and stuff. We'll be back to our regularly scheduled Raq shortly.

Anyone who's interested - I haven't been able to keep up with transcribing Lost episodes and I could really use some help in transcription and typing.

I have not been able to transcribe the following episodes - Homecoming, Outlaws, In Translation & Numbers. If you want to help, you're more than welcome. I would appreciate it if you would send me an email to let me know which one you're doing so I don't duplicate work.

Thanks!

(my profile addy is good)

Dad update:

He's doing good. There was 100% blockage in one artery, they put in a stent, and there is no damage to his heart. There's no damage to his heart -- and he's alive-- because he called 911 as soon as he realized the pain was serious and possibly heart related.

He can't go to work for 2 weeks and he has a follow up appt. in 3. I'm really anxious for him to go that because although he claims to have had a wake up call he also seems to think that he can keep eating greasy fatty foods every day for lunch and that won't be a problem.

Thank y'all so much for the ~ma and support. I didn't have a computer all weekend so I'm only posting this now.