I will have to be better prepared in the future for the deluge of responsibilities that fall on me in the fall. The kids and I both begin our school years. Also, I am in the process of selling my house and my car, the lovely car on my home page, is also up for sale.

Funny how I was never more relaxed this summer, living in my old house in staged furniture. I felt like the kids in "The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. ..." who ran away and lived in the Met. Only it used to be my house.

The big thing I had to do in the fall was go back and see my nephrologist. I see him every two months. A few weeks ago I was feeling super lousy (and wrote about it here) but on Friday when I went to see him I felt swell. The day before I had my blood drawn so that he could tell me how my beans were holding up.

I had been hovering around 20.6% kidney function (for African-Americans, 16% for everyone else). The cut off to be on the transplant list is 20%. My creatinine then was 4.1. Normal is 1 or so. Now it is 4.4. Hooray! I can get on the list now.

I feel fantastic, in general, and don't have time to lay in bed and wait for the new kidney they shove in to heal. Still, it's good to be on the list.

My dad was already on dialysis when his creatinine was my this high. Sword of Damocles.

And yet, if I get (I guess, "when I get" is a little more realistic) I will be able to eat what I want again. That's something. And Alonzo Mourning seems to be doing great. Former San Antonio Spur Sean Elliot too.

I just wish that when they put the new organ inside you it would be somehow better than human. As long as I'm being cut open I'd like to get a little bionic boost.

The kids have no idea what's going on and when friends try to talk to me about it in front of them I shut them up. I'm all they've got on the regular and I can't have them worry that I won't always be around.

They are magnificent and have already been through enough.