A friend of mine, a very special lady and incredible writer scared the crap out of me this weekend.

Apparently she started experiencing symptoms identical to that which would be felt during a heart attack. Her husband rushed her to the hospital where it was determined that it wasn't in fact her heart but her gallbladder.

After rushing her off to a hospital seventy miles away, she had emergency gallbladder surgery and is now home recovering.

Fuck.

You know, this lady has been instrumental in my renewed confidence in my writing and she's one of the most gracious and sweetest women I know. She's also not to be trifled with. I've been known to refer to her as the most wonderful barracuda you'd likely ever meet.

Lady, I'm glad you're well. The world without you would be a much more terrible place.

It does remind one that the years aren't going by any slower, though. Just the other day I was graduating from high school and here it is the year of my twenty-year reunion. You forget that you're not immortal and that there's always next month to get your shit together and take care of x,y or z. But then something like this happens and spits in your face and tells you, "Hey Bub, if you want x,y or z you'd better get on the P.D.Q. express."

Damn I'm glad she's okay.

Joseph Haines, signing off from The Edge of the Abyss.