katakat.com bytes from a participant observer

Once again I find myself at the end of the year without a single Christmas card sent out. I appreciate all who have already been on the ball enough to send their cards on time. I love to hear from everyone; it reminds me of all the good times. Lately it has not been so. Besides my crawling to the end of another quarter of classes (taking two is killer for me), my family has been plagued with anxiety: We had to put Mom in a rehab facility because she fell at home twice in the span of just a few days. Althought she didn't break anything, she also couldn't walk very well. It's probably mostly psychological, but in any case, it was beyond the capacity of my dad to care for her at home, so he had to sign her away. We've all been visiting her there the past few days, and she has turned exceedingly docile, as if this is the end. She doesn't seem to understand that if she can get up and walk, she can leave. So that's distressing. Also, rehab facilities for the aged are the most un-relaxing place I can imagine. If you ever have the choice, stay home. Brother Dom is in the process of losing his job, but not without a fight. The hospital is trying to get rid of him for whistleblowing, and he's out on suspension. So he's really stressed out right now. Brother Nick is worried about his wife, Cindi, who is having issues with her preganacy. They were at the hospital last night, as Cindi was having contractions (she's only at 24 weeks). Now she's home on semi-bedrest. Today is her birthday, and she can't go out and have fun, so she's bumming. On a bright note, my dad got a job offer to start up an independent laboratory here in SD for some company. He begins in January. Hope all is well with you & yours. Stay tuned for more updates.