I’ve returned from my annual holiday visit to Mom’s house in West Virgina with minor trauma but much exhaustion. Too much food, too many sweets, too much chaos, but a nice visit overall. Highlights:
* Mom’s freezer gave up the ghost, so she spent Christmas Eve cleaning out the putrefying remains of previously frozen good intentions.
* Pregnant Lil Sis had a stomach bug on Christmas Day. After about 9 hours on the frequent-puker plan, we took her to the ER for IV fluids. Anti-nausea meds didn’t help much, but she recovered in about 36 hours. No one else picked it up, so I think we’re in the clear.
* We made three trips to Walmart in four days, but we also visited a used bookstore with a decent SF selection and saw the Narnia movie in the town’s brand new cineplex.
* My other Little Sis showed off her new boyfriend. This one is a geek and that is a very good thing, in my opinion.

Veterinary update: The furry pooper does indeed have diabetes. She’s doing much better after only four days on insulin. She even came upstairs this morning to give us a wake-up call and get her morning pets. She hasn’t done that in weeks! Unfortunately, having a diabetic cat means I have to get up on schedule every morning to feed/medicate her, and I have to either board her or hire someone to feed/medicate her when I travel. Oh yes — I’m also $500 poorer. She’s 16 years old, which is about 83 in people years. I suspect we’ll get a few more months with her, at most.

As for me, today’s dental visit didn’t go well. The cracked filling turned out to be a cracked molar, so I’ll need a crown. And one thing you DON’T want to hear after your dentist completes a front-tooth filling: “Do over!” Apparently, the color didn’t quite match. Luckily, the Novocaine hadn’t worn off yet.