Cancer Sucks

I find people who insist on sharing too much personal information on their blogs a total nuisance. That said, I promise to eventually get back to music (and shoes), but this is important, even if my only readers are the two people guarding the city while everyone else is away at the beach.

My uncle Richard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April. Ironically, he's by far the healthiest of my mother's large and extremely close-knit clan, running distances daily that in my book would definitely warrant a cab ride. Unfortunately I've learned during this last painful year that it's impossible to anticipate when something truly horrific is lurking around the bend for you or someone you love. Richard is a doctor who thrives on helping others, and lived for several years in places like Uganda and Croatia under the auspices of Doctors Without Borders and the Carter Foundation. He currently works at a VA Hospital in New Hampshire but is having a serious operation next week requiring several months of recuperation. Anyone employed by a federal agency is eligible to donate a minimum of 4 hours of vacation time to him (except postal workers, apparently to discourage them from "going postal") , enabling him to retain his insurance benefits. The donation process is evidently quite simple, so if you or anyone you know might be able to help, please leave your contact information in the comments section. Thank you.

In other depressing news, I hope none of you were planning to fly today. The airports look completely chaotic. I'm perfectly content to be driving... I absolutely can't live without my Charles Worthington volumizing foam.