11/22: Sunday Funday

There was no post yesterday for 2 reasons. 1. There wasn't much to report. Dad's vitals didn't change much, but all is good and stable. 2. Ashlee had a final rehearsal for the opera tonight, and when she got home she slept. She was so tired that she spoke of herself in third person.

I did have an amazing conversation with Mikal, Dad's nurse. She's the one Mom and I love to pieces- she also used to ride bikes, so she sympathizes with our situation. She put some things in perspective for me. As trite as it sounds, one of her phrases hasn't left my head: "Life changes, but it does go on."

Mom and I are still getting used to what is now our new normal: stats, temps, bodily fluid discussions that aren't even our own. She managed to go home for a few hours yesterday, and I'm so proud. If you see her before I do, make sure she's taking care of herself.

Dad breathed all by himself today on a CPAP machine. And that, my friends, is what we call progress! The nurses also convinced Mom that Dad's beard had to go. It's getting too long, and soon it will interfere with the trach collar, which would cause him even more discomfort. They had makeover day this morning, and Mikal sent me a shot of dad from her camera phone...c'est adrorable! Less Grizzly Adams, more Timbo circa 2002. They did a pretty good job; very few nicks.

This morning at mass at Church of the Ascension, I was thinking of not just my own father, but the patriarch of the McSheehy family in Russellville. His daughter was a friend of mine from college, and he passed yesterday morning. When you have your next spiritual moment, please send some of the good wishes you have for my father to their family so that they find peace and comfort during their grief.

Again, today is a good day for Dad. He's holding is own, which is exactly what we want for now. I'm heading to my modern opera with Vox3/Eclipse Theatre Co, where I'll be screaming above the staff as Esther Dudley in Democracy. I'll record it because my mother wants it for Dad, but my character is the daughter of an agnostic who's trying to decide if she wants to marry and Anglican priest in post-Civil War America. Not sure how my pitched religious arguments will go with the Temptations and Gladys Knight, but I'll work on it.