And today I'm getting new tires for the Jeep. Fortunately I have a credit card with the garage but this has been a very expensive week.

Apparently aspirating pneumonia is a common issue with aging. The speech therapist was saying part of the issue is that the person doesn't even know they are getting particles in the lungs because the reflexes are not as alert. Also, they don't necessarily have normal symptoms like a younger patient. No fever or that kind of thing. So without a chest x-ray you may not even know. Very tricky.

Seriously, I am so very grateful that Mom married my step-dad. He is 15 years younger and completely devoted to her. Holds her hand non-stop and is a constant loving protector. When my sibs criticize him I just want to smack them.

Apparently aspirating pneumonia is a common issue with aging.

Yeah, it was an issue with my grandfather and great-aunt.

Timelies all!

Made my monthly trip to the comic book store. Otherwise, a quiet day.

You guys, I just saw a Target ad that was (a) in Spanish, (b) had women of various colors and sizes and abilities. In the middle of The Catch! Kind of cool. (Why I didn't fast-forward through the commercials is a different question.)

So I meant to go see Jon performing for PorchFest, but I got the time wrong and missed him. This is a city-wide thing where people and bands perform (guess where!) on porches, and it's really taken off. Crowds of people just walking around with beers going from show to show. I mostly stayed on my own block, which was plenty.

I'm sitting along the river walk, eating bao on my dinner break. There are a lot of people down here. I'm trying to guess all the languages.

Target has had a few print ads lately with kids with disabilities. They got a lot of good press last Halloween for showing a girl with an Elsa costume and crutches. There's a group that's been advocating for getting kids with disabilities into ads, and having a lot of success with it, though I've seen fewer adults with disabilities in ads.

So my community chorus had the first of our two yearly concerts today. It went well, other than a bobble during "Sandman" that I'm sure the audience didn't notice. My sister brought my Dad, and he recognized a few of the songs and claimed he had a good time. So that was nice, although it made for a long day.

Now I'm crashed on the futon with a pint of B&J's in the freezer, and the last of a bottle of zin from the post-concert reception.

Laura, if it's going to be a while before Brendon can go in for surgery you might want to get him something like a snapper cane so he won't be tempted to try and pick something up unaided.

We had a family wedding this afternoon, an outdoor affair at a lodge's terraced ampitheater with a 24-person wedding party (!) including the bride and groom. Got to visit with most of my aunts and various cousins, which was very nice.

I tore a seam under the arm of my best short-sleeve dress shirt while lifting Dad, and when I got home the sole of one of my shoes came loose. So apparently my hatred of dress clothes is mutual.

{{{Laura}}} I'm sorry you are dealing with so much right now.