Post 100 Already?

I was kind of hoping my hundreth post would be a little more substantial, but that hope, much like some of my hopes for spring break, has been dashed.

First, the good that came out of break:

• Both midterm exams are now finished.  I felt really stupid when I figured out the last problem I was working on.  The solution to the problem I've been working on all week: three lines.
• The weather.  Nothing else to be said.
• The Terps actually won last night and didn't pull a Georgetown, so they face Michigan State on Sunday night.

Now, the not so good:

• Plans to get people together this week--aborted.  Granted, I did wait too late to try to put something together.  But I was hoping something would have come out of it.
• Reports from back home are not so good.  Based on what my mom told me last night, the inevitable phone call is going to be in a week, maybe two; not much more.  On that note, my mom and aunt made most of the funeral plans this week.

Yeah, I almost hate to say it, but except for getting the midterms finished, this year's break was almost a waste.  Well, at least I don't have to spend the summer studying for qualifying exams this year.

Could Have Done Without That Call

Today's update: my grandmother is on morphine (a dose every two hours) to try to alleviate the pain so that she can eat.  Apparently, her appetite had not gotten any better since I saw her on Friday.  Also, her mental capacity has taken a bit of a nosedive, as she hasn't been able to remember things my aunt and mom have told her.
So with my aunt in town this week, she and my mom made preliminary arrangements with the funeral home (picking the casket, naming pallbearers, etc.).

Yeah, today's update from home was bad and a clear juxtaposition with the weather around here lately.

A Needed Respite

Long story short: last week was bad.  After about a week and a half of tests and care, the doctors gave my grandmother weeks to live.  She has left the hospital and is now in a nursing home for the next couple of weeks, and provided she gains her strength back (which is kind of hard considering she is having trouble eating due to stomach pains, probably due to the tumor), she will probably end up in hospice care for the remainder.  Yeah, fun times for my family.

Thus, this past weekend was very important to my mental and emotional stability.  Friday night, after visiting my grandmother in the hospital again, I served as judge for the Frederick County Academic Tournament (congratulations to the team from Linganore).  According to my old ATT advisor, Mr. Koepke, the math questions over the past few years had gotten a bit easy, and he said he noticed an up-tick in the difficulty level mid-season, i.e., when I started writing them.  So if he gets his way, this question-writing gig may last awhile.

But more importantly, for the first time since before the semester started, I saw some of my college friends.  A night out with Jon, Jess, Janice, Janice's friend Jess, Gina, Laura, and Nick was very helpful in taking my mind off family affairs.  So, I thank you seven for helping me out, whether you knew you were doing so or not.

Okay, one last push before spring break (and work on a presentation and a take-home exam).

Things You Don't Want to Hear from a Doctor

"I don't like to put timelines on things like this, but we don't measure it in years, and we don't measure it in months."

--The oncologist to my mom and other relatives on my grandmother's condition

A Tale of Four Fridays

Well, for four Fridays in a row, my presence will be required in Frederick County.  Unfortunately, the reasons for some of them aren't good

1. Last Friday (Feb. 19): I went home to pick up a book and some food, and to visit my parents.
2. This Friday (Feb. 26): This was supposed to be the trip for my sister's graduation, and it does look like the weather may cooperate.  However, a more urgent issue has arisen.  My grandmother has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  My mom didn't give a prognosis timeline, but my aunt and cousin who live in New Mexico are flying into the area in the next few days (my uncle is already in the area on business), and I was told that it would be a good idea for me to visit my grandmother soon.
3. March 5: I have to serve as the math judge for the semifinals and final of the Frederick County Academic Tournament.  It's at the Oakdale High School building if anyone is interested in attending.
4. March 12: First day of spring break (for me) = dentist appointment.

So, if I'm hanging out with any of you guys in the near future, and I get a phone call that prompts me to leave, well, it will probably have something to do with point number two.

Snowmageddon Quick Hits

Well, near-record snowfall just nailed the DC area.  In fact, I believe this storm will be the basis for a criminal on a soon-to-be-released episode of Law and Order: SVU.  Here are some of the more interesting things:

• It is much nicer to be snowed in with Internet access than without.
• My dad will never survive retirement.  Today he cleaned the snow off the satellite dish (reasonable), the roof of my parents' house (bad idea), his truck (reasonable), and shoveled the last half of somewhat lengthy driveway after plowing the first half killed his field tractor.  I have no idea how he's not going to go crazy when he's not working anymore.
• I can't believe the number of people chancing it on the road today.  I did see one guy get stuck on Adelphi Road this morning.  Sadly, most people driving had not cleaned the roofs of their cars.  I still say that in a snow emergency, you should be allowed to shoot drivers who refuse to clean their cars before they hit the road.
• I spent 90 minutes this evening digging my car out and am only halfway finished.  I am going to be sore tomorrow.
• Shuttle launch (Endeavour) at 4:39 on Sunday.  AM.  Very, very AM.  Oh, and that football game, too.  But it's not AM.
• I have easily gotten a very good return on my $10 investment in a collapsible snow shovel from Target.
• Oh, more snow is on the way.  It gets here the day we finally see temperatures above freezing.  Any rumors that I control the weather should be dispelled now.

PANIC!!!!

The prediction for this weekend's snowstorm in the DC area is for one to two feet of snowfall.  Thus, we all need to raid the grocery stores for all the eggs, milk, bread, and toilet paper we can get our hands on.  Then, we need to make a run on the gas stations and fill the tanks of all our vehicles and any gas cans we have sitting around.  Quick, the lives of your family and yourself depend on it!

Or, you can get a few extra things at the store, just in case, and settle in and enjoy the snowfall.  Besides, there is some sort of football game to watch about fourteen hours after the scheduled shuttle launch on Sunday.