Updates have been scarce around here for the last week, so let me apologize for my unannounced absence.  My mother was hospitalized last week due to significant abdominal pain and internal bleeding.  Needless to say my focus was not on updating the site.

So, as you'd expect, I'm playing catch-up with work and personal pursuits.  I'm already working on several posts for the site and hope to get back into the groove of it all relatively quickly.

As for my mother's condition, it turns out she had a kidney infection — a very significant kidney infection.  After a week in the hospital and lots of pain, she's doing much better now and is home taking it easy.  She'll be on antibiotics for a few weeks and is being monitored by the doctors to make sure there are no unforeseen problems.

Personally, I vote for not doing that again.