I am again an uncle.
My sister, who'd surprised everyone including herself by turning out to be pregnant (shortly after buying her amusement park season tickets, leaving her specifically warned against riding almost anything), went into the hospital on Monday. This was to set a date for inducing labor. It was a couple weeks ahead of the projected due date, but her blood pressure was rising to the point that everybody with standing was nervous. And, apparently, they figured the best date to induce delivery was Tuesday.
This is my first nephew. He's a bit small and light, as you might figure. I expect that my parents are working out the logic of getting over to see their new grandchild as soon as possible. And I am curious whether the extra two weeks or so safeguards the kid from the dreaded merger of birthday and Christmas. It's got to make things better anyway. There'll be some years his birthday'll even be before Advent starts.
As though having a child weren't enough to occupy December, they were also planning to buy a house. The closing date was also mid-December. If I'm not mistaken it was about the same day as my nephew's expected date. I don't know the details of what made that madness look sensible.
My father had suggested --- before the delivery date was moved up --- that I might go over to them, and help out for at least a couple days. I thought that was a good idea, but didn't have the chance to establish any actual specific dates I might be welcome or useful there before all this broke out. I'd still like to. It'd be partial repayment for their help in moving my stuff out to Lansing, after all, and it might be the best chance to see family around Christmastime that I'll get this season. But just when that will be is a mystery, not least because on top of all this, my brother-in-law's mother is having knee surgery in mid-December and he wants to be able to support her in the immediate recovery, this after she goes home after she supports them in my sister's immediate recovery. I don't know what they did that everything in the world is hitting them in December, but I'm glad to have a nice calm life these days around here.
Trivia: Among Bert Wheeler's vaudeville performances was a bit in which he brought a joke book out on stage, announced he was going to read from it, and do just that, quite successfully. Occasionally he would just sit on the edge of the stage, eating a sandwich and talking with the audience. Apparently it was all in the delivery, though he would sometimes cry and wipe his eyes on the sandwich and eat his handkerchief. Source: The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville, Anthony Slide.
Currently Reading: Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, Sean Howe.
PS: Reading the Comics, December 2, 2015: The Art Of Maths Edition, since several comics mention or depict the attractiveness of mathematical symbols.