My Favorite Rediscovered Songs Currently

1. Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
2. Only You - Yaz
3. Always - Erasure

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Hold the Mayo

So as it turns out, my mother needs a kidney transplant. She was given the choice of going to Jacksonville or Gainesville for it. I would have preferred Gainesville as a location since I used to live there and have friends nearby. Unfortunately, the Gainesville hospital does not have a good reputation. The Jacksonville hospital, on the other hand, has a sterling reputation. It's a little place called the Mayo Clinic. Before she can be approved for a transplant she has to go there for a weeklong evaluation. We are in the middle of that right now, and I am sitting in a dinky hotel room where I've been for most of the week and will be for a few more days.


We've basically spent all day, everyday at Mayo going from one specialist to another. It's been exhausting and at times a bit frustrating. We spent all afternoon Friday waiting for a procedure and after a series of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and mismanagement, we found out that she didn't even need the procedure. Today, my mother spent all afternoon consuming four liters of a liquid concoction for a procedure in the morning. It wasn't easy. And it wasn't easy to watch. I also had to be the "bad guy" and prepare the glasses and stick them before her and tell her to drink. She got sick once and vomited, but she finally got through it all.

I keep telling myself that it's all worth it. But then again, it's only worth it if she gets approved. If she isn't, she'll be on dialysis for the rest of her life. She desperately wants that to not happen, and I desperately want that to not happen for her. So while I'm appreciative that people are trying to help her, I can't help but resent these people who are sitting in judgment of her and making her jump through hoops to get their approval. That may not be logical, but there it is.

We did get a bit of free time this weekend, and my mother has always wanted to see St. Augustine. We were close, so I took her down there. St. Augustine, if you don't know, is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States. My hometown, Pensacola, was actually settled before St. Augustine, but was unfortunately blown away a few times, thus losing the "continuously occupied" label. Having gone to St. Augustine, I think I'm now happy about that. Apparently, St. Augustine was established centuries ago to provide a place to sell overpriced knickknacks, T-shirts, and other crap that absolutely no one needs. I can't tell you how glad I am that my town never whored out it's historic district the way that St. Augustine has. I left there feeling kind of dirty. I felt that by visiting and spending money in the area, I had contributed to the rape of history by commercialism. I don't recommend a visit.

Tomorrow, it's back to Mayo for another half-week of runaround. I really can't wait to get back home. I miss my boys (oh, by the way, I got a puppy to go with my cats). I actually miss not being able to sleep so well because they're all over me. And I definitely miss my privacy. But I'll survive. And, hopefully, so will my mother.

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My Favorite Songs Currently

1. Echo - Cyndi Lauper
2. Poker Face - Lady GaGa
3. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson

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I'm Still Around

Well, due to disaster after disaster in this torturous exercise we call life, I haven't been posting lately. I really had every intention of getting back to it regularly, but things like air conditioners dying and sinks falling out of walls (seriously) have taken up much of my time recently and not left me with much energy to devote towards this blog or the subjects in which I'm usually interested. I do have every intention of getting back to it, so, to those two people who give a damn, be strong until my triumphant return!

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Fall TV Schedule: Freaky Friday

It turns out that Friday actually isn't so freaky, with only one show that I'm moderately interested in watching. In case the picture hasn't given it away, it's The Starter Wife (Oct. 10) at 10/9 on USA, although it'll likely run a few more times because it's on USA. I enjoyed the miniseries last year, so I'm looking forward to see where they're going with it now. And Judy Davis is sublime. Other shows on the night are listed after the click. In case you're wondering, there won't be any post for Saturday, which is generally a barren wasteland for television. We should all be out partying anyway! Or working to catch up on stuff on which we got behind during the week because we were watching television. Whatever.

Returning Network Shows:

Wife Swap (Oct. 3) ABC 8/7
Supernanny (Oct. 3) ABC 9/8
20/20 (underway) ABC 10/9
Ghost Whisperer (Oct. 3) CBS 8/7
Numb3rs (Oct. 3) CBS 10/9
Life (Sept. 29) NBC 10/9
Everybody Hates Chris (Oct. 3) CW 8/7
The Game (Oct. 3) CW 8:30/7:30
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (underway) FOX 8/7
Don't Forget the Lyrics! (underway) FOX 9/8

New Network Shows:

The Ex List (Oct. 3) CBS 9/8 - Woman revisits exes after psychic tells her that she's met the one. [Does she ever consider that the psychic might be hitting on her?]
America's Toughest Jobs (underway) NBC 8/7 - Ordinary people attempt dangerous jobs.
Crusoe (Oct. 17) NBC 9/8 - Like Robinson Crusoe, as primitive as can be. Just like Robinson Crusoe.

Cable:

Crash (Oct. 17) Starz 10/9 - Based on the film that stole won the Oscar.

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Fall TV Schedule: Thursday

Yup, it's time to give Thursday a good going-over. This is the best-looking night on television (and I'm not talking about the programming), so I may not always be thinking coherently. To find out what I'm getting at (or would like to), click it. [As always, Eastern/Central time and (premiere date) are given.]

I should probably feel guilty for the way I feel about the programs on Thursday nights, but I figure that I should be allowed to be shallow for one night out of the week. For me, Thursday is all about the pretty. First up at 8/7 on the CW is Smallville (Sept. 18) starring Tom Welling, who is possibly the most beautiful man walking the Earth. As an added bonus, Justin Hartley (also very pretty) is supposed to be returning as a series regular in his role as Green Arrow. Now, this show has sagged somewhat in recent years, but I felt that it made something of a comeback last season. Hopefully, they can keep the momentum going. As much as I do enjoy the pretty, it's nice to enjoy the show for other qualities every now and then. After that, at 9/8 on the CW is Supernatural (Sept. 18) starring Jensen Ackles (pretty) and Jared Padalecki (more pretty). As much as I do enjoy the gorgeous boys, the show is actually worth watching for other reasons. The guys have excellent chemistry and, in an extreme rarity for a television show, it's actually managed to scare the hell out of me a time or two. If this type of show isn't your thing, however, there is always the scenery to enjoy. And if we're really lucky, the scenery will take off an article of clothing or two every now and then. Okay, NOW I feel guilty. By the way, if you didn't notice those premiere dates are TONIGHT! Anyway, the last hour of primetime is empty for me, which is good, because I can use it to pursue very serious issues as my penance for the previous few hours. Other Thursday shows are below.

Returning Network Shows:

Ugly Betty (Sept. 25) ABC 8/7
Grey's Anatomy (Sept. 25) ABC 9/8
Survivor: Gabon (Sept. 25) CBS 8/7
CSI (Oct. 9) CBS 9/8
My Name Is Earl (Sept. 25) NBC 8/7
The Office (Sept. 25) NBC 9/8
30 Rock (Oct. 30) NBC 9:30/8:30
ER (Sept. 25) NBC 10/9
Kitchen Nightmares (underway) Fox 9/8

New Network Shows:

Life on Mars (Oct. 9) ABC 10/9 - Modern cop finds himself in the 1970's.
Eleventh Hour (Oct. 9) CBS 10/9 - Biophysicist solves crimes like pretty much everyone else on TV.
Kath & Kim (Oct. 9) NBC 8:30/7:30 - A mother deals with her adult but immature daughter returning home.
Hole in the Wall (underway) Fox 8/7 - Game show where people fit through a hole in a wall. Seriously. [Hey, network guys, if you're THIS desperate for crappy show ideas, give me a ring. I'd be happy to give you crap in exchange for your money.]

Cable:

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Sept. 18) FX 10/9
The Sarah Silverman Program (Oct. 16) Comedy Central 10:30/9:30

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