(no subject)

Well, it's been an exciting eighteen hours in the House of Sam.

Last night we took off to drive me to work round about five pm with the fam deciding to go out to dinner after dropping me off. As some of you may have seen, what the Weather Channel refers to as "Extreme Weather" rolled through north Austin right around then, and we ended up sitting in heavy traffic, pouring rain, and golf-ball sized hail. Needless to say, mum freaked out. Still, we got to work okay (albeit rather hail-damaged -- must call insurance today) and the weather cleared up ten minutes later. Of the eighty to hundred-odd people still working in the room I work in, thirty were there last night.

(As an aside, one of the three remaining people in my team -- people keep LEAVING US -- came up to me tonight and said "You know, your smile is so friendly and cheerful, and you seem just so with it and cool. I just thought I should let you know how nice your smile is." which...I didn't really know how to cope with that, but was still wow nice and made my evening.)

The weather stayed fine right up until we left at 9:30. As Lucky and I were pulling out of the parking lot he said "Good thing they let you out a little early, because some bad shit is coming."

Halfway home, the bad shit hit, and we couldn't even pull over to the side of the road because we couldn't see where that was, it was raining so hard. There was hail, and some flooding, and then there was the eerie, silent, dark drive through our neighborhood, which had lost power. It came back briefly last night, then flickered and died again. More thunderstorms, woe iz us, world ending, &c. Also, the dog is now afraid to go outside, and is visibly torn between actually bursting from pee and going into the Dreaded Scary Place.

Anyway, I woke up this morning to the power on and the internet functioning, feeling pretty good about life. I walked out into the dining room to fix myself a glass of water and there's mum, sitting on her bed, working.

"I can't get up," sez she to me. "My knees won't work."

Mum had cortisone shots in both knees, two days ago (arthritis) and while I fixed her some breakfast she explained to me that sometimes the shots displace the kneecap. This time she hasn't been able to re-place it like the others. So she might have to replace it.

She's calling the doctor at eight; by nine I might be driving her into civilisation for emergency surgery.

I'll be emailing a few of you this morning regarding stuff I owe that's time-sensitive. I may yet be around all day, but it's looking pretty likely that I'll be out at the doc's for a good portion of the next few days.

Thanks guys.

comment conservation:

[info]villainny
Okay, I realise that there's some baaaad stuff in there, but unfortunately I was built to look on the funny side. It's a Thing.

Dude. You get to claim ACT OF GOD? 'cos that's fuckin' cool.

[info]timetiger
On the bright side, now you can say you survived the Apocalypse. (End-of-the-world storms, roaches big enough to make away with small children -- can't imagine why you'd ever think of leaving.)

[info]copperbadge
Jesus. I live in the apocalypse. This explains SO MUCH.

[info]mcnedwin
Wishes to your mum. Hospitals really aren't nice at the best of times (IS there a best time to be in hospital?), and in emergencies they can be downright nightmares.

(no subject)

We're back.

Mum insisted on being the one to drive to the ER, and I don't actually blame her because she'd be just as tense if I were driving and anyway she didn't have to use her left leg to drive.

Now, I know it's a pain in the ass to work admitting at an emergency room, but I've worked retail and patron-service too and when someone asks you "What's the wait like?" replying "Bad" is not actually going to make them go away. MAKE UP A NUMBER if you don't know, but don't just be an asshole.

*ahem*

So, we got inside in really pretty good time, got Mum's knee x-rayed, got her doped up, and while we were waiting for the results I did a snack run (I encountered these things called "AromaWrites" in the gift shop, ballpoint pens that release aromatherapy when you use them, omg wtf). She ended up getting an ace-bandage wrap on the knee, a set of crutches, and a prescription for Vicodin (SCORE) but in the process she also ended up getting an epiphany that her doctor, who is in sports medicine, is maybe not the right guy to be treating a fiftysomething with arthritic knees.

So, we'll see. She's going to call on Monday about getting a knee replacement. In the meantime, I bridled my unholy terror of cars and drove mum ("SLOW DOWN THERE'S A STOP SIGN." "YES I KNOW OMG SHUT YOUR EYES ALREADY.") home, stopping on the way to pick up her Vicodin and buy some sandwiches for lunch.

I never did get to email people about the stuff I owe them, but y'alls know who you are anyway.

Phew. I'm going to go relax for a bit, so I won't be on chat, but I'll try to clear out some of the comments.

(no subject)

*reads flist*

Two car accidents, one trip to the ER, and the death of three close friends or friends' parents.

WHAT THE HELL?

April really is the cruelest month. Fuck this shoures soote crap.

Actually, on second thought, I'M LONGING TO GO ON PILGRYMAGE. Who's with me?

*loads up saddlebags, stocks up on bawdy stories, dons a jaunty motley cap*

Comment conservation:

[info]phoenixfire_lia
Canterbury? Let's roll. Give me five minutes to grab a few squires and I'll meet you out back.

[info]polaris_starz
PILGRYMAGE! WOOT! I am so there. With a donkey. (You have to have donkeys on a pilgrimage. Can't be properly holy without donkeys.)

[info]sophie_spence
Ooh, bawdy stories! I'm in. *searches hurriedly for kirtle*

[info]cawti
I'm only on my second husband, but I can weave a mean kercheif. I'm with you.

[info]splagxna
yayy for palmeres who seeken strange strondes, and smalle fowles maken melodye, and all that. i think there needs to be pilgrimage-inspired fanfic! i mean, mostly i just think there needs to be fanfic. but i like spring. =)

[info]simon
I know bawdy limericks! Well, I know two. But they're pretty bawdy.

[info]tenebris
Ooh, ooh, I'm in! *adds extra flounces to skirt. and a wimple.*

(no subject)

Scenes from the family #s 221 and 413:

Mum: *limps out into the dining room on crutches, with Very Sad Face*
Sam: How are you feeling?
Mum: ARRRR. I AM A PIRATE QUEEN.
Lucky: Vicodin works!

And:

Mum: Sam, what do you think of this movie, Friends With Money?
Sam: Nothing about it, never heard of it. Bet you I can predict what it's about from the poster alone, though.
Mum: Go for it.
Sam: *examining poster* Okay....chick flick, moderately witty, very little slapstick, at least one of them dies.
Family: *laughs*
Sam: You mock, but if there are four over-thirties women in one movie, at least one of them is gonna bite it by the end. Cinematic law.

(So, am I right?)