Well, I should have seen this coming...

Dad had some kind of heart event over the weekend. Not much was getting better so I drove back to Athens last night.

Got there late and discovered my two aunts/cousins were there (Dad's brother and his brother's wife were killed in a car wreck before I was born and Dad's parents adopted the two surviving daughters.) I hadn't seen them since the death of Dad's mom. They looked a lot different after almost 20 years but if either or both had snuck up behind me and said, "Hi, Scott," I'd've recognized their voices immediately.

So, all four of his children and his two sisters and wife were with him today. His breathing pretty labored...mask on all the time. Arrangements made for hospice care at home.... I spent the day in funeral homes; that is not very fun though I found the procedure much less ugly than I suspected.

Reported the results to my sisters...his sisters and my brother having returned home thinking all the arrangements were made. Mom had rearranged a hair appointment to today thinking tomorrow, Friday and the weekend were going to be moving days for Dad.

I jumped in the truck and drove the 4 hours back to Austin. Got home about 30 minutes ago and sure enough, Dad was mercifully taken into the arms of G-d while I drove home. I'll return to Athens tomorrow. After seeing him struggle to breathe today, I'm primarily relieved. I'm also selfishly relieved for Mom...she would not have been equipped for him at home...even with "Visiting Angels" and hospice care.

Saving Grace II

Big fat juicy UT connection tonight. Grace has had a, er, uh, relationship with one of her fellow detectives...a former UT quarterback.

More Dad

Some kind of heart event late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. For the first time he is in pain and requires morphine.

This for a guy whose orthopedist said he couldn't believe Dad could possibly have been walking on the stumps of bone that came together at his knee before the his knee replacement...must be some kind of pain now.

Feeding tube put in his stomach this morning but won't be fed until tomorrow. He's down to about 150 llb.

Looks like hospice care at home coming in the very near term.

Sorry for the morbid commentary but since I can't talk to him, this is my only other outlet besides my mom and sibs.