right left right

Just in case I forget between now and next week, that's how I exit the car parking structure by the hospital where Bob's getting his goiter out next week.  I go right, then left, then right again onto Geary.  Then I take it down to the first block past Park Presidio, where I can make a left turn.  I flip a U-turn, then turn right onto Park Presidio, going through Golden Gate Park, heading to 19th.  Then I follow the alphabet backwards out of the city, onto I-280, down to my neck of the Bay Area woods.  I'm not worried about Bob's surgery, not after meeting his surgeon ten days ago, then more of the staff at UCSF today.  He's feeling good about things too.  Now let's get that goiter out, and start the healing.

I've learned a lot since this has fallen our way; I've relearned how to write.  I cut my teeth on NaNo (and I'll recap that in a day or two), writing like my life depending on it.  I hated losing any writing time, maybe a day here, maybe two there.  Once I didn't write for three days and nearly lost my bearings.  Three years ago when we moved into this house I took a week off NaNo, and it was okay.  But until this year, that's the longest I've gone without writing while writing.  Was it a crutch, was it legitimate?  Was it a great way to get out of cooking and housework; sorry family, I'm writing...  Whatever it was, in August everything went sort of haywire.  Bob and I went to the East Coast and I got sick in the early days of Camp NaNoWriMo, didn't write for days.  Later that month we helped moved Thea to SoCal, another long weekend of no words.  But guess what?  The novel, Beautiful Animals, was completed, and I didn't fall into a heap of goo.

As for this month...  The recap will note that I managed two novels, not concurrently, both hitting 50K.  But the second won't be done before Bob's surgery, not with the imminent publication of Alvin's Farm, and that boisterous, obnoxious goiter.  I won't be writing in the city while Bob's under the knife, or I won't be noveling.  I'm hoping to sort a review of Kate Bush's new album, maybe farewell essays for R.E.M. and The White Stripes for Vivid Scribe.  Those articles haven't been written, not with novels to finish and revise.  I'm listening to Bush's 50 Words For Snow as I type, and it's GREAT!  (Mini review; if  you like Kate Bush, definitely check out her new release.)  Plenty to keep me busy while Bob sleeps, not to mention the hospital has wi-fi, hoot hoot!  Today as Bob had blood drawn, an EKG, chest X-ray and a nice chat with an anesthesiologist, I surfed, then read.  Then he was done, we paid for parking, and I went right left right out of the car park.  Now I'm home, eating a chocolate chocolate chip banana muffin, letting gorgeous piano tones wash over me.  Again, I really recommend that new Kate Bush; jazzy and ethereal, perfect for the early dark skies in the northern hemisphere.  If you NaNoing this month, may tomorrow wrap up all your NaNo dreams.  And if you can spare a few bucks, Chris Baty would really appreciate it.  I know I would too.