A month ago while I was working on a project with a friend, she went to go pick up some food from a restaurant, and asked me if she could bring me back anything. I said, "Yeah, see if they've got something about 5'6", redhead, with freckles."

That got me a friendly slug and a laugh. (Said friend is married, 4'11", and Asian.)

Three days later, I got in contact through an online dating service with a 5'6" redhead.

We met on Sunday for tea. It was supposed to be just tea, but we quickly added "and lunch", then "and a movie at my place", then "and some quick dance lessons", then I drove her back to her car because I had to go into the hospital that evening (scheduled - I'm getting a CPAP) and I had to do some chores first.

I walked her to her car, and we had about a ten minute makeout session in front of the car. I blew off my chores, and we ended up steaming up the car windows for forty-five minutes. Sorry folks, but the clothes stayed on. On the other hand, we both agreed to shut off our online dating options and see where it goes. I think I can safely say we skipped right past testing for chemistry and are now testing for fission. (Jokes about using proper shielding to avoid creating a breeder reactor will be met with an IFS.)

It's looking pretty good so far, albeit only a couple days in.

Of course, the other shoe drops - my grandfather, who has been in ill health this year, has precipitously dropped in health, and I found out today is much worse than I was previously told - we are talking days rather than weeks or months now. He wasn't lucid yesterday, and I have no idea how he was today. My mother was supposed to call me back when she heard, but she didn't so I don't know what's going on. I may be going up to visit tomorrow.

One of the last things he said to me the last time I saw him was "Thane, you find a pretty woman with a good heart, and you hold on tight to her and don't let her go." I don't know if I'll be able to talk to him again, but I'm taking that advice to heart. I hope I get a chance to tell him about this new woman, but I don't know if I ever will get a chance.

Either way, I'm taking his advice.

Fusion is marriage/long-term commitment. ;)

Gramps is doing much better. Turns out that the hospital basically let him sit for three days with no IV - no wonder he was dying. Shit, Irish farmers live forever if you just give 'em water + nutrients, and once they got that in him, he was doing much better.

I'm thinking there's a lawsuit in the offing...

My grandfather is dead. His body is still living, but he pretty much passed beyond the reach of anybody yesterday afternoon. He had some lucid moments before passing, and I got a chance on Thursday to tell him about the redheaded Irish girl I'm kinda seeing. I'll be damned if he didn't have the biggest smile on his face. I actually saved it until just before he was scheduled to go in for the surgery that put him in there in the first place, I wanted to give him a big boost. I was leaving to go take care of some errands, but my brother told me that for some time afterwards, he'd fall asleep with this big grin on his face, then wake up again and that big grin would get bigger, then he'd fall asleep again, big grin still on his face.

I don't feel like crying - I feel like laughing. He is an amazing man, full of love and care for everyone around him. I can feel him in me as I write this, encouraging me to dance and chase that woman.

Goodbye, John "Jack" O'Neill. They don't make the likes of you any more. May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

I remember something about an Ed O'Neill, but I don't remember where or if he's still alive. I'll ask.

He actually woke up yesterday. That's the thing about Irish farmers - you think you've done 'em in, and they wake up saying "I'm not dead yet!" ;) He's not coming back from this one - his lungs are almost completely filled with fluid, his kidneys have shut down, and there are other details I haven't given. Still, he managed to smile and gasp out "thank you" when we got some water into his mouth - and he was even able to swallow a teaspoon.

All nutrients have been pulled, and he's on a morphine drip. It's just about time now. However, explicit orders were given, and I'm not going back up today. No matter what happens, I'm not to call the hospital, and nobody is going to call me if his condition changes until tomorrow. I've got a hot date with a pretty redhead... ;) Movie, dinner, then I'm going to teach her a few dance steps.