Art of the Odd

I almost never pick up my landline. Usually, if it rings, it’s someone trying to sell me something. But it rang around noon, and that made me wonder — when did I last check my answering machine? Before Thanksgiving, at least… So I wandered in to check the machine, just in time to hear, “Hi, Chia. It’s John — Shawn’s boyfriend. Shawn’s in the hospital. ICU, actually.”

Of course I picked up.

His liver is failing. They don’t know why yet. He went to the hospital yesterday. They put him in ICU when his blood pressure dropped dangerously low.

John called again later. He said Shawn’s stable, but unconscious. He’s on a respirator, because he didn’t react well to something they did to him. His esophagus is badly damaged. But, they expect he’ll make a full recovery.

I’m irrationally angry at myself, because I haven’t talked to him since before the wedding, in July. It must be worse for John, who lives with him and didn’t know how sick he was.

All I can do is wait to hear more news. And pray.

Maybe I should give the PonyShow its own category, too.

Tonight’s PonyShow’s was all about raising money for Hillary’s campaign. We had Hillary volunteers, Hillary’s state field director, Hillary buttons and signs and balloons. I danced to Natacha Atlas’s cover of “It’s a Man’s World,” and NovySan offered to stalk the candidate. All in all, a good night.

Actually, I think it was time for bed about an hour ago. I’ve got more work I should be doing, but I can’t face it. I’ve got a headache, I’m cold (the cat is, too — she’s gotten quite aggressive about trying to be in my lap), and I need sleep.

Because I was working, I didn’t go to Melanie’s class tonight, which left me a bit of time to cook dinner — we had deer chops with garlic, leek, bell pepper and sweet potato, plus salad. Took about half an hour to make (I just sauteed everything in the oil left over from the sausages we had Sunday night, then simmered it in a tiny bit of vegetable broth), and between the garlic and the Italian sausage oil, didn’t require any other seasoning. I’m very happy with it.

Last night, I just flat forgot to post. So I’m backdating another entry. (Is it cheating if I admit I’m doing it?)

How’d I forget? Um… Well, after my lesson with Amara, I picked NovySan up from work, we took the rental car back, then we picked up a friend of Ben’s who’s vacationing in Santa Monica and took him to dinner at Lula. (Which isn’t as good as Finn’s, but I did like my chile relleno. And the sexy matador pinups in the bar are a definite plus.) So, by the time we got home, I was fried, and just flat forgot. (And after thinking to myself, “I’ll have to post when I get home,” too.)

After driving to Wyoming and back between Tuesday evening and this morning, with too-brief stops at both parents’ houses and one restless night with an aggressively affectionate cat, it was nice to take a long nap this morning, followed by a late lunch at Finn McCool’s and hours just hanging out on the couch. (Okay, so I’m working while hanging out on the couch, but thank goodness I’m not driving.)