I was gone at first because my 6-month-old Hewlitt-Packard motherboard went about a month ago and I bought a new rebuilt computer and am using that, and it works fine.  HP will fix my old one but it would have taken about 2 weeks during which time I would have lost my job, so for 200.00 this one is doing fine.  I bought it from the place that fixes my computer, missed 5 days of work and spent the rest of the time playing catch-up, which I did quite nicely.

 Then about 2 weeks after that, my son Fayard went in for back surgery to have Harrington rods placed to straighten his scoliotic spine, and that has been rough, but he has been home for 2 weeks now and the surgery was 3 weeks ago, so his bed is in the living room, we are using a hoyer lift which was impossible at first especially with only one person using it--me, but now is much more manageable.  If we do not have a government shutdown Medicaid might be sending home health aides out to help.  

My ex, the postman, has insurance that covers 2 hours of home nursing a day but after many conversations with BCBS preferred nursing providers, I find out that what I am asking for is not nursing care.  It's not medical.  It's clerical, mechanical, comical, anything but medical, so.  Anyway, people have been nice including Fayard's father, the family and everyone else.  Shriner's Hospital is a beautiful cheerful place but taking the bus there took forever because it's a huge complex up there at OHSU.  Anyway, I have missed it here, but just do not know when I'll be able to come back.  I miss everyone very much, and even with all the support in the real world, it's still kind of lonely being a caregiver. 

sometimes I do not want to share stuff about it either.  I heard Truman Capote once say (on a PBS special of course) that writers didn't suffer more than the average person, they just got used to feeling it, exploring it and putting it out for others to share, and that was what made a good writer.  Honestly I cannot do that, maybe some day.  But I surely miss the people on OS who can.

 I'm watching Mildred Pierce, and it's pretty good.  I love the old-timey language and feel of it, but I cannot believe I'm saying that I think Kate Winslet is a little flat in it. Melissa Leo and Mare Winingham are great, but I miss Jack Carson as the old Wally.  Guy Pearce is pretty wonderful too.