D.’s father was hospitalized last week after complications arose during an outpatient kidney stone extraction (that’s a nice way of saying that the doctor botched the job), so we spent most of the weekend near the phone, trying not to get too agitated. Until Saturday, we didn’t get much information about what specifically had gone wrong, whether subsequent procedures had been successful or not (we only knew that they were “excruciating,” according to his mom), and when he’d be released. The hospital also failed to record that his father is diabetic and takes medication for that as well as for arthritis, gout, and high blood pressure. Thing seem to be a bit better now — his father was finally coherent enough to have a conversation with D. by phone last night — but it was a frustrating, worrisome few days.

That said, we played some good games of cribbage, and D. finally got me to see what could be fun about Set, a game I’d previously only played with total experts who left me staring at the cards and saying “Buh?” while they yelled, “Set! Set! Set!” Yesterday I baked cornbread, all the better to stuff the delicata and sweet dumpling squash (squashes?) from the past couple of organic foods deliveries. I also made a plum crisp. Cooler weather just totally rocks my world.

I got out of the house Saturday to see the Art Deco exhibition at the MFA with Tomoko and her wealthy friend Cinta (she lives in John Kerry’s neighborhood, if that tells you anything). The galleries were way too crowded, but some of the pieces were very spiffy. I want to go back on a weekday soon so I can take my time.

It’s spooky quiet at work today — most of the company is in New York for a big conference. At lunch I bought a spiffy new notebook, another Uniball Jetstream pen, a collection of short stories (Among the Missing) by Dan Chaon, and a novel (Three Junes) by Julia Glass. They both might be terrible; I’m going on recommendations from Salon and McSweeney’s, which haven’t always been accurate in predicting my tastes.