ION, it's just past noon and I've put on outside clothes, taken out the trash, swept out the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry nook, and accepted and put away the grocery delivery. I need to vacuum under my desk. Short track skating and ski jumping will be on in 45 minutes. Day one of vacation.

edit: vacuuming is done. I believe I shall knit and fiddle with beads during the Olympics. I also have Pepperidge Farms cookies.

JZ, so much love to you and your brother. There is no part of this that does not suck. All you can do is hold on and love hard.

My love to you and your brother, JZ.

Sending strength to you and your whole family, Jz.

JZ, you're his sister, not some weird flawless being who never gets annoyed or caught up in their own life and problems. Siblings gonna sibling. Your love for your brother has always been clear, is certainly clear to him if it's clear to us. Don't beat yourself up for being a sibling, not a saint.

I am sorry you are stuck far from him and feeling helpless. I wish I could teleport you to his side.

What she said, all of it. I know he knows how much he's loved. Sending strength to all of you.

I love you all and wish I could wrap people up in love blankets of comfort. also have everyone over for soup and cookies.

Oh, JZ, how painful and difficult. So much love to you and yours.

So much love to you JZ.

Timelies all!

{{{JZ}}}

Thanks, all. I really haven't been a great big sister - adequate at best. But I love and admire the crap out of him and I want to smash this thing.

And I'm so grateful for his husband, who has always been cute and charming and teasing and doting and bringing out the best of him (longtime Buffistas may remember them both from the Season 6 finale party with the Somervillains -- my brother was the quiet one, and his husband was the one who said he'd quizzed a co-worker about Buffy to prep for the party, and then after That One Scene, in the middle of the first ad, his cell phone rang and it was his co-worker saying, "I just realized I forgot to tell you about one character, and so you're probably wondering why everyone around you is screaming, 'GILES!'").

But for the last couple of weeks he's been all that plus caregiver and gatekeeper and maker of appointments and jouster with insurance companies and coordinator of infusions and family update provider and a million other things. He is the best spouse, the best partner anyone could dream of for their child or sib, and my brother would be alone and possibly literally dying without his love and withness.