well, it's the apocalpyse. after ten years of dial up my parents got dsl. I just don't know what to do.

anyway, mom's surgery went great. she's in some pain, but not from the leg--instead of doing the surgery under general anesthesia they decided to go the safer route and use a spinal anesthetic, and her back is bothering her. but she could get to come home as early as tomorrow, probably monday if not.

I got to see my aunt and uncle in the hospital as well, the ones who live in winston-salem. funny to drive this far and visit with them here.

tonight I took justin to the liquor store here (NOT the abc store) to show him fun stuff that you can't buy in nc like premade jello shots and plastic test tube shooters of peppermint schnapps. I only wish that we had ghetto pleasures like that down south!

that weekend at home is happening sooner than I thought. my mom fell last night and broke her hip. it's not serious enough to require replacement, but she has to have surgery in the morning. I'm headed home in the afternoon. keep her in your thoughts, y'all.

since I work in the transportation industry I probably shouldn't say things like this, but you know those big pieces of shredded tire that semis leave in the middle of the highway when they get a flat? am I the only one who thinks that the drivers should have to go back and pick those things up? they're a menace.

for years I've enjoyed the dubbing of kernersville "k-vegas," and yesterday I heard an appellation on the radio that's almost as good. the lexington area called "l.a." north carolinians will appreciate that.

I've decided that what my life really needs is a big dose of trouble. not trouble with the law or anything, but a sort of close encounter of the drunken kind with a crowd of mixed company. I need to get kicked out of some store or other. I need someone's significant other (not mine, naturally) to get annoyed with me. I need to find myself deep in conversation with people that I don't even like. remember that ideal party I mentioned a while back? this would be a good time for it.

I'm just vexed that my life has become so socially insular. I love the odd night out with nadine, heather, and crew, but they're too few and far between to curb my appetite. other than the people I live with, I can only think of two people in gso now that I could conceivably call and hang with, and then there's the problem of finding the time. being a grown up sucks. if you're reading this and haven't gotten there yet, PLEASE have some wanton fun for my sake!

not that life isn't about to get a bit more interesting. rachel's living with us for uncg's fall semester; she moves in tomorrow. I have no objections to one of the world's most beautiful and charming women living under my roof, of course, and her financial contribution to the nor'easter household is welcomed.

on the lighter side, my dad came down last sunday and fixed my lawnmower (which I nearly destroyed after hitting a vent pipe in the yard), and I'm going up to bluefield next weekend. I've always loved my parents more than words, but I have such a heightened appreciation of the time I spend with them now. I boggle at what a little shithead I was as a teenager--I'm so glad the three of us got through it without any lasting trauma (other than my own guilt complex).

I've typed my way from one end of the triad to the other. time to stop.