Dinner tonight: pumpkin pie with goat cheese and cherry ice cream. Nom.

Also, Target's box Malbec is surprisingly good.

I just educated my father on the topic of polyamory. That was interesting. My parents have been surprisingly...unstartled by my interest in sexual orientation and gender identity and general sex shit. Maybe they get that I'm over forty. Maybe.

Mother had a really good day. I'm cautiously optimistic. But my trip is too short. I leave tomorrow morning.

My mother did seem surprised at how good I was at caretaking. I'm a little miffed at that. Why shouldn't I be?

What's depressing is how good I ask at general hospital shit. I've been able to help set a lot of expectations. I think some people think I'm medical. And I'm going to go straight from four and a half days in the hospital here into the ER. My life is kinda sad.

I think some people think I'm medical.

When Owen was getting ready to be put under general, the anesthesiologist asked me if I was a nurse when I started asking questions.

Sorry your trip is so short, ita. I hope your mom continues to have lots and lots of good days.

Sorry you can't stay longer. I guess I'm glad that your shitty run of hospitals and ERs and stuff over the past few years has been at least helpful. Be a lot better if you didn't either have it or need it, but.

Anyway, what Cash said. More good days.

Have an awesome time tomorrow, Kat. I am sorry I missed your SF visit

I wish you could stay longer, too ita. You sound much...calmer. Alarms have been allayed, somewhat, and that's good.

We get the "are you in the medical field?" question too. All I said was, "it's palmer-planter, confined to the print part of the hand and foot. And it usually presents bi-laterally. I'd prefer a topical to a systemic, but I avoid both if possible."

The sexuality discussions have provided some clues and resolution to lifelong issues for me, and a starting point for more research, and understanding. I've always accepted the assignment of woman, though I've resented more than rejoiced in it. I have a lot of traditionally male opinions and points of view, though I come from a female place. So I have, and continue to be, intrigued and informed by these discussions--with an occasional bright illumination.

My computer seems to have died overnight. Not pleased.

Hoping it just got unplugged and a little time in sleep mode will bring it back, but it won't wake up or reboot. Feh.

I hate that panicky feeling of hardware failure.

I have given substantive comments on three of the five sexual identity papers. But no scores. I'm scared of scores, even if they are in pencil for her review. The two I've left for last taunt me. One is written by a woman I'm pretty sure is homophobic. Her tone is very smug and distant. But I can't mark her down for her beliefs. I'm just trying to work out where the lines are. And the other one is nigh incomprehensible. My sister gives really detailed line edits. She's hardcore. This paper can't be edited like that. It needs deep tissue rewriting. And I can't make head nor tail of her point. She keeps going off the rail two thirds of the way through the sentence.

I don't know how y'all do this for a living. Correcting business documents on the down low is stressful enough.

At least I backed up 2 days ago? I'll use my work laptop while I explore my options. Now to keep the genius bar appt or not. I think I know what they'll tellme , alas.