All ~ma to Cashmere and family. I hope your brother gets back on his meds and gets any other treatment he needs.

Oh no, Cash!!!!! All the hugs in the world, including your brother, too. Mental illness like this is a Hellmouth for everyone. I hope your father recovers well and swiftly.

Oh jeezly crow, that sounds like a dumpster fire of just awful. I am so sorry those things happened to your family, Cashmere. I'm glad that at least there is no funeral to plan. Sending more hugs and hair pats.

Oh Cash, I'm so sorry your family is going through this.

I'm going to my first Silent Book Club meeting Wednesday. My sister arrives from NY that morning and is a reader, and my son's MIL joined the club as well. So combo girls night out and trying a new thing. This month it is at a beer joint with lots of comfy chairs so I am looking forward to it. [link] They have like a half hour startup while you can opt to get a drink/snack, then an hour reading whatever you are currently reading, then after you can stay and socialize or not depending on your mood.

DH leaves that morning for Jamaica for our friend's funeral so it will be a good distraction for me. Apparently the night before the funeral is when all the partying and stuff takes place, then the next day the funeral. He is flying over with Sean's girlfriend who witnessed his murder, and his daughter. My only condition on him going was that he travel with family who know how to get around. Unfortunately the beautiful island has a horrific crime rate and DH makes a mighty big target. He leaves like 6AM on Friday and will drive directly from Miami to mid-state for the state basketball finals. There won't be enough time for him to get me, but with my sister here I am good with skipping the state finals.

Ha, my sister just called me to ask what she should do with her Florida absentee ballot. Our primary is March 17th. She doesn't want to vote for her first choice if she won't be around after Super Tuesday, but she also wants to make sure it will be in on time.

Not sure if I will vote early or wait until that day. This year the primary is on my 30th wedding anniversary! So voting, what a way to celebrate, right? If we are going somewhere then I'll vote before.

I just got an email from my mother forwarded from my uncle, whose good friend from medical school was one of the first molecular virologists to work with coronaviruses back in the 1970s. tl;dr he says it will likely be widespread in the United States by mid-March/April, and to wash your hands a lot and don't touch things or people (and if you do, wash your hands again).

tl;dr he says it will likely be widespread in the United States by mid-March/April

I have to go to Chicago in April for the yearly AMA freelancer meeting, and I'm wondering if they'll cancel it. I can see them cancelling it because they're the freaking AMA and don't want to expose us (and them) to disease vectors (plane travel and whatnot, plus a meeting with 25-ish people), but I can ALSO see them not cancelling it because they're the freaking AMA and know that if we wash our dang hands we should be fine.

I might hold off on getting my plane ticket for another week or so, though. Just in case. Or I guess I could get a refundable fare.

Refundable fares are wicked expensive, though.

Oh Cashmere that sounds so tough. Hugs.

Except yknow, distance hugs. Because apparently seattle is like the epicenter right now or something!!