Swine Time

And damnit if I didn't try everything. Obviously the vaccine wasn't enough, nor was the 3 bottles of Purrel I keep in the car. Nora, Mags, and I have the Divine Swine.

We are on Day 4 of H1N1. We've watched every Miyazaki film (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky) and the house is trashed. We've had a lot of "togetherness time." We've painted, made sock creatures, played Perfection, and cried "I'm bored!"

I have some wheezing and some junk in my lungs. I'm hoping it clears. Maggie and Nora still have a horrible hack, but their fevers are gone. By the looks of the pics, the girls look like they are starting to feel better. For that, I will be thankful. :)

Sierra Madre

In 1998, I tied the knot. The same year I began a love affair with a beer. Scot and I were living in San Francisco and the most popular beer served in bars was Sierra Nevada. Honestly, I choked the first couple back. This new amber brew was heartier than the Silver Bullets I had slung back in college. I wasn't sure I deserved something hearty, rich, and cultured. But, like the San Francisco fog, I grew to appreciate it. I drank it on Polk St. in a cozy bar with velvet couches, and on a concrete bench on Haight. We left San Francisco, and I returned to Arizona with a whole new appreciation for beer. Since then, there have been many different liquid loves. I like me a good Octoberfest, Kirin, and Fat Tire.

On Monday, I spent a blissful morning with my mother. We did some shopping at Williams-Sonoma, and then went for a bite to eat. We sat at a trendy restaurant, talking about life, death and how the two seem to be co-mingling in our circle lately. We shared a pizza, and when my mom ordered a Sierra Nevada, I joined her. Sure it was a Monday at noon, but why not? The first sip sent me over the edge. It was as if I had kissed Scot for the first time. I could only describe it as pure palatal pleasure, deliciousness and nostalgia mixed into one. My life did a rapid rewind in glorious technicolor. I slammed the table and had a long overdue heart-to-heart with myself.

Why had I neglected this beer? Had I forgotten how much it meant to me? Why didn't I indulge in this beer more often? Was the extra $1 a six-pack really holding me back?

Monday I went to Fry's a bought 2 six-packs. Thank God I came to my senses. I had missed Sierra Nevada, and hadn't even realized it. I'm so glad it was still there for me.

Pretty Is As Pretty Does

Hey , Scot ! Come out here! I want you to see the beautiful thing that's sprung up out back!

With this baby up, I hope he spends more time inside, and less time in the open garage yelling at his wife :) (you're looking at the satellite dish, not my ugly yard)

Ryleigh

I spent Saturday night in Las Vegas, relaxing at Joelle and Mike's outdoor table. The weather was breezy and slightly crisp, and we dined on grilled steak and veggies and sipped red wine. After dinner, Mike and I took it upon ourselves to purge Joelle's wallet. The monstrosity had grown too large to close. Joelle kept reiterating that her wallet was "just fine" and couldn't understand why we needed to help her organize her life. Or, quit fretting about something that wasn't that important, and frankly none of our business. It was then the phone rang.

Scot's brother's daughter (our niece) had passed away. Ryleigh is Keith's daughter. She was born 2 1/2 years ago, perfectly healthy apart from a small hole in her heart. She grew from an infant to a toddler, never needing surgery. Her growth kept pace with her peers, and she suffered no ill effects from her heart. It was only recently that doctors thought it prudent to perform the "routine" surgery. Better now than before it became a problem.

Three weeks ago, the surgery went off without a hitch. It was only when Ryleigh returned home that complications set in. A small cough led her parents back to the doctor. A stomach bug necessitated a visit last week. On Saturday, Ryleigh went into cardiac arrest, and left us.

Losing a parent is part of the price of living. Losing a spouse can happen. Losing a child is not expected. It is not normal. It is a slap in the face of everything we do daily (from wiping butts to crossing at crosswalks) to protect our angels. And it is a grief no parent can imagine.

I hung up the phone and glanced at Joelle and Mike's crestfallen faces. All three of us, parents, were devastated.

"Wallets don't matter, you guys, " Joelle said. "Wallets don't matter."

We love you Ryleigh. And we love your parents.

Jungle Alcohol

Life is passing by with great clippy speed these days. Which isn't such a bad thing. Usually that means there is order and harmony to daily life. I have been enjoying my anatomy class, and scored well on my first exam. The kids are healthy and happy and Scot is content with work.

Tonight I was searching through old emails, alphabetically, looking for a free Lands' End shipping code. I came across my dad's name, and took a look at his last few emails to me. My father was a faithful reader of my blog, and usually responded to every blog entry. I miss that so much. He always read, every day. :) At any rate, I found it amusing that the title of the last email he wrote me was "Jungle Alcohol." It was dated June 2nd. I couldn't remember what it was, so I opened it up, and had a look. A great final, fitting email. A classic clip, sent from the King of Funny Forwards. He really did go out with a bang.

Weekly Update

I've neglected you sounding board.

Busy week.

Went to see Cracker, at a local bar. Such a fantastic, underrated band. You might know them from late 90's hits, Happy Birthday and EuroTrashGirl. About 200 people in a dirty bar. And yet they are overflowing with talent and deserve so much more. I'm not complaining. We were up close and sweaty. Everyone present was born before 1975 and was squeezing into their mom jeans. First place I've been in a long time in Scottsdale where I fit in. There was one woman rocking against the stage who was on crutches in her mid-40's. I wonder if the band wonders what happened to all the hot, young groupies. That woman was probably a vixen groupie 20 years ago. Alas, it is life and the shit it is of getting older. Not only does the band age, but the fan base ages. Ah well....

Mom is doing pretty well. She made it home from Russia, unscathed. We were so proud of her for seizing the moment and forging ahead with her previous travel plans. Every day is a new day with room for new opportunities. To look at it any other way would be pessimistic. Not that there aren't hard times. But you keep on trucking. Life is too short to curl up and sleep through the rest of it.

On to work, and studying. And more work, and studying. I have my first exam this Friday. In anatomy/physiology. It's going well, but it's a shitload of information to commit to memory. Glad I boned up on my brain puzzles and sudoku this summer.

A shout out to Jen, who is dealing with her sick, beloved canine. When they get old and leave us, the term canine is more appropriate. It's a more appropriately formal way of speaking of someone who has such a profound effect on our lives. A dog just sounds so offhanded, so disposable. And our four-legged friends are not that.

Love to all.

A Special Dedication...

My best friend started back to work this year. Now she's managing 2 kids, a husband, a dog, and 27 2nd graders every day. Phew...

I am back in school and handling my own busy life. In between, there hasn't been much time for the two of us to connect.

Next month, I will fly out to Vegas, where Joelle and I will see U2 together. They have been our favorite band for 25 years, but we've never seen them together. Seeing her, and seeing U2 equate to a religious experience for me. I CANNOT WAIT!

I miss you, Jo. This one goes out to you. You are always in my thoughts.

And I thought you should take a gander at how hot Bono looks in this video.