Going Out On Top

Yesterday was a Tuesday
Around 2:30pm, I was thinking about phone systems and fax rollovers. Not exciting stuff but it was what I was being paid for. Did you ever think what your loved ones were doing at any moment in time?

My sons were finishing school for the day and thinking about video games, girls and horsing around

My wife was also finishing school and thinking about my boys

My brother was sitting at his computer, thinking about Highway Intersections, and my sister? God Knows what the hell goes on in there.....

My Dad however was about 3,000 feet up, wedged in a crevice between two frozen boulders, at the summit of a mountain in Upstate New York. One of his legs was twisted around backwards, he was going into shock and screaming.

It would be hours later before my old man was finally wrenched free by the effort of 7 Rangers and placed in one of those cool baskets that dangle under enourmous rescue helicopters. I've always wanted to do that, but under different circumstances of course.

My poor Mom had to snowshoe down the Mountain in the dark before meeting up with him at the hospital. These people are in their sixties, and sometimes I wonder what they did with the poor schlubs who raised me.

Going into the OR late last night I spoke to my Dad by cellphone. He was heavily drugged and only managed "I got to do some interesting things today" before passing out. My Dad's hip was replaced a year and a half ago, and when he fell it dislodged, and twisted full around without breaking any bones. They were able to get it back in place without cutting him open thank goodness.

After the procedure, the Surgeon told him he cant fly for six weeks because of risk of bloodclots from this injury. You'd think that he'd want to take it easy anyway, but Dad started an argument because they have plane tickets to Portugal in a few weeks.

I still cant get this Phone System working....