Johnny's Condition Stable

Johnny’s temperaturitis has come full circle. When I came by last night her pajamas were strewn over the chair, soaked with sweat and she was busing raveling and unraveling the blankets, shivering. She would say something then doze off or tell me not to worry about this or that, confusing me over what exactly she was talking about. Apparently she hadn’t had one of these bouts for a long time and doesn’t really remember much of what she had said, but today she was feeling much better. She must have been at a temperature of around 41 degrees Celsius, bordering on delirium. That’s why she doesn’t remember. Then again, I have no excuse for why I don’t remember except that I just filed her talk in “nonsense” and left it at that. It’s no wonder she’s not running straight for the outdoors right away. She was well enough to laze around with me watching Oprah and Dr. Phil. We had a good time making fun of the fashions of people on makeover shows and eating “crisps”.

Tonight I will dazzle her by exposing her to a wonderful food called “pasta”. Many people pronounce it like “passed-uh” but I’ve heard it’s really “pah-sta” with a more of the sound your doctor tells you to make before checking your tonsils and tongue with their flashlight. Johnny makes fun of how I say “about” because it’s not quite like Americans say it and she calls me a “mad Canook” because I can almost pronounce her name. My pronunciations scare her I guess. It’s funny that such a short name could be so irksome to utter correctly, but I enjoy the challenge. About pasta: tell me, Italians of the world, which is it? I want to settle this before the pronunciation and spelling police gang up and kick me unconscious.

Johnny's stability now contrasts to the global instability over the most recent and devastating catastrophe. The tsunami is worrying everyone or at least it should be. There seems to have been a lot of major earthquakes and disasters this year and I'm not sure why. Johnny has friends that she met in Kibbutz that are in or around Asia and she doesn’t know how or where they are. Very frustrating and agonizing. It’s encouraging that so many countries and organizations are offering their support but of course this is going to be such a mess and people are dying by the minute, someone needs to figure out the logistics. The first death toll I heard was 13,000. A few hours later it was almost 80,000. Disease, chaos and famine are big concerns for many, plus: where are people going to live? It must be like experiencing the plague, with so much death stinking and presenting itself everywhere. This tragedy still doesn’t seem real. Could there be a link between this and the result of global warming? The answer probably depends whether you ask an economist or an ecologist. Tidal waves higher than people are just nuts though. Gaia is raging.

Well, I’m touching base with my family right now. I must find aspirin for Johnny and get a little exercise. My dad might be a bit fazed to know that the US will now be accepting cattle that are up to two and a half years into the country starting March 7. It’s been a long time coming. I’ll be working my arse off for the next little while over the New Year. I will just not sleep and hope that all goes well. It may be a sketchy way but right now it seems like the one way. If I don’t *see* you ahead of time, I wish everyone a Happy New Year and encourage you to think of it as a fresh start. I’m realizing more and more that everything can change so quickly, so there’s no reason to limit our expectations. Live each day like it could be your last and don’t be haunted by the past. If you're sharing the occasion with others, be thankful that you have them around and take note of where you were last year and what good and bad things have changed. “Everybody, come together, over me” -Beatles