It's just a lot of hard options. A big part of this is that mom really isn't mobile. She doesn't have the strength in her limbs to even push herself up in bed at night. This is combined with the fact that she's a large woman means that caring for her and moving her has been a problem, and this will make it a larger problem. I know she wants to come home, but I don't think that's the best place for her. Alas, I'm the only person in the family who has this opinion. I think she needs to be somewhere that we can have skilled care for her. Everyone else in the family associates anything like that horrible treatment, akin to throwing her into a jail cell. So yeah, lots of hard decisions ahead.

vw's Spanish question reminded me of a conversation yesterday. Joe and I were at the theater about to see a movie. He asked me what I wanted and I responded, "pipoca" and then I realized that was the Portuguese word. So I asked him the Spanish word and he thought it was "palomitas" but he asked the person behind the counter to check.

"Como se dice popcorn aqui?"

She looked at him like he was retarded. "Popcorn."

Drew, I am so sorry all this has happened. I hope everything gets worked out as smoothly as possible. And shit needs to stop happening.

She looked at him like he was retarded. "Popcorn."

HA! I'm loving discovering which words have no translation. Like "surfing" and "MP3" and "popcorn" and well, all of them. It kind of cracks me up. I wrote about music this morning, and since I have the awful taste of loving country music, I went looking to see how you say "country music" in Spanish. It's "la música country," which makes me laugh and laugh for no apparent reason.

Crikey, Drew. I don't begin to know what to say. All my -ma are belong to you, and the universe really really needs to back the fuck off, before I find I'm obliged to doff my customarily reticent demeanor, and cut a bitch.

It would be nice to get a little respite from all of this. I'm dealing fairly well so far, my big concern is that I don't really have much in a way of any days off until December, so I'm going to have to be very careful to make sure I'm getting enough sleep while I'm running back and forth to San Diego and keeping my business running. Fall is the busiest time of year for me, and this year is no exception.

Drew, I've been thinking about you quite a bit over the last couple of days. I know you're going to need to rely on me a lot for a lot of things over the next couple of weeks, so I've been trying to prepare for that as best as I can. And you know, anything and everything I can do to help, just let me know.

And Kristin, I just sent you a text message, but if I can, I'm happy to come get you at the airport tomorrow.

I'm working in Pasadena for about 4 to 6 hours tomorrow, from about 9 or 10, but let me know, and I'll do my best to make arrangements, or whatever needs to happen.

Sean, thank you.

I'll give you a call in a little bit about Beverly Hills and some other items. Hopefully both of us can keep busy over the next couple of months and keep our minds off of other worries here and again.

I know she wants to come home, but I don't think that's the best place for her. Alas, I'm the only person in the family who has this opinion. I think she needs to be somewhere that we can have skilled care for her. Everyone else in the family associates anything like that horrible treatment, akin to throwing her into a jail cell.

Oh, Drew. I hope you can present the idea of a skilled care facility as part of your mom's treatment/recovery; as in, she'll get far better, far more consistent care there than she will at home, which will help her to recover more quickly and completely.

Your family is going to disagree, and when they do, point out that her severe fracture was because her at-home caregiver dropped her. It's not incompetence on the caregiver's part; these things happen, even in a hopsital. But in skilled-care facility, there is more than one caregiver available if the need arises, and that wouldn't be the case if your mom goes straight home.

You know all this; I'm not trying to tell you your business. I just hate so much that you and your family have been going through such unrelenting shit for so long. And I just want to help, and the only way I can is by throwing out obvious advice.

The last (obvious) thing I'll say is this: would having a doctor tell your family that your mom needs to be in a skilled-care facility help you make your case to them? Or are they the kind of people who would react with "Of COURSE a doctor would say that!" and pooh-pooh it because they think the medical establishment is shifty?

(I only ask because about half my family doesn't trust doctors, and so they'll *literally* do the exact opposite of what a medical professional recommends. It's led to some grim outcomes.)

If your family would listen to a doctor's advice, get your mom's doctor to sit down with your family, or at least a couple of them, and have the doctor stress how crucial it is for your mom to be in a skilled-care facility in order for her to recover properly and quickly.

I'm done dispensing the advice that you undoubtedly already know. I'm keeping you and your family in my thoughts, Drew.