ok! i recognize it! hands in the air!

hey everyone -

i have been doing all of you (especially my grandfather... hi grandpa!!) a grave injustice. i have not followed through with that vow of mine to post something (let alone a short story) every week. for a while, "next to nothing" was going on over here and suddenly, within the previous 7 days, so many things have been going on.

oh so very brief updates:

1) i still dont have a job but a truly avid search begins

2) ruthie and i left town last weekend for west texas. we bought the tickets via super cheap travelocity package 4 days before we left. el paso to marfa and back. i have photos and they're incredible. we rented a pt convertible cruiser, top-down whenever thunderstorms refused to linger. i will never NOT rent a convertible when renting a car is an option. there's serioulsy nothing like it. nothing compares.... (except to you? ok terrible joke). the trip was straight out of thelma and louise, a movie that - yes - i have not seen - but i heard it applies. the trip was in my top three ever as in EVER, and lord almighty i have travelled quite a bit. photos i hope very soon.

3) rudy is pretty sick right now. he went to the hospital via the ER on monday night and they dont know how much longer he's going to be there. i spent the day there today; will be there tomorrow as well. he's in suuuch good spirits... actually that's total crap... he's still fully rudy... he's simply the bravest and most well-put-together person i know. seriously. the physicians still don't know what's wrong with him (the doctors have called him the mystery patient which is a tiny bit scary but also freaking hilarious and spot on), but it doesn't seem to be life-threatening. it's definitely serious, but they want to keep him there as long as it takes to figure out what in sam-hell is going on with him. i will know more soon and keep you updated.

he's seriously just amazing. laughing his ass off, asking questions, he thinks the whole thing is scary but super entertaining. he's just great. a ton of people are visiting... he has gifts galore and as much company as is allowed... christina (his girlfriend), all of his housemates, his family from san jose... have all come by. i just really love him a lot and he loves all of you kids too it's true. (including you diane... ahahha... he was so happy to hear what you asked me to tell him... he said to tell you that he loves you because you love me and you love him because i love him. ha. and seriously he means it.)

(amanda and shelley - i wanted to call you kids but 1) i lost my cell phone during my trip and didnt put all of the pieces together... i.e. that he really was super super sick... until i got back at 2am last night and 2) rudy asked me to keep it quiet until we knew as much as we could).... AND PRAISE THE LORD YOU ARE COMING HERE. i seriously can't wait to hang out with you. and you should rent a convertible. um, for realz.

anyway. things are sort of big here right now. i miss all of you. more very soon.

jen