twincityhacker

I just called Mama. Shrewsbury and Worcester both had a really awful ice storm last night. There's tons and tons of trees down, and she reported that she could see flares where the power lines a street away snapped. A few branches fell on their house, but there wasn't any damage. So their power is off, and they say it will probably be Monday until the electricity comes back.

But they're armed with candles and caffeine, since one of the neighbors out to survey the mess and got her a few cups of extra large coffees. Papa was considering going out, but didn't want to mess with opening the garage door manually.

Also hugely glad that Gramie, my other grandmother, is at an assisted living center. Both for her health and the continued sanity of my aunt Noel.

I'm researching a paper for my mother on social conditions in China. Except the articles can't be about any of these topics: economics, politics, environment.

So I just sent her articles on the excesses of the upper classes, music royalties, cosmetic surgeries, and disaffected youth.

Also, the daemonic Aunt Mary just called. I was going to go to sleep but my stomach is so tied up in knots from the screaming back and forth on the research, this would be a pointless activity.

Voice came back, called Gramie. She sounds good. She'll be home sometime tomorrow.

To find out how she's doing I have to call someone else, as she never ever says she's sick. Gramie said she had "a cold," when she at the very least has pneumonia and at least one other infection.