An EMT friend of mine up in NH has to regularly deal with snowmobile accidents that throw the riders over the handlebars so that they break both femurs, which can be so painful that they pass out. He also says it's not unusual for the injured half-conscious guys to be calling for their mothers -- it isn't a dramatic cliche.

Wow, ita. That sounds horrible and will have me driving even more carefully if I venture out today. Glad you got that same together nurse!

Thanks, Cass.

It's so very nice to sleep in late on a rainy Sunday. It's kind of screwed my schedule (such as it is), but seriously, it's one of my favorite things to lay in bed under clean flannel sheets and listen to the rain hammer down, and know that I can just stay in my little cozy cocoon for a while.

My sister called me at 8 AM and I went back to bed for an hour. So nice.

Last night I caught up with a friend for Chinese takeout and a bottle of wine, which was great. She's done the parental-care thing worse, and longer, so she's really sympathetic and willing to let me bitch and moan.

I set up a little fake tree for my folks, and ran over to Target to get stuff for it (and forgot to get a tree topper for my own tree, darn it). Then my sister took them out to the movies, where Mom continued to be awful to Dad. Poor guy: he just never developed the tools to shut her up. If he talks back she rages at him and if he stays silent she still rages at him.

Ah, well. Off to groom the dog and get the day started.

Inviting aromas of black cherry and dark chocolate entwine and continue on the palate

Entwine? But how can you make wine out o...

Never mind. Please don't put that on my permanent record.

That poor girl next to you, ita. Sounds awful.

Your story about the nurse reinforces something my sister told me, which is that in the hospitals everything depends on the nurses. The good ones are worth gold.

WIne made by ents, not of ents, surely.

Made by entwives, more likely.

Overheard recently at my work here in the heart of Mormon Utah: "(longsuffering sigh) No, dude, a menorah is not just a fancy holiday candleholder."

There was an email that came over the campus parenting list-serv in North Carolina asking for mohel recommendations. A couple of hours later there was a very funny followup thanking everyone for the motel recommendations, but explaining what a mohel was.

Mornings BAD. Who the hell starts a conference at 8AM on a Sunday morning? Coffee is my my bestest friend right now.

I found the Mad Tea Party slot machines last night, but no sign of any of the "spooky" slots.

I know someone who recently had a knee transplant. I had no idea they did those.

She was in a horrific car accident - she hit black ice and her car slid into the foundation of a house. The EMTs couldn't get her breathing when a doctor of some kind saw the ambulance and stopped and did something (can't remember now). If he hadn't been driving by she could have died. She had to have a bunch of surgeries and needed a knee replacement but she's too young for insurance to cover knee replacement so they did a transplant that cost more.