Spouse is halfway through 6 months of aggressive chemotherapy. Some things have gotten easier, some things have gotten harder. Humans are amazing at normalizing. I've gotten better at guitar. No-one warned me about the snacking. Whatever weight is being lost due to the chemo is sticking to me. I don't know how the kind, hardworking folks at Snyder's pretzels, and Cadbury are going to be able to keep up to this fevered pace. I find comfort that Hickory Sticks are still on the market in Canada, and I've established a regular trade route coming in from Toronto. I go into work a couple times a week, and I only break down in the shower every second day.
I want coffee, but my lab is a safe, germ free haven and the kitchen is full of them... the diseased, the social.

ErikG wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:55 pm It was the dungeon synth.

I'm no dungeon synth doyen, but I've been listening to two Old Nick releases the past couple of weeks: Curse of the Lockmaster and The Night of the Ambush and the Pillage by the Queen Ann Styl’d Furniture, Animated by One of the Dozen or So Spells That Thee Eastern Vampyre Has Studied. Makes me kind of giddy, and I'm not even into 8-bit shit. Not kvlt, but if any style of music can use an injection of humor...

I try to be compassionate and civil with people who are trying to shield friends or loved ones from the stress of grief by trying to control the funeral arrangements, whether by wanting to sign all of the documents or whatever else, but the laws are there for a reason, and I'm not putting my license at risk ever.

Dave N. wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 1:46 pm My daughter was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome last week, which explains much of the pain she’s been trying to tolerate. I’ve been spending a lot of time listening to podcasts and reading articles on the subject. I hate that she’s going to have to deal with this the rest of her life. Anyone know someone who has EDS?

No, but sorry to hear that. How bad is it? Best wishes.

Dave N. wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 1:46 pm My daughter was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome last week, which explains much of the pain she’s been trying to tolerate. I’ve been spending a lot of time listening to podcasts and reading articles on the subject. I hate that she’s going to have to deal with this the rest of her life. Anyone know someone who has EDS?

Ah Dave, all of my love from afar man

Thanks Adam and Seb! We’re still trying to figure out the severity. There aren’t any specialists here in Austin, so we’ll have to take a trip to Houston soon. Had a good conversation with a FM who has a kid in the same boat. We’re looking for a good physical therapist. My cousin has it also, and she had a good heart-to-heart with my daughter, letting her know she can live a normal life and figure out how to work through the painful times. My cousin has days when she can’t get out of bed, as does my daughter, but she doesn’t let it control her life. I just hate that my kid has to deal with this bs.

Let’s all feel grateful for the days we have our health.

^ Best wishes and health to you and yours, Dave.

Had a lousy day at work and was in a foul mood when I got home… then watched the news and there was my daughters’ high school on the TV: one of their classmates brought a loaded gun to their school today.

One of the hardest things as a parent is sucking it up, putting on a brave face, and telling your kids it’s going to be okay, when you yourself aren’t so sure.

jfv wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:07 pm...my daughters’ high school on the TV: one of their classmates brought a loaded gun to their school today...

Holy shit, glad she is OK!

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:41 pm

jfv wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:07 pm...my daughters’ high school on the TV: one of their classmates brought a loaded gun to their school today...

Holy shit, glad she is OK!

Thanks..

They’re both okay… they are just freaked out and don’t want to go to school tomorrow.

The kid who had the gun was ratted out by another kid, near the end of the school day. Authorities searched the kid’s locker and found the gun. School was empty by then.

So…. it wasn’t like there was an active shooter or anything. But everyone in the district got notified and it’s all over Chicagoland news. And… my daughters are flipping out (I am trying not to).

Dave, I’m sorry you are all having to go through that. That kind of shit seems like a horrible thing for anyone, and it’s particularly awful that it’s a child having to deal. Kids are resilient, as I’m sure you know, but that shit ain’t fair. I’m sorry.

JFV, I’ve picked my kids up once during an active shooter situation, although it was a gunman locked up right across the street in a house, so a little bit different. I walked right into the school (Montessori kindergarten/Pre school and small thankfully) grabbed both my girls and just booked it straight out of there.

They were hiding in the closet of one of the classrooms at 4PM. It was fucking eerie as shit, all the halls deserted, quiet, still. They were young, so while it was scary at the time it’s long forgotten - this was years ago.

This week my oldest started 7th grade at a new school, which is a huge change for her, and there are all kinds of policies about lockers and phones and backpacks, etc.

We’re about 4 hours north of Uvalde, and that shit is still fresh. She’s talked with us about it, and I have no advice. I just can’t imagine being 12 and worrying about this kind of thing. It’s brutal and tragic.