My wife is having a biventricular pacemaker with built-in automatic defibrillator installed on Monday, so I'm going to be away from the boards for a few days. (I told her she was getting an upgrade and she laughed. Then she gave me a 'look.')

The doctor seems to think this is a fairly routine procedure, but I've come to realize that a routine procedure is something done on someone else's wife. I'm going to be at home all next week to take care of her, but I'll also be working online for three days, so my board access will be spotty at best. But I will post here to let y'all know how she's doing when I can.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Our 17-year-old daughter (youngest) just got her driver's license today, so she'll be flying solo to school next week. Oh, well, what's one more source of stress?


Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.

- Stephen King, from On Writing