Hi, Frankenbuddha! Hi, quester! Hi, Allyson! Good to see you all here!

I haven't been posting much this year. It's been -- insane, especially the last few months.

Hubs's sister moved back to the DC area in September of last year, and she was in and out of hospitals for just about the entire fall and winter. She is on dialysis for kidney failure (a side effect of her heart meds, we think), and she's more or less confined to a wheelchair.

Hubs and I have both been diagnosed with asthma and severe allergies, including both being allergic to cats. At the beginning of May, I had surgery for a severely deviated septum and too-narrow sinus passages.

I was just recovering nicely from the surgery when our orange boy, Seamus, started bleeding. It turned out to be a skin cancer (not unusual in dogs, quite rare in cats) that is fairly easy to treat if you catch it early, but spreads aggressively. We did not catch it early, and we had to say goodbye to Seamus in the middle of May.

We spent the next couple of months focusing on Hubs's sleep apnea. And then his back went out in July -- worn out discs between his vertebrae. By the time he could schedule surgery in late August, he was barely walking. And more or less crawling up the stairs in our townhouse. He's been recovering slowly and went into physical therapy a couple of weeks ago. Last week, his pain levels started increasing.

So for the last three months, I've been juggling a full time job and caring for a sick husband who can't really do much. And I'm exhausted. (How do you parents do it for years on end?) If there's a bright spot, I've had to work from home so I can drive him to doctor appointments -- over a month later, he's still on pain meds that keep him from driving. (Let's just say that his meds make the Good Meds look like child's play.) And I don't have to deal with the commuting mess while Metro works on the Orange Line for six weeks.

In two days, we leave on vacation. Transatlantic cruise. Which should give us both time to recover. I hope.

Oh Fred, may the vacation bring you both much needed rest and recuperation.

I hope the cruise is good for both of you, Fred. What a year!

Fred Pete, it's good to see you! That's a hell of a year. I'm sorry about Seamus. Sorry about your SIL and your Hubs health problems, too. Caring for an adult is way different from caring for a child, I think (having done the one but not the other), but not at all easy. I hope this vacation gives you both time to rest and heal.

I hope the cruise is amazing for you.

Which ship are your traveling on?

Royal Princess, ND. We've spent enough time on Princess ships to start getting the good perks on their frequent traveler program.

And thanks to all for the good wishes.

May your vacation bring you lots of rest and recreation, Fred Pete!

Oh man, Fred -- what a tough year. I hope the cruise is renewing for you both.

I'm still around too. Love being retired. Also, 2600!