Tuesday, 26 August, 1997 07:53

Last night was a long one. Not because I was busy, but because I wasn't. And I am still dragging ass from the night before. The older I get the harder it is to bounce back from nights like Sunday night.

*Bylines* is now working, although it's not officially up until 01 September. I got on last night and couldn't get registered in MSIE but when I tried it with NS there was no problem whatsoever. I bought a $0.99 novella by Dan's wife Lynn. Haven't had a chance to read it yet, and probably won't for a few days.

Sunday was my mom's eightieth birthday, and I tried calling her to no avail. Dan had also tried calling and got no answer. I assumed that she was out partying... but Dan got worried, and finally got ahold of her last night. He called Karen to let me know and Karen called me at the hospital, telling me that she's OK.

I've gotten in the habit of not worrying about Mom... she's been able to take care of herself very well without my help for many years, even though I have been willing and able to help her. And now she's 80... a good strong 80, fer sure, but at 80, when little things happen, they turn into big things really rapidly. I need to start worrying more, I guess. I have no illusions that she will ask for help when she needs it... she won't. She'll just pray harder.

So I need to keep in touch better. Pay her more attention. I was wanting to go down this weekend, but Andy and Karla are getting married Saturday, and then I have to work Sunday night, so that pretty well blows this week off.

Driving home yesterday morning, after that horrible night... there was a car parked about halfway in the middle of the street, kinda cockeyed. This is in a nice residential neighborhood, and I had seen the car there (parked logically and legally) many times before. I kept making up little scenarios in my head of what may have happened... everything from drunk driving to a heart attack. Or the husband being drunk and the wife driving home and forgetting how to parallel park... or maybe it was an old person in the early stages of that dread Alzheimer's... or someone who couldn't see very well trying to park at night...