And now for something completely different...

Dad's count has been up and down, hit a high for the last few days today so he went for a walk around the ward for the first time and made a phone call. He was in good spirits, and his sister Sue flew down from NY to Raleigh and drove in with his brother Paul. They all had a good visit. i saw my childhood friend Amy tonight for dinner (my best friend Jason's younger sister who is my age). We got to catch up. It's now officially my little sister's b-day, the 27th, and she's 20, so officially not a teenager any more. That is weird. Random thought: i badly need a hair chop.

Updating to keep busy

dad's hemoglobin was back down last night when they checked it, so he feels lousy again, and this morning he's already had 2 units of blood, so i think he's in for today and christmas for sure

Only 2 days?

Well, it has apparently only been 2 days, but much has happened. Had to take my dad to the doctor tuesday afternoon, he was flu-like as well as being run down like when he was suddenly anemic the other week. Wednesday, he rested a lot, but began turning yellow and being really fatigued and all sorts of symptoms. On thursday, i went in to substitute librarianize, and my mom took him to the doc and he was straight into the hospital. i saw him that night and mom and i went home. She went back friday morning and when he was en route to the restroom, he passed out and fell and was immediately put in intensive care. His numbers for hemoglobin dropped rapidly over two days, to less than half what they should be and didn't go up until they transfused him yesterday. He went down again this morning and they are transfusing again at a faster rate. He will not likely be home for Christmas Eve or Christmas, and they still don't know what is causing any of it, just what is happening. His brother and his wife are going to arrive any minute and i have to get back to the hospital. The phone rings off the hook with family and church folks, but it's nice to know so many people are pulling for him.

Subbing in

Dad had to go to the doc for more tests today, mom had to take him, i Subbed for her in the Library at Clear Creek Elementary. i got to read the night before Christmas to a few classes and help them color stockings and ginger bread houses. The Library Assistant had all the kids go around and say their name, then around again for favorite color, and then around again for favorite weather. i was near the beginning and i said Carolina Blue. This illicited an answer of "Carolina Blue from all 7 of the remaining kindergarden boys. For weather, i said "Carolina football weather," and two of the boys tried to say that, with very little success (yes, they're just kindygartners). Then i visited with Rob, my youth minister and we discussed OT and grades and such. Finally got my paycheck from the Y, and finished my Christmas shopping with Kelley. i'm afraid to add up how much i've had to spend these past few weeks on stuff, gas, food.
Party last night was great. About 15 or 16 former ARPC youth made it. Gag gifts and tons of food. Nap time.

Finalsly

i am finally done with dreaded finals, OT's weeping and gnashing of teeth, etc. First chance i have had to write. Found out one of my friends here, Susan Deitrich is the sister-in-law of my college friend, Cheryl, random. What a small little Presbyterian world.
My trip back with Melanie was more than interesting. Let it be stated from the start that i do not blame, nor am i angry with Melanie MacFarland. She did have the sun in her eyes and she did have very little sleep and one should not underestimate the distracting impact of my left profile. Driving south to Charlotte and/or Atlanta from Richmond is pretty straight forward. One takes I-95 for about 20 or 30 miles south to Petersburg, where it joins I-85 and takes I-85 south all the way to Charlotte... or Atlanta. We were about 100 miles south of Petersburg, just crossing the North Carolina border when Melanie asks, "Shouldn't we be on 85 by now?" Ohhhh dear. So i pull out the map and see that we can fix this little one hour detour by taking Route 185 through Macon, Podunk, Norlina, and finally... Warrenton! Warrenton, the biggest of these little bordertown settlements is maybe the size of Concord Mills shopping mall. The roads suddenly don't match our map because they have different names and so we stop at a hardware store (safe bet we guess) for directions. As in Gilmore Girls, this isn't actually a hardware store any more, but the Hardware Cafe. We ask for directions (which are semi-correct) and buy matching t-shirts that say "i got hammered at the hardware cafe." We got pictures a little down the road with the Sherwood Forest sign and stopped again (this time for correction on the directions from the woman at Hardware) to ask a auto body guy how to get to 85. We make it to 85, go to Biscuitville (Mel was a biscuitville virgin) and finally made it back to Concord.
i hung out with Ben for a bit and saw the other Gibsons and then worked for my dad today doing clerical work in suit and tie and being polite to clients. Lucky me, migraine boy, we were at a metal stamping factory all day, where the machine pound holes in metal sheets. Yay. (note the enthusiasm) But hey, it pays and it's not OT. This blog is too long, so peace out.

The only thing more exciting than covalent bonds...

MALE BONDING!!! That's right. Something i don't get much of, so i am making a list of male bonding activities to engage in before i die (note: some are already accomplished)

Italicized are accomplished, in alphabetical order:

Bar Fight
Camping
Drinking and darts
Fishing
Hide a body
Hunting
Ice fishing
Karaoke (specifically "You've lost that lovin' feelin'" in a bar)
Late night Frozen pizza topped with own copious loads of red meat and Asian hot sauce
Peeing in the same toilet
Peeing while walking outside
Pro-Baseball game
Pro-football game
Road Trip
Tailgating
Watching Super bowl

Any i'm missing?

Change

what's the deal with college students these days? instead of "down with the man" or "down with the gov" or "save the planet" or "anti Vietnam" they line up for democratic and republican parties and support either republican presidential candidates who kill the environment or democratic presidential candidates who fought in the Vietnam war and claimed to have "committed atrocities" there. i'm so confused, why are there so few green party and libertarians? why do college students continue to protest and rally, when that strategy hasn't wrought political change in over 2 decades, and yet believe that a government they protest every other weekend will some day provide all the answers? if young people today had one iota of the faith in God or even each other that they have for a government they hate, where would be now? and what are we doing about it this minute?

A yittle of this, a yittle of YAV

Finally got my pastoral care done Monday night by meeting two of my YoCo kids for pizza. They are both applying to UNC (among 5 or 6 other choices) and we had a good time. My verbatim went pretty well, especially since it was read with Tom playing one teenage girl, and Charles, the other. Gene played me, which was fantastic. Made me look great. I was up to 3:30 putting final touches on it, and then up by 8:30 to do my first phone interview with the YAV office about taking next year for mission service. After a lot of questions, she wanted to reiterate that i may not get Northern Ireland and to consider other options. i promised to remain open, but it is unlikely i will take the year off for any other program. We'll see. Then there was a beautiful chapel service with bells and music. I have tons more reading yet to do for OT and Theology to be ready for next week, as well as a Theology paper due tomorrow on a reading i have yet to do. Luckily, i am now done with anything related to Pastoral Care and Spiritual Formation. Holidays bearing down...

Merry Christmakah to Jew and Gentile alike...

We had a BALL!!!

Saturday night was Calvin Ball and pretty much everyone did a little dance and got down that night (i'm not even gonna guess at anything else). An open wine and champagne bar got everyone in the holiday spirit and people cut loose like i have never seen. The women were gorgeous, and i'm not sure i knew most of these men could clean up so well. Nor did i know everyone could dance... er, that anyone could move in such ways. Fairly sure i downed more than eight sodas, six of which were mountain dew, so i couldn't sleep till about 3 or 4am. It's nice also to see the professors come out too and bring spouses and dance. A good time was had by all.