In the cancer and chemotherapy sections of the hospital, they provide free bakery items and a coffee machine that I swear can spin gold. Any coffee drink you can think of, this doohickey will procure. Charlie and I head over to the hospital with Mom at regular intervals for both treatment and blood draws, and as we wait (and wait, and wait, and wait) we sample the goodies...me more so than him because didn't you read what I wrote?—COFFEE!

We were traipsing through the parking garage last Wednesday, walking toward the elevators and stairwells that would lead us to the hospital, when we began rubbing our hands excitedly for the treats to come. We twittered back and forth about them as our pace increased and Mom wobbled in our wake.

We reached the heavy metal doors and Charlie snorted in disgust. Guiltily, we looked toward Mom, who shuffled slowly to the place where we stood. What rotten little children we really are. Charlie summed it up wonderfully with, "Jeez, Mom'll be gone ten years and we'll still come back for the cookies."