DLand - RIP Audre Jr. (? - 5.12.2003)

We did all we could for her, but Audre Jr. nibbled her last shrimp today. She wouldn't eat on Saturday and again today. Kevin made a call to our sting ray expert but it was too late. When we got back from lunch, she had dug her own sandy grave behind the coral.And let me tell you, dragging an 18 inch long poisonous ray out of the tank from behind the coral is not fun. Again, I'm not sure how this is part of Kevin's or my job description. But she had to be put to rest in order to save the other fish in the tank. The good of the many outweigh the good of the ray. Other than that, the day went pretty smoothly. I had a meeting with my lawn care folks and for a not too nominal fee they are going to come out next week and do all the pruning, raking and tree cutting for which I have neither the time or desire. By next trash day, I should have an immaculate yard. I was even so inspired that I grilled tonight so that I could have steak and macaroni and cheese. Mmmm. Food of the gods. Ms. Bea got out of the hospital last Wednesday and seems to be in good spirits. She's sleepy from her medicine but still pretty perky all in all. I'm glad she's home. I'm off to the beach again with my hound to frolick in the sand. I'll cast a stone in the ocean for old Audre Jr.

DLand - Goal!

And I think to myself ... what an amazingly kick-ass weekend (apologies to Louis Armstrong).Saturday was so chock full of stuff that by 11 that night it was hard to recap all that we did. Rich and I had been moving since about 8 in the morning and it was a very full day. The first highlight must be that I actually played ice hockey. I put on gear and skates, put a stick in my hands, and moved a little piece of black rubber around the ice for almost two hours. This rocked on multiple levels. First, I didn't fall on my ass (well, once, but I think I was accidentally pushed). Also, my blood sugar didn't go low or high. A granola bar before starting and disconnecting my insulin pump seemed to do the trick - that and more Mexican food than I could handle afterwards. Not least, I scored a friggen goal! And Rich wasn't even humoring me. I actually successfully put a hockey puck in a hockey net behind a genuine hockey goaltender all by myself! It was pretty satisfying, I must say. We did some random shopping to round out the day and topped off the evening with SportsCenter and corn chips. We lived like kings ... damn hell ass kings. I got to spend some quality time on the beach again today. This is the perfect time to be on the beach and feel the cold ocean water on one's feet. I thought about our new sting ray in the office fish tank and how she might have friends and family in the bay. The damn fish (is it a fish?) is more like a dog that lives in a tank than anything else. We have to hand feed it now because it's undernourished and needs special attention. I actually stood on a ladder at the top of a 250 gallon fish tank tapping shimp on the glass to call over a giant ray to come bite it off the end of my plastic fork (yes, I know they're part of the shark family and could eat us all). I'm just glad feeding Audre Jr. is not part of my daily routine but only while I'm filling in for others. I found the world's cutest hat this morning. It's a straw cowboy-type thing with tiny shells around the brim. Sort of a cross between something for a cowgirl and something for a South American drug lord. I don't know if I should have a lasso or cigar in my hand while wearing it. But it keeps the sun off me and still lets air in and looks rugged yet irresistably cute, if I do say so myself. I walked over to my parents this afternoon to visit with Mom and Dad. I cut some peonies from the backyard and brought those to her in a homemade vase. It was nice to get some smiles from people driving by obviously aware that I was taking flowers to my mom. That or it was the cute hat - hard to say. Mom and I chatted and ate various snacks (of course) and just hung out for a few hours. She sprayed this tanning spray on my legs (the stuff that gives you a fake tan) and while I'm nervous about having legs colored like Dr. Zoidberg the lobster, it seems to be working well so far. All in all it was a hugely successful weekend. My shoulders are a little pink from the sun but if that's the worst thing I can come up with, life must be pretty good.

DLand - Hang in there, Bea. I know you're tired.

Ms. Bea is in the hospital. Some of you may remember her back from Daddy Byron's passing away almost two years ago. Apparently, she complained of shortness of breath Thursday night and had a heart attack at some point that night or Friday. She's been in the intensive care unit all weekend. Her kids talk pretty doom and gloom but Mom and I are optimistic. She's 75 years old.Mom and I went to see her this afternoon. You can't stay long in the ICU and you have to call first but we figured we could double up and give her a two for one visit deal. It's been a little while since I've seen her and I was struck at how small she was. Ms. Bea is perhaps 5 feet tall in shoes. And while she's a little plump I was just so overcome by her tiny little feet. We stayed with her for about 15 minutes or so. She was sedated and had an air tube but could nod her head yes and no. I put lotion on her feet and Mom ran her fingers through her hair. She has the softest skin. In addition to her size, I was dismayed by her silence. Ms. Bea is rarely at a loss for words. Her eyes did perk up a bit when I told her when she got home I would come over so she could fuss at me for never visiting enough. But it was very sad to only hear the hiss of her oxygen and the quiet steady beat of her pulse on the machines. Daddy says that there's a three year rule. That when one half of an elderly couple dies, the other half will rarely last longer than three years after that. I can't imagine what it's like for her. Despite all of their bickering and fussing, Ms. Bea lived almost all of her life with Daddy Byron. They raised three boys in that house. Definitely a good 50 years. His absence must be overpowering at times for her. Loneliness ought to be a valid cause of death for any medical certificate. Regardless, I'm not ready for Ms. Bea to die yet. And based off our visit today, I don't think she is either.