Vietnam 2000 Rocks

There is a good chance that Sarah will be discharged tomorrow, hopefully going home for good. At this point I will need a month for my digestive system to recover from hospital food, though tonight I got a great dinner. My good friend Sylvie stopped by Vietnam 2000. Shameless commercial plug coming... So on the corner of San Mateo and Zuni, one of Albuquerque's less glamorous corners, is this unassuming restaurant/emissions testing center. Yes, while you are dining you can have your vehicle certified. The food is amazing. Everything is so fresh. All the vegetables are crisp and delicious. Plenty of really tasty cilantro. Hot stuff if you want hot stuff. My favorite dish is rice noodles with sliced pork. #21. They mix the rice noodles with bean sprouts, so it is light and crunchy, the pork is lean, and they chop up two of their incredibly delicious egg rolls (BEST EVER) on top. Cilantro, scallions. Fresh and wonderful. This place consistently gets community votes for "Best of Albuquerque" in all the guides. They boast the best avocado shake (though I can't imagine this concept I am told it is wonderful.) I have just been subjected to a run of Wizards of Waverly Place, and now there is some odd cartoon on, some sort of yeti creature with man boobs.

Some Thoughts

I think I realized the biggest thing undermining my blogging efforts is one of my greatest loves...Facebook.

I love Facebook because it is easy to just post some quick, random thoughts. I am not a Twitterer, though I have an account. It just doesn't captivate me. I love the interaction of my friends and family, the sharing of photos, the political rants, and the banter. I think, though, that it has reduced my attention span to that of a gnat. I need to do more writing. Use it or lose it.

Sitting here in the hospital next to my Sarahbelle, I am reminded of some past observations. Television is terrible. Sarah is watching this show on Style called "How Do I Look?" This is a crueler version of "What Not to Wear." This chick that is being humiliated and made over is a 41 year old grandmother who dresses like a glam rocker. She is about eight feet tall and looks like a drag queen. Her son is one of the people who brought her in for this makeover. The clothes she is being led to are, not surprisingly, quite a bit more modest and attractive than the cut off tee shirts, dog collars and hideous mini skirts. She is being transformed into an Amazon Goddess. But before this they put her in a store front window and asked bypassers to tear her down. I told Sarah, "Please do NOT put me on this show." Worse than even finding your own picture on People of Walmart.com.

Another observation, Sarah is hilarious. Her random comments at the television make this hospital stay worthwhile. I must admit that spending some one on one time with this kid is amazing. Brilliant. We have had long talks, including one early in the stay where she was really mad at me. We had a big fight. I was trying so hard to be helpful and patient, but it was getting harder. She got up for the bathroom, and I went in to help her, because she was hooked up to everything, her gown would fall into the toilet, and she just needed a little assistance. She got so mad at me that she banished me from the bathroom and sat in there a while. When she came out she gave me an hour long lecture about the things that I do to annoy her. I took my lumps, and since then everything has been great for us. We talk, we laugh, it is just a really neat thing spending time with her.

I do miss the other kids, being at home, and relaxing. This is one hell of a way to spend winter break. It is worse for Sarah because she goes back to school next week, so she will have no time off. But she will have great stories to tell.

So now we are on to "A Bug's Life." Nap time for Mommy!

I Am Back, and I Hope for Good

I have come to the realization that blogging is good for me. It allows me to vent, and be creative, and to put some energy into reflecting on life and my family, and that is all good. So I am back, with the intention of staying.

A few things have gotten in the way of my continued blogging. Most notably is my entrance into law school this August. The first semester was awesome. I felt completely in my element. I have no idea if I even passed yet, grades will not be posted for a while, but I do know that I learned so much, and I am incredibly happy.

Still it has been years since I regularly blogged. At that time writing was all I had to keep me sane. I lived way out in the snowy mountains, starved for adult contact. My children were still young. When I was blogging several times per day Willy was just 2 or 3, Amanda 9, Sarah 7 and Maddie 6. Amanda will be 14 in a few weeks. I can't believe it. Sarah is 11, Maddie is 10 and Willy is 7. They are so grown up, so beautiful, and still the most loving and wonderful kids in the world. I am grateful for every moment I have with them.

Last Sunday Sarah's appendix spectacularly ruptured. Her white cell count was 32,000 when we brought her in to the pediatric urgent care (which is attached to the hospital). Our little Sarah is the toughest kid in the world. She barely acknowledged pain, just toughed it out. We were so amazed. So the nasty old organ had to come out, and her belly was full of pus, so she is in the hospital. They discharged her Friday, but she was really sick so we brought her back yesterday, Christmas Day.

My hair is going white. I just looked in the mirror and salt is kicking pepper's ass. I am not sure if I am going to go with it or not. We will see.

I am quite tired, but I intend to keep this journal, even if only for me.