I am going to kill some people at my post office, as slowly and painfully as possible.

Some of you have probably been wondering in the back of your head if I ever received the Japanese maple that was sent as a sympathy gift back in late Feb, since I hadn't posted a thank-you note about it.

Well, funny story. Though the tree was delivered to my post office on March 5th, they did not at that point deliver it to me, as I understand is customary for the postal service to do.

No, instead of delivering the package, they did not even LEAVE ME A FUCKING "WE HAVE A PACKAGE FOR YOU" NOTE ABOUT IT until YESTERDAY. April 9th. Over a month after they'd been holding a package clearly marked "LIVE PLANT MATERIAL - KEEP COOL - DELIVER IMMEDIATELY."

(On a side note, the notice that I got yesterday? Was marked "FINAL NOTICE." Implying quite strongly that it was not, in fact, the first notice. It was also dated 4-7. Which would be a FUCKING LIE.)

So the tree is currently recuperating (I hope) in a bucket on my fire escape with some potting soil I had leftover from last spring. I'm headed out now to buy a proper planter for it, and some fresh soil and plant food. I sincerely hope I can nurse it back to health, as it was an unbelievably thoughtful gift and I would really love to be able to thwart my post office's numerous attempts at planticide.

Short version - thank you all so much for the lovely Japanese maple!

Kensington Station Post Office? You can die slowly cut into a thousand pieces, you fucking incompetent motherfuckers.

Emmett's Mom (EM) is being wheeled into surgery right now to fuse two of the vertebrae in her neck, which they hope will relieve the chronic pain she's been suffering for the last year. If you could spare some -ma for her would be lovely: No complications, pain ease, quick healing.

Oh, my Buffistas.

Some days the bear gets you, and some days you fling the bear.

It's been a month of disaster mode and to be lifted wholly out of it by your good graces is so heartening. As grand as the gift is, and I can't overstate how important it is to the daily quality of our lives, the bigger feeling is not just relief but Not Alone In Our Troubles.

I want to also acknowledge the earlier check we got last week put together by Perkins and some other Buffistas, so we've had an entire barn-raising of community support here. Enough for us to get a used car.

The car is not just a convenience but the physical fact that makes possible parenting Emmett. When you do right by my kids I am indebted to you forever. Though it does not feel like debt, so much as an intricate web of connection, affection, lines of kindness and in this instance a line that keeps us from plunging over a cliff.

I am so humbled by your kindness. Thank you.

I'm gonna ask for some serious dog~ma.

After that CT scan, my dog was diagnosed with an advanced stage of very violent cancer. First 3 vets gave him few days, but we found an alternative one, and with the new treatment he seemed pretty OK for few weeks now, and most of the time he was his old self.

Today he stopped eating at all (including the food with the painkillers), and mostly just lying around, without energy. We can't even know if he's in pain or not.

We'll take him to the vet tomorrow to see if there's anything more that can be done. Personally, while this is maybe the worst physical state I've seen him in, he doesn't seem ready to go yet.

Whatever tomorrow will bring, I just want the time until we'll take him to the vet will be as easy and painless as possible. He is such a great, strong, fighting dog.

EM came through the surgery beautifully.

So far so good. Now we just need to the surgery to relieve the pain.

Thanks for your good thoughts.

I don't know if I remembered to thank you all for the ~ma for my sister-in-law. she came through the surgery well and is home with a technicolor eye. She's on steroids so she's a little cranky, but otherwise well.

We find out later this week if the tumor was cancer, but the surgeon thinks it was benign.

Thank you all so much!

So, I've been kind of dark lately, but as some of you will have gathered from my facebook page, things have been exciting in the world of Fay. Not just in a Bangkok-having-exciting-civil-unrest way, but with my dad having a heart attack. I heard about it Saturday evening, and freaked out, but the consensus seemed to be that he was in pretty good nick, and that I probably shouldn't fly home and freak him out by being all "OMG OMG You're dying!!!" at him.

Looks like this may have been a bad call. So - fuck, I don't even know what I'm asking for. Everything-miraculously-okay-ma would be great, but I'm not feeling very hopeful about that right now. Looking into flights home.

Anyone up to give me a quick critique on an article I need to submit some time today? It's on writing for the young adult market and I'm trying to make it interesting without being pedantic or preachy.

I haven't done a semi-journalistic article in years, so I could use some extra eyes.

So - he's dead. And even if I'd run to the airport when I got the original phonecall and bought a ticket home then and there, I'd still have missed the chance to say goodbye, 'cause it was pretty damn quick.

If I could have a little sort-out-travel-arrangements-home-despite-the-fact-that-it's-Thai-New-Year-and-everyone's-on-holiday-AND-we're-in-the-middle-of-a-State-of-Emergency-ma, that would be great.

And coping-ma for me and my Mum & sister wouldn't go amiss.

On the plus side, it was pretty quick.

On the down side - well, yeah, okay, obvious.

Wow. Not my best day ever. Has Joe finished fine-tuning that matter transporter yet? 'Cause I could really use some of that.

My dog is doing better. The next 3 days will be crucial to determine how long he got left (honestly, I thought I'd lose him today, and not the first time).

Thank you for all of the ~mas, and keep them coming. It's helping.