In case people have noticed, I've been out of the loop lately, socially speaking. I haven't really replied to emails or checked blogs or Facebook or any of my usual haunts.

My dad is still in the hospital. Last Wednesday, he had open-heart surgery with two of his valves being replaced instead of the one they originally thought he needed. So all of my free time has been spent at his bedside. He's doing better and better each day now that the surgery is over, and on Friday was already walking all around the Cardiac Care floor.

Anyway, his recovery is far from over - he'll be going home sometime this week, but he'll still have a few months of recuperation. So I may still be out of the loop for some time.

But I wanted everyone to know why I was incommunicado, and to thank you all for your good wishes. Now all I have to do is finish my Christmas shopping...