you are the best thing

This is what trouble really looks like.

This is my nephew Blake, and this morning I got a text from my sister saying she was taking him to the hospital. The text said that his breathing was labored and that she was up all night watching over him. After a couple of hours she texted me with an update on his condition. Turns out the lil guy has pneumonia and has to stay overnight at the hospital for observation. They began treatment immediately and started him on antibiotics. The upside to all of this is he pulled the monitor lead off his foot this morning, and has been fighting the nurses every step of the way. This has been a tense day for the family, and hope tomorrow will be better for us. Especially for lil bubba!

We're waiting to hear back on some test results this morning, and hoping the antibiotics work fast against the pneumonia. It's the waiting that's the hardest part. My sister hasn't left his side or slept much since this started and I honestly don't think I could even imagine what she's going through. I don't know how parents handle this.

shelter

August is (thankfully!) almost over and we're due to get some rain this week too. I'm feeling better about my lateral promotion now that a little time has passed and I've gotten to know my new boss. Given what I've gone though in recent years, any changes in the work place make me nervous. I know that if I lost my job for any reason, I would have nothing to worry over since I'd simply start my plans sooner. It's the interruption in finances which in turn affects my plan to pay off bills that would really bother me. Things are good for now, but I will win my freedom!

I've been living vicariously thru Robi of Tumbleweeds and Lemonade since she hit the road over a month ago. She's had a bit of a rough start but is working the kinks out and starting to get the hang of things. It's been a great learning experience for us both even though I'm only doing this via phone calls w/her. I think the main thing I've taken away from her experiences is that I'm right to want to stay clear of major cities (guard shacks too). I swear that people living in large clusters are sometimes absolute dicks. Anyone living a mobile lifestyle in one knows what I mean by that. Maybe I'm just getting to be a grumpy old man, but I don't think so. I'm completely enamored with being in the desert, taking in everything around me, and (most importantly) simply slow down to enjoy it all.

weekly sundries

Hi guys! I know, I've been missing in action. A lot of recent changes kept me busier than normal these last few weeks. Here's a brief run down of what's occupied me. I was moved to a new team at work (same pay unfortunately), I was ill (not fun at all), I started talking longer walks (to help lower that bad cholesterol of mine), and resumed an old online habit which is known to siphon life away (eve online - for anyone interested (no it's not porn)).

I've gotta run to work now, but there's more to follow shortly ...