Archives for July 19, 2005

Yesterday morning I arose before dawn, took my mother to the hospital where I was born forty-nine years ago, and watched her vanish down a corridor, wondering if I’d see her alive again. Seven hours later I was feeding her ice chips from a plastic spoon and doing my best not to get choked up as I told her she didn’t look too bad, considering.

In fact, she came through her operation somewhat bloodied (she lost a cupful) but mostly unbowed, and when it was over the surgeon informed us–convincingly–that the prospects for her recovery were excellent. I passed the word to her a couple of hours later in her hospital room, and she smiled wanly. Then I pulled out my cell phone and started calling all the people on the list she’d handed me the night before.

I don’t know what you do on the eve of major spinal surgery, but my brother, a man of action, decided the situation called for a cookout and proceeded to barbecue a mountain of pork chops, chicken breasts, and jalape

Beloved, we are always in the wrong,

Handling so clumsily our stupid lives,

Suffering too little or too long,

Too careful even in our selfish loves;

The decorative manias we obey

Die in grimaces round us every day,

Yet through their tohu-bohu comes a voice

Which utters an absurd command–Rejoice.

W.H. Auden, “In Sickness and in Health”

Beloved, we are always in the wrong,

Handling so clumsily our stupid lives,

Suffering too little or too long,

Too careful even in our selfish loves;

The decorative manias we obey

Die in grimaces round us every day,

Yet through their tohu-bohu comes a voice

Which utters an absurd command–Rejoice.

W.H. Auden, “In Sickness and in Health”

A friend who should know writes:

One of life’s greatest joys is that relief rush that follows a loved one’s successful surgery, not to mention the reunion afterwards with whoever had to brave the table. The world briefly seems to be about the simple basics and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What she said.

Now I’m off to the hospital to amuse my mother. Work can wait. Likewise the world. See you tonight.

I’m back up and running computerwise, finally, though there are a couple glitches with the email (also, I lost a bunch of July email in the crash, so feel free to write again if you didn’t get an answer). Most of the relevant glitches, though, concern my schedule, which is very, very overbooked. Would you believe me if I said I’m going to be back with a vengeance over the weekend? No, I wouldn’t believe me either. But that will make it all the more titillating when the threat/promise actually materializes….

In the meantime, though, there is one thing that has been on my mind since before the changing of the Macs, which is simply this: the new Erin McKeown totally lives up, and check out those adorable bird innards. Charming, no? The album isn’t what my previous experience of Ms. McKeown’s music had led me to expect–and I mean this in the best possible way. The capacity to surprise is an excellent thing. Listening to WWBLB (as Terry and I shorthand it), I’ve found, can be a little like reading a decompressed sestina. And haven’t you always wanted to hear a really, really good song about The Columbian Exposition? Of course you have. Case closed!

I’m back up and running computerwise, finally, though there are a couple glitches with the email (also, I lost a bunch of July email in the crash, so feel free to write again if you didn’t get an answer). Most of the relevant glitches, though, concern my schedule, which is very, very overbooked. Would you believe me if I said I’m going to be back with a vengeance over the weekend? No, I wouldn’t believe me either. But that will make it all the more titillating when the threat/promise actually materializes….

In the meantime, though, there is one thing that has been on my mind since before the changing of the Macs, which is simply this: the new Erin McKeown totally lives up, and check out those adorable bird innards. Charming, no? The album isn’t what my previous experience of Ms. McKeown’s music had led me to expect–and I mean this in the best possible way. The capacity to surprise is an excellent thing. Listening to WWBLB (as Terry and I shorthand it), I’ve found, can be a little like reading a decompressed sestina. And haven’t you always wanted to hear a really, really good song about The Columbian Exposition? Of course you have. Case closed!