I'm still here

In case you wondered why I dropped out of sight for awhile - no there's nothing major to report. Nothing terrible happened since my last post. Mostly, it's just because my writing brain was not engaged. I kept telling myself I wasn't going to post again until I could write something more cheery or at least a little thought-provoking. Well, neither of those things showed up in my brain, so here I am writing a nothing post just to catch up a bit.

Marcel's dad is still in the hospital. It's been a frustrating waiting game that feels less like a game and more like water torture. They do a few tests, they make you wait. They plan another test, cancel it at the last minute, and make you wait some more. They tell you the doctor will let you know the results of the test, and then they make you wait some more. In the meantime, all those fun family dynamics that are mildly challenging at the best of times, become accentuated under the stress and hours of waiting. Finally yesterday they found out that he needs surgery - probably a couple of bi-passes and valve replacement, though I don't know all the details. Whether that means he'll be discharged soon and sent home to wait for the surgery, or if they'll keep him in for awhile, none of us knows. More waiting.

In the meantime, I've tried to salvage at least a little of this vacation and have done a few fun things with the girls - like go to the beach, hang out at a friend's pool, go for ice cream with friends, and have friends over for a sleepover. I've also done at least one thing just for myself - I had lunch with a friend/mentor I haven't seen in almost a year. Marcel and I also had date night on our anniversary - dinner at a nice restaurant and then a couple of movies at the drive-in (both mediocre movies, but still worth the night out under the stars). And I finally finished the bathroom re-do project (pictures will probably come later). So it hasn't been a total bust.

Thanks to those who checked up on me. It's nice to know you noticed my absence. :-)