bad news from home...

My mom called during a meeting today... back from the doctor, who says that my dad has less than a year left. (pounds head) I feel helpless.... like I should be trying to do *something*, I don't know what. Other than try to call and visit more, and maybe bring the kids out there in June, if he's still around. And support my mother... this will be catastrophic for her, they've been together since she was 16. :-(

Here... we planned this summer's field tests. Which seems vaguely pointless, somehow, but one must keep going. I worry that the worst will happen while I'm unreachable and/or out of the country in the Arctic or Spain this summer. Sigh. Nothing I can do about that, if it happens it happens.

We started drill testing this afternoon, here on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at a robotics company. Fine, so far, other than a minor mechanical problem. Tonight... go by Greenwich Village and get coffee for patgreene, maybe ale at McSorley's (could use one...) and then meet Elissa at 9pm for a late dinner. Tomorrow... more testing, then go to DC after lunch. Hopefully see geekchick...

(no subject)

I talked to my father for about 20 minutes tonight... listened, mostly. Talked a bit about work and the kids. Afterward I wondered whether to cancel dinner plans... but decided that if he was here, he'd go out. I get my love of travel and exploration clearly from him.

So I headed up on the subway to the Upper West Side and had Malaysian food with elissaann, catching up on our lives and our friendship. My preferences for YIM over AIM and posting here instead of on alt.poly in the past couple of years have curtailed the amount of ongoing communication that she and I used to have, but we still enjoy one another's company. And I stopped in the East Village on my way back and got a couple of mugs of dark ale at McSorely's (where a friend introduced me to beer at age 21).

Meanwhile... last night I wandered over to Little Italy for dinner, late. I like just walking around New York... there's a story or two on almost every block, little and big, tawdry and heart-warming alike. And it's what Dad would be doing, if he were 30 years younger and here ;).

And thanks for the outpouring of sympathy. (hug)