It's LA: Even the Airport Gets a Facelift

Actual signage greeting me as I exited the plane last week...

Dad is finally out of hospital and in the rehab joint (no, not that kind of rehab-- PT rehab). Could have been a better hospital stay. Certain docs who shall remain nameless didn't have to do ninnyhammer things, like write Dad's med orders so that he got all 4 blood pressure meds at once. Little things like that. DD#1 was right: Dad was in the best hospital behind Beverly Center.

But he's feeling much better and in good spirits; my visit was helpful. My brothers, particularly the youngest one, tend to order him around, whereas I tend to explain why something is necessary and ask Dad if he wants to do something or other.

The trip was helpful in another way. Next youngest brother (NYB), upon hearing that I was missing some of Mother's jewelry, said, "I have it. She got mad at Youngest Brother and gave it all to me to put in a safe deposit box at a different bank." Whereupon NYB went to bank and withdrew contents of box. Ninety per cent of what was missing- and then some- was in that box (the rest is likely in another box at the bank that NYB hadn't time to open). The "then some" consists of an 18K gold and diamond watch I never saw. NYB and YB bought it for Mother right before her terminal illness; she wore it 3 times before it went in the bank. What will I do with the thing? I love pretty sparkly things, but this is too much! DH said wear it. DD#1 said sell it to her (until she heard the retail price tag, then she said just let her wear it). Think I'll be renting a box at the bank too.

The movers called while I was at the airport. What timing! We met at DD#1's house first to offload Mother's dining room set and the stuff DD wanted, then we headed to my house. My living room looks eerie wearing Mother's furniture. DD#1 said the same thing. DH said it looks grand and that he always loved the sofa. Sunday I got out the hard wax and waxed and polished until my hands ached.

Now this is a photo of YB and Dad's new digs. Quaint, huh? The original owner of the joint was Max Factor (yes, that Max Factor). YB knows his great-nephew (we all were neighbors of a cousin once upon a time). Sister-in-Law gave me a tour though renovations are still ongoing. My first thought upon entering was "Good Lord, YB went and brought Downton Abbey to LA." Still my thought about the joint, er, estate. Well at least Sister-in-Law volunteered to store the things of my mother's we didn't ship in June (we thought her kids might want something from their grandmother) and which I was unable to ship last week.

The new job is going well, the one I spend most of my time on I mean. It's kind of fun analyzing a therapeutic landscape and trying to figure out if a future drug will be a game-changer or a dud (that is, MDs won't bother to prescribe it no matter how good it is). I pray the firm will pick me up for full-time soon; they sure have enough work to do so.

Tomorrow night starts the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. The marathon cooking is nearly over (it started Sunday). I made chicken soup (with an entire chicken and couple pounds of flank steak, so we have meat and veggies from the soup to eat), gefilte fish, sweet noodle kugel, savory cauliflower kugel, and a Constant Comment™ cake (really, a yellow cake with vanilla pudding mix, 1/3 cup of Triple Sec, and a TBS of ground cloves). DH will cook the noodles for the soup, make some steamed veg (not sure what he picked up), and he grilled up a bunch of chicken cutlets in a marinade. DD#1 made pumpkin bread and plans to make some kind of salad. DD#2 arrives tomorrow afternoon; she shows up in time to shower and eat. I shouldn't complain: this is the gal who did well enough on her GREs that she can apply to Hopkins and Harvard for grad school.

A happy and healthy new year to everyone!