Thus far...

I would say that, even though some extraordinary things have happened in the last five days, that thus far, 2007 is biting ass.

First off, while I like my part time job teaching at a large university, it didn't have to start on January 3. It could have waited until January 8 so that I could have spent this week harassing my kids and visiting without worry about driving to another city to teach. That's a small thing, only slightly annoying, and besides, no matter if I think I would have liked to spend time with the kids, I know full well that I would have made them go play in the traffic at some point, just to save everyone's sanity.

Small potatoes, compared to BF1's dad lying in the hospital, likely dying. On Wednesday, coincidentally the day I had to go back and teach, he dropped like a stone with what the docs are referring to as a cardiac incident, on the morning walk with his wife and their dog...."luckily" outside the home of an ER nurse, who started CPR on him until the ambulance guys came, and for 20 minutes his heart was not going and they pumped on his chest. They got it started again, but even for a fit 65 year-old, 20 minutes is a long time. This morning they did his 72-hour assessment, and at 72 hours? 98% of the time, you are what you're going to be at 72 hours. We all cling to the 2%, but since I haven't heard anything from BF1 yet, I'm assuming the worst. She couldn't call yesterday, too exhausted from everyone else's pain. Sometimes it pays to be an non-emotional automaton like me.

What? Wednesday again? well, actually, yes. Wednesday night BF2 arrived from his various trips through the country (returns to the UK on Monday the 8th), and the man arrived with Paris chocolate and a gorgeous corkscrew that we will have forever... We were sitting in the kitchen drinking some lovely red wine and chatting while I made pizza, when BF1 called about her dad.

So all of that on Wednesday. Thursday was good, BigOne and I walked downtown to meet BF2 at a bookstore, where he read to her all kinds of kids' books, and this is quite amazing because I don't think that BF2 has cracked the spine of a children's tale since he was a tot himself. He even had some inflection in his voice, not an easy thing when you aren't practiced. I know that prior to having to read to children, I was the lamest oral reader, ever. Now I can breeze through Cat in the Hat in my sleep, and sometimes do.

But Thursday we were still hoping that BF1's dad would leap out of his hospital bed and yell, "WTF???", however, we had to settle for he breathed against the ventilator a couple of times and gagged once. Friday came with the news of midnight arrythmia and a rush to the hospital, but all stayed stable after that. Friday I taught two classes back to back, and I had done this on Wednesday also, and after both sets of lectures my throat was raw and the cold I woke up with on Christmas eve threatened a return. Thus far, I have kept it at bay, but I don't know how long the martini remedy will work before my body figures out that there isn't any vitamin C in gin.

Friday I also applied for a job at the university here in town. The job description basically comes down to, "Hilary, here's a job. Please apply for it," but I don't kid myself into feeling confident. I did submit a 20-page application, just to drive the point home. Won't know for another month whether I'm on the short list or not. I suspect I'll at least get an interview.

Friday night I heard from BF1 that there was no change. It's Saturday now, and I wait to hear whether or not I have to get on a plane. I don't know how I'll handle the logistics of this, because I teach 700 people in two large classes and there are deadlines to meet, but something will work out. For now I'll keep doing what I do every Saturday afternoon, making notes for Monday's class and drinking beer. And actually, en famille we walked downtown to meet up with Fab Former Student and his girlfriend and her identical twin sister, who were in town because their friend lives here...had lunch, Little One was a pain in the ass, and walked home again. Lunch was excellent, don't get me wrong, and we always have a good time. Little One has become a boy and as such, he doesn't listen to much we say to him without trying everything he can to do what he wants as opposed to what we want. What sucks is that he's cute as anything, so it's hard to get angry at him. I suspect that'll get easier with time.

In all, 2007 is providing some seriously sucky moments and some pretty good ones. BF2 will be back here from a quick sidetrip visiting elsewhere on Sunday, but won't be staying. Monday I teach at 08:30, have a meeting, have an office hour, come home. The kids go back to school on Monday. Life, as it has manifested itself, goes on.