Doug Update

Thanks for all the well-wishes and help offers with Doug. We went to see him yesterday and he was definitely pretty weak. Lots of wires going in and he's tethered to a few machines that limit him from going outside and smoking (making him "grumpy" according to Jim's mom though none of us care and think it's for the best that he can't puff!).

Jim's mom came home with us last night and, sweetheart that she is, asked what she can do around the house while we're at work. She actually seemed eager to sweep out the cracks in the hardwood with the shopvac (a fine layer of drywall dust resides in them now that is driving Jim crazy).

The firm plan, baring any unusual complications from the surgery (which stroke is apparently the largest and most realistic one), is to move them into our old house. We have a fridge that we moved to the new house that we'll simply send back and we'll buy our new bedroom furniture in short order so they can sleep in our current queen-sized bed. My uncle said he has a couch and a larger TV that we can borrow too. Grandma has some dishes and pots of mine from college we'll transfer; and since we left the appliances and the kitchen table I think they should be pretty set.

Martha's comment about fate had me feeling better on a lot of fronts - better that the house isn't sold and is available for their use, better that where they will stay is convenient (walking distance) to a Walgreens in case they need milk or a prescription, better that both they and us can have some "normal" transition into living in the same city.

It'll be nice that Nicole will get to see her other grandparents more than twice in three months!