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Well, yesterday was not really fun. Funerals are never fun, of course, but when they are for someone young, they're even worse. Yesterday's was no exception. I didn't really know my cousin Anne that well, since she was ten years older than I, but she was always there at all the family gatherings and we would always talk. I remember talking to her less than two years ago in the dining room of her parents' house, at her mother's funeral. Who would ever have thought that that would be our last conversation? I think someone should have a family reunion so that we can all meet up on better terms.

Anyway, on the way home, in heavy Philadelphia pot-hole traffic, I was trying to call home and play messages while stopping for lights on the way out of the city. I could tell there was a message because the machine picked up after the second ring, but Brian kept foiling my attempts, I finally reached the bridge, and I gave up. I called Kevin and told him that I thought the message was from his mother, so he should call home and get it. Of course, he did not.

I got home and saw the light still blinking, but now there were other messages, including one from his doctor's office, so I decided not to play them. It wasn't until he got home after 6 that we finally heard the - not one - but three messages from the Doll. In the first, she had fallen and couldn't get up. In the second, she had gotten up and left her door unlatched so I could come and help her. In the third and final message, she had reached her doctor, and on her advice was headed to the hospital. The first call had come in around noon.

So here we go again. She was held overnight but nothing is really found to be wrong with her, as usual, just a low heart rate. The doctors have told her this can happen when you get older but I asked her how low, and she didn't really answer. She's supposed to see a cardiologist today. They did a CT scan because she did hit her head when she fell, and that was clear, but now they're talking about a brain MRI because she has been having these bouts of dizziness. And we have Baxter here. Nothing like three dogs in a thunderstorm, one of them neurotic and undersocialized. Right now, he is asleep and snoring on the dog-couch that I got for Wilbur, who is nowhere to be found. Probably destroying cat toys or molesting cats.

Brian is enjoying his school so far, he does do the several hours of homework each night and even seems to enjoy some of it. But so far he hasn't had any tests returned or any work at all given back, for that matter. So that's when I'll start to gauge how he is doing. Kevin went to a meeting for the fathers last night and they were told that you should be OK with it if your son is in the 75-79 range. (!) Apparently about 35% of boys fall into that group, and the school says you should be satisfied. But I'm not telling Brian about that! He actually wants to do really well in math and science so that he can get into honors next year and eventually get into AP computers. So it's nice to see that he is actually setting some goals for himself. But it's early yet. We'll see.

He also talks a lot about his religion class and the things they are going to learn about, and what some kids ask and their responses from the instructor. This is the year he is supposed to do his confirmation classes at our church, and I am going to give him the option to talk to someone at the school about doing some sort of Catholic confirmation instead, if he would like. Either way, he would have to do it this year. He doesn't like that he doesn't know all the Catholic prayers, and he can't take communion in the masses that are held at the school. To Brian, conformity and fitting in have always been very important.

Also, on Monday, they have a mass and a 50th anniversary celebration for the school, followed by the annual run of the freshman class. They run a little more than a mile, I think, and I have been trying to have him go out and run for a couple of weeks now, so I hope he's ready. He used to do that distance in middle school and he almost never finished without stopping. But I doubt he will be the only one, and I doubt he will be the last. I just hope it's good weather for running, and that he gets through it without discomfort! And the next night, he has his MRI. I have been checking the tone in his legs and it feels a whole lot better. I don't know why that would be, unless it was tense because he was nervous. I hope that's why! Although I know it is not good that he keeps carrying these heavy backpacks!

So in other news, tonight looks to be a very wet one. I guess if the heaviest rains have passed through, there is still a chance they might play the game after all at the high school. Since this is the only one Megan will get to go to, I really hope for her sake it isn't cancelled. She also gets to go to the homecoming game on Thanksgiving, but that's different. Anyway, while I have the chance, I must also go and get some exercise. I have misplaced my ipod and don't feel like going to the Y, so I'm going to go down and ride the exercise bike that I got for my birthday, even though the pedals are hard for me to push for some reason. But I have to get my heart rate up and strengthen myself in general, as I have MY annual doctor's visit on the 16th, the day after Brian's MRI! Maybe I can just ask them not to take my blood pressure this year. :-)