Over this past week...

...we went to the hospital at 5:30 in the morning where my 80-year-old father had a single bypass surgery on his heart and spent a little over four days in the hospital, during which time he hallucinated from pain medication.

...I got a promotion at work which wasn't a big deal, but was a small personal victory since it was a title I never achieved at my previous company.

...I got to work a half hour early one morning, on a day when my supervisor ended up being three hours late.

...I nearly got run over by another supervisor in the parking lot, because she was driving with her right blinker on and I thought she was turning. I jumped back when I realized she wasn't slowing down, and she looked as startled as I felt as she swerved around me.

...my total state and federal taxes exceeded an entire week's pay. I'd consider getting a third job to afford these checks next year, but more income would only mean I'd owe more.

...I pretended to be my father when someone from my old high school called up looking for donations. “What? WHAT? He's not home from work yet. Mail him something. I don't know he comes and goes. I just had an operation. Have a good day! Hello?” The girl was getting flustered and clearly losing her place in the script in front of her, and at one point called me “Mister” followed by the city I live in rather than my surname.

...I used the lawnmower for the first time this year. So I wasn't too surprised when I saw a news report about getting an inch of snow, until my mom pointed out that she had an old tape playing in the VCR.

...24 surprised everyone with a silent clock two weeks in a row, two deaths guaranteed to make terrorists sorry they messed with Jack Bauer in these final episodes of his series.

...LOST aired an episode in which one character suddenly explodes after mishandling dynamite(shocking only because it wasn't the first time something like that happened), a major landmark on the island is destroyed, two deceased characters played by actors I never expected to see on the show again appear, a mystery of the jungle from the first season is finally explained, one character is tossed down a well by another character, while in an alternate reality those roles are reversed as one guy runs the other guy down with his car. INSANITY, with only four episodes left before the two-hour finale.

...the increasingly-satisfying action adventure series Human Target aired a season finale which not only told the origin story of its main protagonist and his three closest allies, but guest-starred Winifred “Fred” Burkle, Carlton “Lassie” Lassiter, and Steve “Six Million Dollar Man” Austin. This show always complements its solid regular cast with some great guest stars. I hope we get a season 2.

...my neck locked up on me for a good two days, worst in the morning around 6 AM when I woke up feeling paralyzed. It gets better throughout the day as I gradually regain more and more turning ability, but stiffens again after I've slept for a few hours. It seems to affect turning to the right more than turning to the left. After a week away from the gym I finally ran on Wednesday night, so we'll see if that makes it better or worse. It could be all the junk food I've been eating to deal with recent stress.

I'm exhausted. I wonder why...