{{shir}} {{sj}}

Last night we invited a group of friends over for dinner, a tradition we have for the weekend closest to the Solstice. Just eating, chatting, drinking ice wine with dessert and toasting the impending lengthening of days, and maybe a few board games if the mood strikes enough of us.

So right when we'd gotten to the point where everything was reasonably clean, chili and mulled wine ready and warm on the stove, and were just waiting for the guests to arrive, we heard a scream of agony and a familiar voice shouting for help. For context, I live on a hill, and there's a bank sloping down from from the (steep) street into our yard. The bank itself doesn't look especially steep, but it's deceptive, and when it's been raining a lot it's a bit of a slip-and-slide. Unfortunately our friend Elaine had the worst possible luck--she lost her footing on the bank at a point where when she fell her legs slammed into the steps of the walkway from our driveway to the front door. Dylan and I dashed outside and found her curled up on her side, sure that she'd broken her leg. We called 911, and Dylan sat and comforted her while Alex and I scrambled to bring blankets and towels, anything we could think of to make her more comfortable on the cold wet ground until the ambulance got there, which fortunately it quickly did.

I felt so useless. I used to think I was knowledgeable about first aid, but all I could think to do was to fetch blankets and towels, and then stand there holding a flashlight and making soothing noises. And of course something like that is just exponentially worse when it happens to your friend at your house. We decided that Dylan would follow the ambulance to the hospital, while the other guests and I kinda limped through having dinner and talking--we ended up at one point comparing our own most excruciating injuries and medical experiences.

The injury ended up not as bad as we first feared, insofar as it's a simple rather than a complex fracture, but they still decided she needed surgery for it, and transferred her to a different hospital where this could happen sooner (from Northwest to Harborview, for the localistas). She had surgery this morning, and they think she'll be able to go home on Boxing Day. She'd driven up from Olympia, ~70 miles away, so home isn't especially close, and Dylan coordinated with Olympia friends to take care of her cat and with other Seattle friends to have a good rota of visitors so she isn't too terribly lonely with a hospital Christmas. (We're going ourselves in a few hours.)

But whoa. I've had bad Christmases before, what with one thing and another, but this is an early contender for Worst.

Oh, Susan! That is way too much Christmas drama. I hope her surgery and recovery go well.

Oh no Susan! But I also had surgery at Harborview and while I did eventually have some of it removed, it wasn’t the surgeons fault, he did a good job. When I asked my doctor friends they were all like “yeah, you won’t get your hand held but they’ll do a good job” when I asked where to go.

Oh, I 100% sure she just didn't know/forgot that the war started on the last day of the holidays and was just excited about Christmas.

Oh wow. That is quite a misstep. Yikes. I hope you’re continuing to do as well as you can.

Smonster I hope you don’t get Covid. But I do hope we have a golden girls situation. This house is decently big so we’ve all had our own spaces to retreat to when needed? But I would also be very down for tiny houses or apartments near. Proximity is so nice. As is cooking for a group. So much better than cooking for one and I only have to do it once a week or so?! Yes.

My dad has a cold (maybe covid?) which is scary. He’s not healthy and this could absolutely do him in. Or not. But we are praying for “not” because we still don’t have mom’s estate settled and if he dies it’ll be a logistical nightmare. Please think good thoughts.

Oh jeez, meara. Fingers crossed it’s just a cold.

I think I would prefer to be in a big house, with a library full of reading books and at least two one tv room.

I could deal with a golden girls scenario even as an introvert as long as I had a quiet room of my own when I needed it.

When I asked my doctor friends they were all like “yeah, you won’t get your hand held but they’ll do a good job” when I asked where to go.

Yeah, Harborview provides excellent care. I was just surprised they couldn't handle it at Northwest (though I think it was an issue of capacity rather than capability), and it's a pain to get there and park.

Oh Susan that sounds terrifying! Glad your friend had a good support system to help her recover.

sj, hostessing can be so stressful even if you’re just hosting loved ones. Hope you can give yourself some grace and space to enjoy the holidays.

I am so in for a GG scenario.

Hugs, supportive fist-bumps, and protective bubble-wrap for everybody, as appropriate and desired.

Shir, lovely to see your posts; seeing your "I love you" always makes me mist up, but in an incredibly good way. My usual greeting specifically for Christmas is usually, "Peace on Earth, goodwill to folks," but that sticks in my throat this year even more than it did last year. So much love to you and Nilly and your family and friends.

I am going across to the East Bay tomorrow to have Xmas dinner with some old friends. This is my first real social outing since BayCon in July, and I'm having some anxiety about it. I've always been an introvert, but ... yeah, the past four years have definitely taken a toll.

Susan, yikes! It’s good to hear your friend will get good medical care, though.

Something at brunch today gave me food poisoning, but not bad enough that I had to skip Christmas Eve dinner at my mom’s. (I did not eat anything at Mom’s; just drank sparkling water for 6 hours.) My tummy had better be back to normal tomorrow.

Man, the one thing I can always count on at my mom’s is amazing fucking wine and lots of great cheese. I had my gluttony planned for the day! And then my plans were foiled. Boo hoo.

KITT the new car drives like a dream. It’s delightful.