Well, I'll Be Goddamned

Just a few days after my parents receive the settlement on an auto accident my stepdad was in a couple of years back (for the record, Allstate can be real jerkwads about paying claims to people involved in accidents with their insureds), my stepdad is in another accident today - someone slammed into the passenger side of his car.

The car he was driving is totaled, and he was taken to the hospital to be checked out. The report from my mom (who drove to the ER from work) is that when she did see him, he was capable of moving around - except for that cervical brace, and the officer on the scene said that he was being taken to the ER as a precautionary measure.

Unfortunately, the ER staff are being real asstarts & not letting my mom into see him - or even telling her of what's going on so far. (Sounds a bit like the Princess Margaret Hospital (in Toronto) experience from last June!!) All she knows is that he'd been taken into X-Ray ... for some reason, anything else is highly classified.

My sister is upset because she has to miss her ice-skating lesson today - and her bathing suit was in the totaled car, so she can't walk up to the community center with her friend to go swimming.

I'm a bundle of nerves - when a family member calls & asks for the phone number of a shared doctor, and says in the message "I'll explain why I need it when you call back..." you can't help but worry.

Now, I don't ask for this often, but right now, good vibes, prayers, get-well beams, etc. would be greatly appreciated. :)


Edit: Mom finally got into see him. They're waiting to see what the X-Rays show, but right now, he's sore as hell and sounded a bit drugged when I talked to him for a brief moment.

$95.00 Bath, Anyone?

No, this isn't an offer to take a bath in the Lincoln Bedroom. This is actually a service offered by the Regent Wall Street Hotel in New York City.

For $95.00 USD, you can have a "certified hotel employee ... pour you the "Retro" bath - one among many on their extensive bath menu (with Mr. Bubble), which also includes a choice of CDs, candles, reading material, a bath brush, a beverage of choice, and -- completing the regression -- a rubber ducky."

Granted, their tubs are 6 feet long, but, that does seem a bit expensive for a bath. And "Certified Hotel Employee"? How, exactly, does one go about becoming certified to pour baths for guests?

Sure it would be fun to have $95 to throw around indiscriminately like that - but I could have a similar experience, albeit in a shorter tub, at home for a lot less.

Mr. Bubble - Free. Got a bottle of it at home, actually.
CDs - Free. Barenaked Ladies' Maybe You Should Drive is really good soak-in-the-bathtub music.
Candles - Free. I'm a Yankee Candle Company whore, so I have my share of those candles.
Reading Material - price varies. If it's the Everyday section of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, I get that delivered to my door every morning (the entire paper, that is). Otherwise, I think the anthology Aqua Erotica would be fun reading - especially since it's waterproof.
Bath Brush - unnecessary, 'cause I don't use one.
Beverage of Choice - available at no charge. Adult beverages can be purchased beforehand. ;)
Rubber Ducky - about $5.00 at Target
Not paying a "Certified Hotel Employee" to meddle in my bathing experience - PRICELESS.

Family Update & Other Stuff

First, Thank You for the kind words - they're most appreciated. :)

Here's the story on my stepdad's accident: He was preparing to get onto the highway when someone decided to flip a bitch (make a u-turn), and ended up slamming into my stepdad's car (a Pontiac Grand Am). The other driver was in a panel van - a company van, no less. (Ooops!)

The X-Rays were clear - no broken bones. My stepdad has cuts, bruises and abrasions, as well as some soft tissue injury and a possible case of whiplash. He's on two painkillers *and* a muscle relaxer, and on my mom's advice, has the chiropractor's phone number at the ready if needed. It may be a few days before he's able to drive, and may be several weeks before he can get back to working full-time (he's self-employed) - but thankfully, he wasn't kept in the hospital and he's doing alright, even if the car may very well be totaled.

Also, if one ever doubts that there's someone watching over us ... I can say that there most definitely is. My sister was supposed to go with my stepdad, but changed her mind at the last minute. If she'd gone with him, she would've been in the front passenger seat ... and I'd either be visiting her in the hospital, or going to her funeral. I'm grateful that my sister didn't go with her dad today - and grateful that my stepdad is doing as well as is expected right now.


Besides that ... today was alright, all things considered. I gave one of our producers a Passover card that said: "Not only is this card a way to wish you a Happy Passover ... It's also a tasty alternative to Matzo." After he read the card, he looked for me and said, "I have to give you a hug for the card!" So that made my day. :)

When I got the news of my stepdad's accident, I managed to avoid running into the kitchen and eating half the pan of brownies that were there. Granted, I was sitting at my desk and crying for a bit ... but it was easier to live with myself by doing that, rather than sublimating my feelings with food. (Speaking of brownies - which I *love* and unfortunately can't get enough of - I've found something to satiate that craving. It may seem silly, but Manischewitz Fudgey Nut Brownie Macaroons are good enough to take the edge off that craving - but not so good that I'd eat the entire canister. Also, I don't know how long it's going on, but when you purchase Manischewitz foods, they're donating money from the purchases to the Israeli Red Cross.)


And, finally, I was at the mall tonight, and went by the pet store again. They had some really damn cute rabbits - my favorites were a couple of rabbits that had white bodies, black ears and some markings (or tan ears & markings). There was even one that was white with black and tan. So cute ... I'm really looking forward to getting a new rabbit in the next couple of months. :)