A year has passed

It's been a year since I last blogged.  The trip to New Jersey was great and I am still waiting on a kidney.  My life is the same; everything is divided into two day slices.  We are looking forward to Rob and Cassie coming in for a visit; it's been a while.  Rob has another show in Paris in October and Amanda just got a new position with BAC.  Health issues not so good for brothers-in-laws; keep them in your prayers.

A to Z

Monday, I had a heart catheter.  The reason was that it is a requirement for the U of L Transplant Team.  Last time, I had a really bad experience.  It was so bad, this time the same doctor told me the story of my own procedure as an example of how bad they can be.  The nurse said, "I'm going to give you something in your IV", then she said, "I'm going to roll you over, let me do all the work", and she put me on the gurney and I went to recovery.  I remembered nothing.  The pipes are all clear and in the same shape as 9 years ago.
That's the "A" part; now for the "Z".  Rob, as I'm sure I mentioned before, had a one man show in Paris October 23rd.  He also has work in Paris, Palm Beach, and New York.  In the week before the Paris show, the New York gallery sold three paintings; the Paris show sold four, and today, the New York gallery sold another.  This month has been a good one for Rob and the student loan people.

Facing the big one

My last test for the transplant team  is Monday morning.  I hate the heart catheter, as I had a really bad experience with the last one.  I've taken all the tests [after Monday] and now it is in the hands of the team.  If I qualify, then the question is, "Will my sister qualify?"  Even if she doesn't, there is always the cadaver list. The odds are a little lower [9% after three years] and you can't plan for it, but it has its good points.  Zu is back and I, at least, am having trouble adjusting to there not being a big, pending event in our lives.  For a long while, we were getting ready for the trip; then taking the trip, and now its over.  I read about Mitch today; I think it is a little rash to tell the President, publicly, that your top priority is to see that he does not have another term.  On the other hand, I resent having the Dems lecture us about what the mid terms mean. 

9 days without

I have been a bachelor for 9 days while my entire immediate family has been in Paris.  Rob's show opened last Saturday and was a "success".  It took several days before anyone told me what that meant.  It's hard to tell people what its like to be without your companion of 47 years; it is a frightening proposition.  On a happier note, she is coming back tonight and I can't wait. 

Home Alone

The family left yesterday to go to New Jersey to spend the night at Rob and Cassies'.  Today, Amanda and Zu went into NYC to the gallery, where Rob and Cassie joined them on a shuttle ride to JFK.  Right now, they are in the air to Paris.  Rob's show opens Saturday, and the rest of the family are going to try to enjoy Paris while he hangs the show.  You'd think it would be easy to enjoy Paris, but the French unions are rioting in the streets.  Seems the government, in order to save the national finances, wants to raise the FUTURE retirement age to 62.
In addition the regular cast -Zu, Amanda, Rob, and Cassie],Cassie's parents, and two friends from Marywood are going over.
The first thing Zu did when she got to Rob's place was to unpack and dump a whole suitcase.  You are supposed to pack, then unpack and take some things out: she packed.
I am facing being alone for 9 days.  I thought the time would zip by, but time seems to stretch out without her.

Went yesterday for my initial consultation with the U of L Transplant Team.  I answered pages of questions, gave 6 vials of blood, and had two physical exams..  Today, after dialysis, I arranged for three vaccines, a dental exam, and started scheduling a heart catheter,chest x-ray, and a colonscopy  The nurse took me through every step and possible complication.  Scary proposition.

PRP, Class of '70

I went to a class reunion, the 40th reunion of PRP.  They were the first class I was with, beginning to end.  I started after the beginning of the year in 1965, but this was my first graduating class.  I remembered names but not always faces.  We met at Mike Linnig's with about 75 in attendance.  Nice group.
The scary, or sobering, thing about the reunion is that many of these "kids" are now grandparents and retired.  My own 50th reunion is approaching next year and I realized that I am only 10 years older than the Class of '70.  At the time, they seemed so young and I so old; now, we are all old.
My brother was "insulted" when a student called him "Mr. Hay" and he had to point to me and correct them.
It was nice to hear about their careers, grand children, and adventures.  When old people gather, they often compare illnesses and we did that, too.
One or two reminded me of some interaction we had and it was nice to hear that I actually did something right or at least they remembered it as right.
The class meets tomorrow night for the formal reunion; can't make it but it was nice sharing this reunion gathering.