Friends are good.
I had a weekend largely away from the computer (as the sharp-eyed of you have undoubtedly noticed…), and I needed it.
On Saturday, Mark arrived around noon, full of ideas and stories and good cheer. We shopped and he cooked, and also talked and talked to me about cancer and life and death and hope and faith and friendship and just all sorts of wise things. He fed me some of the best salmon I’ve ever had in my entire life.
Sunday morning, he came along and we met Corry for breakfast, before she headed back up to wet, wet Seattle. She told us all about Mile High Con and other adventures as we ate far too much food at Boogaloos.
After putting her on BART, I continued to torture the poor Pacific Northwesterner with our stunning weather by taking him for a walk up Buena Vista Park. Then he was off in his car for wet, wet Seattle (though I’ve just received reliable intelligence that he has been spotted in Portland).
Got caught up on a few things, then The Ogre came by, with more friend-encouragement and good cheer.
Honestly, Jay has the best friends, and I am so pleased to be welcomed into their midst. Truly.
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So, as all the details continue to unfold and organize, my own plans have been coming clear. My last “official” day at work will still be December 1, but my last actual day will be November 20th. I will leave on the 22nd to drive to Portland. Jay’s surgery is the 25th; he’ll be in the hospital into the weekend, most likely. A whole gang of us will camp out at Nuevo Rancho Lake and rotate in and out of the hospital, as much as the authorities will let us. Then I’ll stick around through the following week, doing what is needed for the convalescent.
Monday the 7th is the appointment with the oncologist, to discuss what was found in the surgery and the (probable) chemo plan.
After that, I will likely drive home on the 8th, though that’s flexible, if things change.
So: this is my last two weeks of work! (again…) And I’ve got a ton of things to do, to get ready for all of this. Car things–change oil, get chains, etc. Home things, though I do have helper elves lined up for the orchids already. Work things–stuff to finish up, stuff to hand over to the bosses (yeah there’s no replacement for me yet), bringing home all my personal stuff (art on the walls, etc), destroying evidence leaving the place nice and tidy for the next person. Just general life things, large and small.
I probably don’t need to mention that not a lot of writing is getting done. 🙂 Though I did eke out another few hundred words on the Golden Spider Beetles story on Friday, and, far more importantly, totally found the voice of the story. I think the next writing session will take it to the end…then it’ll just need some spit and polish, and I can send it around to first readers. As for when that writing session will be, I simply do not know…