I'm finally back at my desk...

...after a long weekend in Minnesota. My 90-year-old father fell down and hit his head on Wednesday night and had to have emergency brain surgery. My mother called me on Thursday morning and told me that the doctor had put his chances of surviving the surgery at 50/50 (with his age working against him).

Since one of my brothers who lives in Minnesota was in Florida on vacation, I jumped into my Honda and drove the six and a half hours up to my parents' condo and stayed with my mother until yesterday morning. We visited my father in the hospital; he has yet to regain consciousness. And it was quite a sobering sight: ventilator, tubes coming out of everywhere, unintelligible monitors and screens, etc. I sure hope my own kids never have to see me like that.

My brother arrived on Saturday and my sister from Naperville is flying up today. We're all just waiting for my father to regain consciousness. The neurosurgeon told us that every day that he doesn't is discouraging. Once he does regain consciousness--and the doctor said pretty much everyone does--it will be a question of what level and quality. At that point we can plan for the next step.