Part I:
Took mother to Dr. Vital, her eye doctor on Grammercy – he unexpectedly took the stitches out of her eye – and said out loud that there were 10-12 stitches. OH LORD. TELL ME HE DIDN’T SAY THAT OUT LOUD. Now the fear leading to near-hysteria is on. “10-12 stitches in MY EYE?!” she says over and over as we leave, loudly in an OMIGOD tone of voice which is always a foreshadowing of days to come. This has not occured to her before...due mostly to my threatening every clinic person around if they told her.

Part II:
I hit the car in front of me when the old Mexican woman STOMPED on her brakes in split second fashion, fish-tailing her old car, instead of going on through the just-that-second-turned-red light at Weslayan & Bissonnet. Big Black Pickup crashed into me from behind – Mother is now jumping into hysteria mode, second stage! Drama! Trauma! Everyone just calm down – no one is hurt, not even any damage to vehicles. Let's hear it for rubber bumpers. GET IN AND DRIVE.

Part III:
Leaving Hobby Center and performance of Spamolot, we realize Brinks is trying to get hold of us re the alarm going off at home. No way out of packed parking garage; s-l-o-w exit and drive home. Two officers waiting – going in with flashlights – I say, “Just turn the lights on!” Why is that so hard for policemen? No problems….unsure what the deal was. Tad of fun texting back and forth with Terisa (wife of our neighborhood patrolman) who is in D.C. during this episode.

Enough excitement for one day.

Happy Birthday, Sam.