So, First Off, Jen Is Fine

Next I'm New York.

Jen came back for the weekend and she and Grace and I hung out. Hence the light blogging, Twittering, etc.

We had a great time. Friday night after Stations at Grace's. Then Saturday Grace met us at our parent's house.

Jen's house is being worked on, so she slept at my house. We stayed up late watching episodes of "Criminal Minds" that I saved in the DVR. We have really missed just hanging out.

This morning I faced that crucial decision....shower or sleep an exra 20 minutes. I chose sleep. I got to Charlestown in time, but the joke was on me....no CCD. Yeah, I know, I should pay more attention to the schedule. Anyway, I dropped the power saw off at my parent's house, so I wasn't a total waste of a trip.

Back home, I woke up Jen and we had breakfast. Neither of us was under pressure to do anything. She was driving back to New York and I needed to do some serious sorting of my belongings. The time to leave the house is drawing near.

So off she went to New York and I started sorting and packing. It seemed silly to shower then, I'd do it before MIDRATS at 1700.

I got a lot done, but time got away from me. I just made it into my spot in the chatroom in time with my dinner.....pizza, not bologna on white bread as Salamander keeps telling me is the proper MidRat.

MidRats was great...piracy in the Gulf of Aden; US Navy forces; international cooperation...the US Coast Guard presence vs. the US Navy presence.....the "Mullen Doctrine" vs. the "Powell Docrine".....Adam Gadahn's capture & the prospect of a trial for treason. Then in the second half, Dr. Norman Friedman was the guest. We also had an impressive chatroom, Henry Hendrix, Professor Claude Berube...and the usual suspects. LCS took a lot of knocks.

It was a great show and afterwards I was getting ready to switch over to Pundit Review Radio on WRKO. Kevin was scheduled to interview the author of a book on Yalta, then Bruce would come on for "Someone You Should Know" followed by Jeff Perry.

A shower could wait....it's not like anyone can see me as I tweet and blog and Facebook....right?

Then my cell phone rang. Jennifer had been in a serious car accident in Connecticut. There was only time to find the car key and my bag. I called Frankie and told him what was going on.

"Do you have money? Do you need money?" LOL! Good thing someone is on the ball! I just switched banks and have no ATM card. No, I didn't have money. So I drove by where Frank was and got cash.

Then it was off to New York. Jen called, the cops had finally arrived on scene, nearly a half hour after her call. I thought that was ridiculous and it must have been awful for her.

Next call was to say she was in a hospital in Greenwich. Treating her took up most of the drive through Rhode Island. I was over the Connecticut state line, but still 90 minutes away when they discharged her and she took a cab to her apartment.

She wanted Cadbury mini eggs. No problem.

When I got to the exit just before her accident, traffic came to a dead stop. I clearly saw where she had been based on her description. All traffic was routed off the exit and we had to detour around 95 for some unknown reason.

Finally, I got to White Plains. As I pulled into the Stop & Shop - I guess I was more tired than I knew - I hit the curb and bleew my tire.

I made it to her apartment on the "donut" tire and delivered the mini-eggs.

Jen is fine. She was pretty shook and the stress aggravated the MS. She has a million tiny cuts on her head and she said there was glass from the windshield everywhere.

Apparently a truck tire came flying over the median and struck her (brand new) car, shattering the windshield and buckling the part of the roof above her head. So besides the cuts and abrasions, she has an egg on her head.

But we've both had showers. Tomorrow, I will get the real spare put on the rim and bring her back to Boston.

I'm typing in her sweats and t-shirt, which is not that big a deal. The other funny thing is that my gym bag which could double for an overnight bag is always in my car....always. I pulled it out this afternoon to sort through it.Of course the super prepared Jen had a tooth brush for me and we use almost all the same stuff.

Next Saturday, the 13th, Mama Kelley would have been 97 years old. Between that and hanging in my parents house, which was Mama's house first, she has been very "present" lately.

I know she is shaking her head. Jen said it was the first thing she thought of when the nurse asked her to get undressed. "What did Mama always tell us!" Jen told the nurse "I haven't showered today!" but they just laughed. It was the first thing I said as I walked in the door of the apartment.

So Jen is fine, asleep in the other room. We are both showered and my clothes are in the washer.
Mama, I promise I will never so that again. I will shower every Sunday no matter how messy, sweaty or dirty my Sunday plans are.