vanderwal.net

This week may be a little slow here. I am on vacation this week and was not intending to work. This means time away from the computer and work environments. It has been scheduled for quite some time and it just happens this week I am between jobs. I start work for a new company on Monday the 17th and I am trying to ENJOY my time in between time consuming events. I have a few days to dabble with my own side projects, read, decompress, was to have spent a day in NYC (but a meeting has side-tracked that wonderful plan). My last vacation was a working vacation (as most of them are) in San Francisco at the Web2001 conference and the 9/11 events. I will be taking sometime this later this week to escape completely where I can not be called into meetings. I was hoping to have time to focus on my favorite side project Boxes and Arrows, but that has dwindled too due to circumstances.

Oh, NOW the power comes back on in our building. Just another reason to get a laptop, so to work from the local coffeehouse where they had power. Now it is time to get ready and go to the ever loved office holiday parties.

It has been family filled lately. My parents were in town for the Thanksgiving weekend and we all went to Joy's sister's house for the big meal. (The yams in orange cups from Bon Appetite were great, as was the stuffing, buttermilk biscuits, and chocolate pecan tart out of the same magazine.) Joy is doing somewhat better as she had the drain taken out last week, but a couple treks out really wiped her out. It was great to see my parents and they took off yesterday morning. Last night one of Joy's nephew broke his arm in two places and spent the night in the hospital, so as Joy is still having some problems getting around I went over and watched the other two kids until about 1am so both parents could be at the hospital. Today it is Joy's day to get stitches out and other doctor appointments. This is a change, and a good one, from being an only child with parents and one grandparent.

Tired. Many things are going at once and I am looking for a little shut eye this long weekend.

My first Thanksgiving cooking anything, as my family usually eats Thanksgiving dinner out. We usually go to Carmel, CA or venture out around here, but this year it is dining at Joy's sister's. I am making Yam's in orange cups and buttermilk biscuits with scallions out of this November's Bon Appetit.

It looks like Joy may get to keep her drain a little longer. Nobody is happy about this, but we will find out for sure tomorrow. It was not a great day on the comfort level for her today.

I was trying to catch-up to life today. I ran my usual errands and some of Joy's. Joy got out of the house for the first time today to go get her haircut, a quick trip to the bookstore for magazines, and the movie rental place. Joy has been plowing through movies this week. The short trip wiped Joy out.

We watched The Mighty this evening. It was a good movie in the My Bodygard and Simon Birch genre. It plays on the Nights of the Roundtable lore. It could be one to own for those, need to refocus days.

Joy is looking better, but the pain and stiffness has increased. The lack of people around has her spirits a little down. We lost our main phone line today due to what seems to be a cut line, which did not help. She is hoping to be able to dress herself in a few days too. It is tough watching her as I help dress her as this is something she has always been able to do, even when she shattered her ankle. We go to the doctor tomorrow morning to hopefully get the drain taken out of her leg and get an assessment.

Joy has been heartend by all the well wishes from around the globe, which has her very greatful and thankful there are many people who care.

Finally home. Joy is fine, but her leg will be sore for a bit. **Gross Alert** She has a blood drain for the area, which is really kinda gross as you drain blood from your loved one. It was a rather long day at the hospital in all, but everything turned out well. Thanks for the prayers and well wishes.

Joy is heading in for surgery in an hour or so. I will post more when we get home from the hospital this evening.