This has been kind of a weird week. For starters, we were awaiting news of my dad's medical condition. He called me last Friday to tell me he was heading to the hospital with unendurable pain, and he couldn't reach my mom on her cell phone (duh-- she's a teacher-- she doesn't leave the phone on during school hours), and he thought SOMEBODY should be informed of his movements. I offered to pick him up, but was rebuffed. After I hung up with him, I called Mom's school and spoke to her, letting her know where he was an that he expected her to join him ASAP. She sighed, and promptly found a sub. I picked Nan up from school and waited for news. Turned out it wasn't a kidney stone as he suspected, but instead a mystery illness. The staff at the hospital sent him home with vicodin and instructions to make an appointment with his GP for Monday morning. He was miserable all day Saturday, and Sunday morning my mom called and instructed us to stay home that evening--"Dad's a mess, and you don't wanna be here" was the exact quote. But, he improved as the day went on, and he went to work without incident on Monday. He saw his doctor on Tuesday, and they suspect it's a gallbladder issue. When he feels the slightest twinge in his back, he's to call the doctor immediately and they'll test him right away. We were fearing that he'd need surgery this week, but it seems that he's okay for the present. Because I am a horrible, terrible, no-good very bad daughter, my first thought was, "Shit. We've scheduled Nan's birthday party for Sunday the 30th. If Dad has surgery this week, we won't be able to have the party at their house." And I immediately launched into Plan B mode-- what will need to be done to change the party to the next weekend, how much will the SuperBowl effect our plans, etc. But, it appears that all is well. Unless he has a crazy relapse in the next 24 hours or so (knocking wood furiously), it should be fine. My new fear is that Dad and I will have to have surgery on the same day, and my mom will be forced into a horrible 'Sophie's Choice'-esque dilemma, as she's supposed to take care of Nan while I'm in the hospital. I /always/ have something to worry about. I did get to go to Muncie on Wednesday, to the weekly Girl's Night Out meeting with my sister and some friends. It was awesome, and it reiterated how much I wish I lived there. It would be amazing to be able to go there weekly, and talk and laugh with those girls. My FACE hurt from laughing so much. I cannot remember the last time that happened. It needs to happen a little more often.