RSSThe Lowest Low of 2008, Buoyed with Some Good
My New Year’s celebrations went fairly well. I started drinking around nine Monday night and at about ten The Partner and I talked with The Canadian-Down-Under for an hour. It was good to hear he is doing well, and to hear the stories he can’t blog about. (It was not good to hear he had started smoking again, at $11 a pack [I have to bug you, and would expect the same].)
Shortly after we got off the phone, Lauren called to invite us over to her place to join her, Chef, and her friend J in ringing in the new year, so we gathered some liquor and games and walked through the already-nasty weather to her house.
The five of us sat around, drinking too much, playing a game, and talking politics. Chef and The Partner left the room at one point, hiding in the kitchen, because they couldn’t handle our rather heated discussion (but I don’t think I pointed any fingers this time, even though I was sufficiently sloshed). I’m a firm believer in folks sharing their beliefs, philosophies, and politics, because if we can’t and don’t talk about them, we leave it up to other folks, who are probably godbag Republicans, and I don’t know about you, but they don’t talk for me. And how else do you know what you believe until you argue it through with others? It was great to see how different, yet similar, the three of us are.
I think The Partner left around 3am, taking my liquor with him. Fortunately, Lauren and Chef are drinkers, so I took some of their rum to mix with my soda, which I did drink, even though Lauren poured some coffee liqueur in it. She went to bed around 5 or so, I think.
So Chef, J, and I sat around for another two hours talking, although the particulars are extremely fuzzy. Realizing the time, I walked home part of the way with J, appreciating her ability to talk frankly without having hurt feelings or feeling awkward.
I then stayed up until 8, at which time it had become light out, drinking tons of water to allow myself the ability to lay down with getting the spins.
Happy New Year!
Then the phone rang at 11am.
I had partially awoken, and heard The Partner race up the stairs to answer it. He had missed it, but caller ID said it was my parents house. I mumbled something about it being too early, my mom should know I’d still be sleeping, and we weren’t going to the movies until the later afternoon.
The Partner listened to the voicemail, and said it was my step-father. The Partner brought me the cordless so I could listen to the message telling me to call home as soon as possible.
That’s never a good message.
Still rather drunk, I called home. My step-father said my mom was in the hospital, having had a small stroke at 1:30 that morning.
After the shock, I got up, got dressed, made a small breakfast, drank a lot of water, and then called one of my aunts because my step-dad hadn’t gotten a hold of her. I reached her, and told her. I tried to call my other aunt and uncle, but I couldn’t find their phone number in my panic, so I called my cousin Amanda, who didn’t answer, so I left her a message to call me ASAP.
We then dug our car out of the snow and drove to the hospital.
My mom said, “It looks like we’re not going to the movies today, kiddo.”
We stayed until about 3 in the afternoon, long enough for my step-dad to return and for the neurologist to call with the results of the MRI, which showed my mom did have a small stroke. The good news is that she did not display any outward signs of damage (such as one-sided paralysis or memory loss or slurred speech). Any and all damage was relegated to her brain, which seemed to be functioning normally, or as normal as could be. We should find out more later today.
I’m just going to say that this had better be the lowest fucking low of the remaining 364 days of 2008. Or someone is getting cut.
Mixed with this bad, I had called an old friend to let her know about my mom, and in-between our talks of watching our parents get older, she let me know about her New Year’s engagement. While I can’t say I’m excited for another wedding (even though she will be a most beautiful bride and the alcohol shall surely flow at the party), I am excited for her and hope she and her soon-to-be-husband come to enjoy their 1,138 Federal rights and privileges.
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If I prayed, I would totally pray for your mom. You can tell her that.
It’s scary — my parents are going through some medical issues, both of them, and I’m terrified of having to confront their mortality. We’ve had our issues but I love them both dearly, and I don’t know what I would do without the two of them.
Love you, Annie. xxoo
OMG, I am sooo sorry - I didn’t see you’d called until about midnight last night. I haven’t even listened to the message yet. Do you have Dave’s #? He’s much better about answering his phone than I am. Is your mom still in the hospital? And has someone reached my parents yet? Hope everything is going better, and let me know if I/we can do anything.
@Amanda: I tried Dave’s cell as well. Your parents/the family have been contacted.
I’m so sorry that you and your family had to go through this and that’s such a crummy way to start off a new year. Not really into prayer either but I’m really good at sending good vibes out into the universe so consider that done!
Big hug. <3
pea
Glad everything is went ok. I was worried. Miss you!