How It's Going

Haven't posted any news about my brother in a little bit: after a bad day of nausea and lack of sleep, he had good days yesterday and today. All the tubes and monitoring are out except the EKG, his dressings are off (revealing a very neat chest scar and a very Frankenstein-looking one on his arm -- haven't seen the groin one for obvious reasons :-> ), and he's in a private room. The nurses and doctors seem very pleased with his progress and he's been taking walks down the hallway.

As for me, Thursday evening I was driving home at 6 after visiting hours were over, thinking about the things I had to do to get ready for the Sabbath the next evening when it hit me: "If tomorrow is Friday then today is Thursday which means that I could drop by the LASFS clubhouse." The clubhouse is conveniently about 10 minutes from my brother's place so after shopping for some food and clearing my brother's mailboxes at the UPS Store, I headed over to North Hollywood.

Got to see edgreen86 and lyzard13 and freak out various other local fans who didn't know I was in LA. (I also was informed that Stephen still only had a supporting membership to the upcoming local worldcon so I got to remedy that situation.) I was surprised but probably shouldn't have been at how little tings have changed since I lived in LA in the early 80s: many of the same people still show up, the minutes are still fun, Jerry Pournelle still loudly and endlessly pontificates at the drop of a hat, and many of the same bad puns are made. It was an odd but comforting experience.

Besides visiting with my brother, this has been a very nostalgic week between LASFS and seeing some of my brother's friends on visits, two of whom went to high school with us and a few more of whom he's known since college or his early years in LA so I peripherally have known them too.

Got some much needed rest and quiet on the Sabbath. Hospital waiting rooms are surprisingly noisy places to spend the day and my evenings have largely been spent either running errands or staying at the hospital so I've been feeling sort of battered. I also haven't been using earplugs in case the hospital called but one of Jerry's friends took over that duty for last night so I actually got a lot of sleep and some reading done thanks to a library branch only two blocks away.

I'm glad to have recharged before he comes home, as I suspect that the transition and the upcoming week of staying here to take him to doctors' visits, be here when he needs assistance, etc. will be somewhat stressful for all concerned. But I'm very, very glad to have that problem, believe me!

How It's Going

Haven't posted any news about my brother in a little bit: after a bad day of nausea and lack of sleep, he had good days yesterday and today. All the tubes and monitoring are out except the EKG, his dressings are off (revealing a very neat chest scar and a very Frankenstein-looking one on his arm -- haven't seen the groin one for obvious reasons :-> ), and he's in a private room. The nurses and doctors seem very pleased with his progress and he's been taking walks down the hallway.

As for me, Thursday evening I was driving home at 6 after visiting hours were over, thinking about the things I had to do to get ready for the Sabbath the next evening when it hit me: "If tomorrow is Friday then today is Thursday which means that I could drop by the LASFS clubhouse." The clubhouse is conveniently about 10 minutes from my brother's place so after shopping for some food and clearing my brother's mailboxes at the UPS Store, I headed over to North Hollywood.

Got to see edgreen86 and lyzard13 and freak out various other local fans who didn't know I was in LA. (I also was informed that Stephen still only had a supporting membership to the upcoming local worldcon so I got to remedy that situation.) I was surprised but probably shouldn't have been at how little tings have changed since I lived in LA in the early 80s: many of the same people still show up, the minutes are still fun, Jerry Pournelle still loudly and endlessly pontificates at the drop of a hat, and many of the same bad puns are made. It was an odd but comforting experience.

Besides visiting with my brother, this has been a very nostalgic week between LASFS and seeing some of my brother's friends on visits, two of whom went to high school with us and a few more of whom he's known since college or his early years in LA so I peripherally have known them too.

Got some much needed rest and quiet on the Sabbath. Hospital waiting rooms are surprisingly noisy places to spend the day and my evenings have largely been spent either running errands or staying at the hospital so I've been feeling sort of battered. I also haven't been using earplugs in case the hospital called but one of Jerry's friends took over that duty for last night so I actually got a lot of sleep and some reading done thanks to a library branch only two blocks away.

