Dad had his carotid artery un-blocked the other day. Apparently it's like doing a Roto-Rooter job on the artery that feeds blood to the brain. 

He didn't say outright that he was scared, but in reference to the odds of stroke or even death during this procedure, he said things like, "I wouldn't want to get on an airplane with those odds of crashing." He also took his prized Smothers Brothers records to the duplication shop, to have copies made for Lori and me; then he made my mom write down where to go pick them up when they were done. He also made sure he voted; when I called last weekend, he was studiously attacking the masses of circular information surrounding each proposition.

(Aside: I would have to agree that voting is up there on the priority list! If you're the progressive-minded sort, you might find the Courage Campaign's voter guide handy; it presents the positions of several environmental and civil rights groups in neat, tabular format.) 

...And he's doing really well. He spent one night in the hospital, and now he has to take it easy at home for several days.

Last week I went up to say Hi before he went under the knife (or plumbing tools, as the case may be). It was an idyllic day in Monterey. That still has to be the best aquarium in the country. You can't really beat that prime piece of - not just oceanfront, but ON-ocean property! We caught several feedings, including the one where the penguins line up like little pears in tuxedos. Sooo cute! (I know their beaks are actually quite sharp, but they *look* adorable.)

Hooray for Dad!!!