Ok, I've got one side of my back done, as of this morning, so the nerves are nice and toasted. Thursday we do the left side. gene_bob did fantabulous as my driver/support and even took me by for the traditional McDonald's meal after I come out of any kind of sedation. I was much more aware afterwards this time, for some reason. Maybe they didn't have to put me under as far, or they gave me more time to come out before sending me home. Either way, it was nice to be a little more alert and able to hold a somewhat lucid conversation.

I was able to come home and take some major pain killers before the stuff from the surgery center wore off. That's just started to really kick in, so I'll probably be asleep in a little while if I can. At the very least, I'll lay here with ice on my back and read a book.

My next door neighbor is having a yard sale in preperation for moving in a couple of weeks. I know I'll cry, even though they are just moving a few miles away. I'm going to miss having a really good friend next door. Anyway, as I walked GB out the door, I hobbled next door to see what little things Colleen had outside. She had a box of moon and stars things, such as a bathroom set, a really cool round gold mirror with stars and moons on it, some wall hooks that are stars and some other stuff. She also had a toaster oven, which I've been meaning to buy for a while. I got a good deal, better even than what I was going to offer her, so I'm feeling good about the day. Our upstairs bathroom is done in moon and stars, but the bathroom set (trash can, toothbrush holder, soap dispenser and tissue box) were actually just plain silver. These will be a great addition and the silver can move downstairs AFTER we are able to move the boys and get rid of the Scooby-Doo theme currently in our downstairs bathroom.

In the badparents community this morning, someone posted something that made me want to scream. I am not sure where this was (not in the states), but a couple in their 20s left their 4 month old daughter ALONE at home in their bedroom one afternoon while they went down to an Internet Cafe to play WOW. They got caught up in the game and ended up being gone for over 5 hours. Their daughter was dead of suffocation when they got home. The worst part? (like that isn't bad enough) - the grandmother lived right upstairs, so they COULD have left the baby with her. But NO! Leave the four month old ALONE while you go play games. It makes me wish there were some sort of parenting test and you were sterile until you were deemed mature enough to be responsible for another human being.

Questions:
- Is it ever ok to leave a child by themselves?
- Your child is in the bathtub when the phone rings. What do you do?
- If your car is lacking a car seat, what makes an acceptable substitute? (THIS story actually spawned this question)
- Is it ok to cuss/smoke/drink heavily/do drugs around your kids, as long as you tell them they shouldn't do it?

Things along those lines.

BTW - My answers are no, let it ring, nothing, and not if you expect them to believe you. :)

Ok, I've gotten myself riled up now, so I'm going to go read and nurse my back. Mom should be home with the boys in a couple of hours and Colleen is going to bring us dinner. I, on the other hand, will be spending the next 24 hours lolling around in this bed. I've got my laptop, books, and lots of pillows.