Let's Talk.

 No, no. I mean, "I'll talk."

It's been awhile, and for that I'm sorry. Not, like, REALLY sorry -- I doubt very much I've been missed -- but a little. But let me tell you a little about my 2022 regardless.

The fun actually began in 2021, as calendar days mean nothing to the universe at large. December 18th, to be exact. That day -- just a bit after noon -- I received a text message from the Tall One.

Had an accident heading to the hospital may need you to find out where ********s dad lives and get my truck

Yeah, not exactly the kind of thing you want to receive. Ever. Ever ever. And particularly not in text form.

Over the next few minutes it became slightly more clear. Bad burns on his legs. Talk of heading to Denver. By the time I'd retrieved said truck and gotten to the hospital, they were packing him up for the flight down.

It had been a bit of a freak accident -- a boiler, a can of primer, a spill, and thirty seconds that changed things drastically. Stop, drop and roll was insufficient but running outside and shedding [what was left of] his pants worked. (Try... not to imagine what that would be like. Seeing an apparent neighbor running out of the house on fire?) He ran back in to make sure the house was okay. The resident and his daughter were both there and she happens to be a nurse; they made sure the ambulance was called. Within five hours of the incident, he was in a room in a proper burn ward in Greeley, a city north of Denver.

Then ... well. Let's just say I don't recommend burns. There was a cleanup that had to have been excruciating. Two separate grafts (one allo-, one auto-). Staple removals. (*Shudder.*) 18 total days in the hospital. And weeks of daily washes to keep the burn and graft sites clean. 

2022 did not start well ... but it was better than the last few days of 2021.

Now, a year later, there are some takeaways:

1. The Tall One recovered -- is still recovering -- very well. It was rough for him to stay still for as long as he did and the road continues on, but he was able to start working bit by bit starting in March.

2. His sister was awesome. She dropped everything for a few days and got to Denver before I could -- which was huge, considering I had also just started a new job (egads). Whether or not he was fully aware of it, she saved me from imploding ... particularly since she is a nurse who Knows Things.

2b. For instance, hospitals often have hospitality houses where families can stay for a very reasonable rate. The one in Greeley is top-notch.

3. You never really know what kinds of things you can handle until they're in front of you. Including wound care in a hotel bathroom in a blizzard like some kind of B-movie.

Here's to 2022. May it stay in 2022.