time time time
see what you've done to me

Today is just d - r - a - g - g - i - n - g by. I want to leave and go back outside. But I can't. So, here I sit in my cubic-hell. TheBoy was busy at work today and has since skated out early, and the rest of The Usual Suspects are either working or on vaca for the weekend / next week. But it sure was very very very nice of one of The Usual Suspects to share his Oakenfold stash with me prior to his departure to Florida! Currently spinning is his Havana appearance from Essential Mix. Remind me to thank the cutest Texas Hold-Em player in the whole wide world appropriately (and repeatedly) upon his return.

Speaking of Hold-Em, I want to get a girl's poker night going sometime soon. I have received an offer from the aforementioned poker player to deal for us. I assume this is because there will be three of his favorite things present at these events: beer, women, and poker.

Girlfriend (and two more of our cohorts) cruised to our fave chinese joint for lunch. No cuties today though, just ample amounts of shrimp fried rice and spring rolls. The weather is DYNAMITE, and I want to get out in the sun. Pretty soon, the indian summer will give way to another crappy Ohio winter, and then I'll be forced to plan a vacation (that I can't really afford) to someplace warm. Anyone interested? I do need to save my pennies though ... MombiFest 2005 (aka her real bachelorette bash) is coming up, and I'm sure my bar-tab contribution will be pricey. Plus, I've already started shopping for her and Kirk's gift.

Fair warning: Martini's about to get serious ... seriously whiny. See what happens when I have too much free time on my hands?

Mom is not doing well again, her kidneys and her blood pressure are giving her fits. For those that recently came to read here, my mom has Systemic Lupus, in the advanced stages. Lupus, in and of itself, does not kill you. But it attacks organs such as your heart, your liver, your kidneys, etc, and shuts them down. Lupus patients usually die of a stroke, renal or liver failure, or a heart attack. Any one of these options is likely for Momma Sue at this point. Her blood pressure has been consistently running about 200/100, she's jaundiced again, and her back is killing her ... so that's no good. A hefty round of steroids, what they usually give Lupus patients to stave off an "attack" or "flare up", are now out of the question due to the renal and liver damage she's sustained. There isn't really anything that I can do to help her at this point, short of going and cleaning her house, doing her shopping, cooking several freezer-worthy meals, and doing her laundry. So, that's what I'll do - I'll head up there after I hit the gym for a few after work (I need to at least get in 20 minutes on the elliptical machine). Never mind the fact that my house looks like freaking Chernobyl hit my living room this week. My family needs me, so off I go.

I'm pretty bummed out about all of this, especially with Steverino's mom dying this past week. There really aren't any parallels between the two women's behaviors, or anything of the sort. But it really hits home when the fallibility and the sheer mortality of your parents' existence hits home. When you're a kid, you believe that your parents are invincible, bordering on superhuman. Until I was 21 or 22, I thought my dad had done NO wrong! And as an adult, you learn quickly that it's not the case at all - your parents are real people with real emotions and real problems (and a former life as a hell-raising Navy man that smoked pot and wrecked motorcycles). There's no real point to this whining tirade, I guess. Well, other than the usual "I hate being the strong and responsible one" rant. But there's no real need for me to put that out here again, is there?

More later, I'm sure ... after I go and find myself some ice cream or other sugary substance to keep my carbohydrate level sky-high.

*twitching from the sugar high*