I'm back in Cleveland for a few days, which is nice, although the circumstances certainly aren't. Tomorrow is my grandma's stone setting, and then on Tuesday my sister is having surgery to remove her pesky thyroid. (I still think out notion of having Jack Bauer simply point at knife at the thyroid, causing it to leap out of Sarah and go cower quietly in the corner is a viable option) Given the amount of suckitude that has ensued on the home front over the past year this is definitely bittersweet. I cannot believe it has been a year since Betty died, and over a year since Caramel died. Playing with Ava this morning (I spent the night at Jon and Meg's, catching Ava's cold in the process) I mentioned to her that when we got to Cleveland she got to play with my dog. Oops. Denial much? As terrifying as the surgery is for Sarah, I really think it's a good thing---her body has been holding her hostage for years, and it is high time she got it back. She's been incredibly courageous throughout this whole ordeal, and I can't wait for it to finally be a footnote in her life experience.