They have started Dad on Lasix. He whinnied at me when we last talk. “Can’t talk long gotta piss like a racehorse.”
It is helping the kidneys and hopefully we can get better news about the various oscopies that need to be done but continue to be delayed due to complications.
No news on Lev.
Dad is in a room now and he is being poked and prodded.
He did tell me one story that made me smile.
He told me how the nurse who gave him his catheter used to work at the Mexican food place that my parents used to go to. So she goes from serving his encheladas to stuffing a tube in his burrito.
I gave in and let the bosses at work know whats going on, thank goodness they haven’t read this blog in a while, not saying I’ve put anything on here that you know I don’t talk about work on here. Never mind.
“Why are you still here?”
I’ve talked to him folks and he is in good spirtis. I get updates every three hours or as information comes. All I would do is pace and that would only hurt me. What I need to is keep myself busy and be ready to leave in a moments notice.
BUT nothing is coming. No news in my mind is good news. But in the words of Stevie Ray “I’ve gotta a real, real bad feeling”.
But I am remaining positive. I have to. My family is a family of fighters.
and that’s all I have to say on that.
No news… can’t sleep but thought I would tell a story to wind me down.
You see my mom’s brother is a good man. Misunderstood in many ways, but a good man. And he’s in a hospital now, miles away with very little information available to me. So I thought I would tell you some stories about Lev, my uncle.
You see Lev has been deaf since birth. Some screw up at the hospital and Lev came home deaf. My grandparents treated him like gold, helping him overcome his disability. He was smart and sneaky. Growing up I would come over to my grandparents house for the family meal. While dinner was cooking, Lev and I would play chess. I swear he cheated sometimes but the rare time I would win because he was too cocky I would celebrate, telling my father (“Do it again, then come back to tell me”) or my grandfather (“Is Lev sick?”) then come back where Lev would be pantimining and signing me to play one more game.
If I won… he would cry “Fuck” and scatter the pieces. If I lost, I heard the yell “YEAAAAAAASSSSS”, hell everyone heard it.
We’d play football until somebody got hurt. Usually me.
Room 314. Third West Murdough Hall. Texas Tech University. Lubbock, Texas. 16 years ago.
Sean walked into my room for the first time. I don’t remember the circumstances behind his visit. I sure it was somehow related to friend of a friend. His roommate knew one of my friends from down the hall. I do remember I was sitting in a hammock watching TV. His first thought was cool a hammock in a dorm room.
So went the first meeting between us a long time ago, time that just doesn’t seem like that long. Since then, we have had innumerable D&D sessions, countless football games, hours of video games, tons of beer, traded a bunch of Magic cards, and listened to hours of music. I owe Sean as the source of my claim to have been published twice. Not that that really means anything other than it feels good to say, but I did get to meet the original Peggy Sue from Buddy Holly’s song. That is pretty cool.
I have an autographed photo of Jo Dee Messina courtesy of Sean. Sean and I have enjoyed taunting each other with our rivalries throughout the years. His Browns, my Texans, neither of us has have much reason to cheer until recently.
Bottom line, Sean is one of “those” friends that you can rely on if you really needed help, and one you would always be there for if he needed it. I helped Sean get married, (I still wish I had gotten my picture taken with Johanna.) Several years later, I took the call from him asking for advice on what to do about getting a divorce. I was one of the later friends to get married, but I was the first one divorced. You never want to be the expert on divorce. When my father died, Sean was one of the first ones to call me. When I was in the hospital back in 2003, Sean called to check on me. I was in such bad shape, I honestly couldn’t tell you if I talked to him or not. His grandmother tried to set me up with his sister. That is acceptance folks. My life and his has been entwined significantly.
Like all others, we have had our disagreements, but in the long run, what do those matter. Those people are long gone and we are still here. There are only a small handful of people I would put my complete trust in. All came from Murdough Hall. All are people I have met in college. Sean is among the most trusted. If I ever ran for political office, he wants to be my campaign manager. Keep alert Sean, the nation keeps going to hell in a handcart, I may just have throw my hat in the ring.
I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, except that he has been like this for years.
Cheers Sean.
From a high school friend…
You’ve always amazed me with your sincerity. So serious. I’ve always said, don’t take life so seriously, because life certainly isn’t taking you seriously. Perhaps I’m misinterpreting, but it seems like Pat’s death is waking you up to that. Life is a roller coaster, so throw your hands up and scream.
Good lord it’s fun having a Taoist bent on life, you get to talk in metaphors.