7 + 4 = 11

Happy Independence Day!  I didn't do too much of anything today, and it felt rather good.  I even started the day off by sleeping late, and since I didn't get in 'til around 3 AM from the party Jon and Karin threw yesterday, I felt mostly justified.

It's been a busy several weeks.  I've attended a music festival with Jenn and Rhonda, done a bit of catsitting for Barbara, gone to Sally and Matt's party (where Matt learned enough of "That's Just What I Am" to accompany me on guitar - thanks!), filmed some scenes for Rick Ford's latest venture, "Hassel Unbound" (would you believe I have an entry at IMDB?), played some of my songs in Duane Park for Make Music New York 2011, with Barbara as my roadie, visited New York's Central Park and Greenwich Village with Laura before going back to the park the next day for rollerblading with Dawn (followed by Rosa Mexicano's outstanding guacamole and pomegranate margaritas), had Peruvian ceviche with Yesika's family and Rhonda, attended a managers' meeting at Shadow Lake in Franklin Lakes which eventually turned into a company-wide barbecue/party, and visited Jon and the very-pregnant Karin for the above-mentioned party yesterday.  And of course I had that job thing going on the whole time, too.

I've also visited my parents more often than usual during the past five weeks, understandable under the circumstances.  After my dad finally agreed to see a doctor, he was hospitalized for nearly a week with renal failure and anemia (as well as high calcium and blood pressure readings).  Those symptoms have been addressed, but the cause was eventually determined to be Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, a rare form of cancer in the white blood cells known as lymphocytes.  This, too, is being addressed, with chemotherapy, and while the prognosis is good and my dad is in better spirits than he was a month ago, it's still been stressful on him and the rest of us, and there are several chemo sessions ahead.  He's already losing his hair, and as he and I have both managed to hang on to our full heads of hair with minimal greying, I can relate to the trauma; still, he's mostly holding up pretty well, although of course he has better days (when he can eat and sleep) and worse ones.

With all that's been going on, I've been pretty good about playing guitar every day.  I'm determined not to lose these calluses again!  In addition to performing at MMNY, I dragged my guitar along to Sally and Matt's party (because they wanted people to bring instruments), to Microwize's barbecue last Friday (because my colleague and fellow southpaw guitarist Nicole was bringing hers and asked me to bring mine, too), and to Jon and Karin's party yesterday (because Jon figured he and I could jam a bit if people left early).  I'm still learning to play, and sing, "Burning in the Sun," but I'll get it soon enough.  I'm also planning to write another new song or two in the very near future.

Pam is coming back to see me next month, and one of the events we have planned is a New York outing with my parents to see the new Cirque du Soleil show "Zarkana" and then have dinner at the Hallo Berlin beer hall.  We're all looking forward to it!  A trip to the Jersey shore, a performance of Zach Braff's off-Broadway play "All New People," and dinner at the amazing Cafe Matisse are also on tap for Pam's visit.  :-)

So, yes, there's been a lot going on, and this month will see a get-together or two with some old classmates, more romping around in NYC, and possibly a venture shoreward... and who knows what else?  Can you blame me for parking it on the couch for a few hours this evening to watch "Hearts in Atlantis" and "Flatliners?"  Well, it's back to work tomorrow, and it's just about midnight now, so I should probably park it in bed.  Good night, all...

Dad

This was originally intended to be a concerned open letter to my dad, an attempt to convince him to see a doctor after a few weeks of feeling poorly and suffering from weight loss, lack of hunger, weakness, and pain.  (Disclosure: I'm not noted for visiting doctors' offices, either.  In fact, the last time I was in a doctor's office in something other than a professional capacity, George Bush was in office.  No, not Dubya; George H. W. Bush, back in 1991.  But I'd seek medical attention if I felt that bad for that long.)  I saw him and my mom for his 67th birthday this past Sunday, and while he didn't look bad, he certainly didn't look as healthy or strong or vivacious as I'm used to him being.


Then, this morning, I determined that this post would have a more relieved tone, when my dad E-mailed me to tell me that he and my mom had found a doctor yesterday, and they'd run some tests on him and gave him some medication, and there were more tests scheduled... and more importantly, he was feeling better than he had over the past few days.


I was therefore shaken to the core when, just a few hours later, my sister E-mailed me with the news that my dad was going to be hospitalized, and that he was suffering from anemia and possible kidney failure.  I did speak with my mom and my dad early this evening, as she was getting ready to leave the hospital, and they both sounded OK, but I'm worried.  I suppose it's a little too soon for that, and I should wait until we have some more information, hopefully tomorrow, before attempting to make some sense of all this...


I moved out of my parents' house when I was 21 (just a few months after that last doctor's visit, coincidentally), not in a fit of rage or rebellion but because I just felt it was time to live my life my way.  I've never looked back, but I didn't need to; they were never behind me, but instead always at my sides.  My mom and dad have always done everything they could, and then some, for their children, and I honor and respect and appreciate and love them for it.  Maybe it's selfish and irrational, but I want them to be around for another twenty or thirty years.  I hope they are.  We still have more to share.