I'm glad to have recharged before he comes home, as I suspect that the transition and the upcoming week of staying here to take him to doctors' visits, be here when he needs assistance, etc. will be somewhat stressful for all concerned. But I'm very, very glad to have that problem, believe me!

Hong Kong Film Subtitles

Someone just sent a list of actual subtitles from Hong Kong action films, which includes the following:

* Damn, I'll burn you into a BBQ chicken!
* Take my advice, or I'll spank you without pants.
* Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected.
and my favorite:
* Greetings, large black person. Let us not forget to form a team up together and go into the country to inflict the pain of our karate feets on some ass of the giant lizard person.

Hong Kong Film Subtitles

Someone just sent a list of actual subtitles from Hong Kong action films, which includes the following:

* Damn, I'll burn you into a BBQ chicken!
* Take my advice, or I'll spank you without pants.
* Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected.
and my favorite:
* Greetings, large black person. Let us not forget to form a team up together and go into the country to inflict the pain of our karate feets on some ass of the giant lizard person.

Anyone Seen Our UFO?

Been meaning to share this little tidbit: I met with the friend who's doing my taxes for last year while I was in the Bay Area. She informed me that because Stephen and I got married in December of last year, I have to file married. The best part is that we have to get Stephen a Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number as a "nonresident alien spouse." (When I told him this over the phone, he wanted to know if he'd be issued antennae :-> ) Then we have to give her his income in Australia for last year... so she can then exclude it!

We keep concentrating so much on the stuff we have to do for me in terms of Australian ID, taxes, etc. that we keep forgetting that he's now married to an American citizen and there are complications that come along with that, too.

Anyone Seen Our UFO?

Been meaning to share this little tidbit: I met with the friend who's doing my taxes for last year while I was in the Bay Area. She informed me that because Stephen and I got married in December of last year, I have to file married. The best part is that we have to get Stephen a Social Security Number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number as a "nonresident alien spouse." (When I told him this over the phone, he wanted to know if he'd be issued antennae :-> ) Then we have to give her his income in Australia for last year... so she can then exclude it!

We keep concentrating so much on the stuff we have to do for me in terms of Australian ID, taxes, etc. that we keep forgetting that he's now married to an American citizen and there are complications that come along with that, too.

Sprung

My brother was allowed to go home today so we spent the morning and early afternoon sitting various meetings from the cardiac rehab nurse, the dietitian, etc. on post-surgical stuff to do. His friend came to help with the transport from the hospital and also had made a small platform to Jerry's specifications so he can step down from his high bed without being at a bad angle. He's doing great: walked up the stairs, took a shower himself, etc. The hard part now will be to clean out the stuff in his fridge that he's not supposed to eat any more and to figure out menus and food that he both should and will eat, and can cook for himself. And to get into the daily routine of cardiac and breathing exercises and what he can and can't do, without his trying to overdo it just because he's feeling better than he expected.

My main concentration now is to exercise every bit of patience I have to get through this week staying in his living room and helping him get settled without wanting to suffocate him with a pillow and undo the work of his expensive operation :->

Sprung

My brother was allowed to go home today so we spent the morning and early afternoon sitting various meetings from the cardiac rehab nurse, the dietitian, etc. on post-surgical stuff to do. His friend came to help with the transport from the hospital and also had made a small platform to Jerry's specifications so he can step down from his high bed without being at a bad angle. He's doing great: walked up the stairs, took a shower himself, etc. The hard part now will be to clean out the stuff in his fridge that he's not supposed to eat any more and to figure out menus and food that he both should and will eat, and can cook for himself. And to get into the daily routine of cardiac and breathing exercises and what he can and can't do, without his trying to overdo it just because he's feeling better than he expected.

My main concentration now is to exercise every bit of patience I have to get through this week staying in his living room and helping him get settled without wanting to suffocate him with a pillow and undo the work of his expensive operation :->