Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

Hey hey, RFK, how many kids did you kill today?

Optimism opens the door to great things.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

This fight is for everything.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

75% of people clapping liked the show!

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Shut up, hissy kitty!

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

Fundamental belief of white supremacy: white people are presumed innocent, minorities are presumed guilty.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Keep My Dad In Your Thoughts

Keep My Dad In Your Thoughts

by | 239 Comments

This post is in: 

Apparently he was cleaning the yard and somehow cut off his thumb down to the first knuckle in the wood chipper. Mom, my sister, and everyone had been frantically calling me for three hours, but I had my cell phone turned off. I only found out when my sister tweeted me and told me to call mom.

At any rate, he is heading into plastic surgery right now, so think happy thoughts for him.

Reader Interactions

239Comments

  3. 3.

    Zirgar

    I hope everything turns out okay. You’re all in my thoughts and prayers; sending good vibes your way.

  6. 6.

    Spatula

    Yikes. Better part of a thumb than the whole hand.

    I’m hoping all will be well. Good thoughts your way, JC.

  10. 10.

    Laura

    Holy crap, that is honestly one of my worst fears. At least it wasn’t his whole arm? Sending good vibes your way.

  15. 15.

    Bill in Section 147

    Hope for the best.

    Reminds me of the time my Grandpa took off some finger parts with a skill saw. Wrapped it all up in a towel and drove himself to the hospital. They re-attached them and they didn’t look too bad. Not 100% but not terrible.

  18. 18.

    Kathy in St. Louis

    John, hope it goes well. My grandson, Isaac, did something similar about 10 years ago. Everything turned out ok. Sometimes they are able to reattach, and even if it’s not particularly beautiful, it’s functional. Here’s hoping that’s the case this time.

  19. 19.

    ranchandsyrup

    Crikey! Good thoughts for Mr. Cole.

    ETA that a college buddy of mine went over the handlebars of his dirtbike and his thumb got caught in the spokes and he lost it down to right above the 2nd knuckle. He can still do everything that he used to do, with some creativity in how to go about doing it.

  22. 22.

    PurpleGirl

    Keeping your father, your family and you in my thoughts. Hope everything turns out okay for your father. Argh.

  23. 23.

    R-Jud

    My dad lopped off part of his index finger while cutting something with the circular saw about fifteen years ago, and it was pretty much successfully reattached. The only thing that suffered was his baseball bat grip and his typing.

    Hope your Dad heals as well as mine did. Will definitely pray for him.

  25. 25.

    nitpicker

    Goddamn the Coles are some badass hillbillies. Tell your dad we’re thinking of him and that he needs to start working on a better story than “woodchipper accident” right now. Here’s a good one, him being a “man from the South” and all.

  26. 26.

    Carnacki

    I am sorry, John. Hope your father gets well soon. I’ve known many a farmer, carpenter, mechanic, including my dad, who lost all or parts of finger and thumbs. My dad lost the end of his thumb at the papermill, but he worked for a long time after barely missing it. Ten days after he died from cancer, his first grandson was born with a weird indentation at the same spot on his thumb on the same hand that my dad had injured long before.

  28. 28.

    celticdragonchick

    Christ in Heaven! Best wishes for your dad, John. Sending all my positive thoughts to your family!

  31. 31.

    MikeJ

    You’ll never again get to accuse him of just sitting around with his thumb up his ass.

    Good luck to him.

  34. 34.

    Svensker

    Yipes, that’s awful. All good thoughts for your Dad and your family. (The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, apparently.)

  36. 36.

    BGinCHI

    Jesus, that’s terrible. That happened to my grandmother (push lawnmower) when I was a kid. Half of the index and middle finger.

  38. 38.

    jharp

    Power equipment scares the hell out of me. Thus I stay away from all of it.

    Probable goes back to me getting whacked in the thigh with a chain saw as a teenager.

    I hope your Dad has a speedy and painless recovery.

  39. 39.

    Lurker

    You, your dad and the rest of your family are in my thoughts. Also wishing him the best of outcomes.

  40. 40.

    JKC

    Good luck to your dad, John. I hope he does well and that they can salvage as much of his thumb as possible.

  42. 42.

    TaMara (BHF)

    Oh my that’s just awful. But I am glad it was his thumb and not heart again. Keeping a good thought and prayer for a good outcome with the surgery and quick recovery.

  43. 43.

    dance around in your bones

    Oh shit. Was he able to retrieve the thumb part or did it get shredded?

    In any case, many good vibes coming your way. Your dad did a good job raising a son like you. (Ok, prolly your sister too, from what I have read/heard from her. May he heal quickly.

  44. 44.

    Aaron

    OMG, The machines have reverted to their basic programming: “Kill all the humans!”

    Machine says:”Ill show you chipper, not so chipper now are you?!?”

    Okay, seriously, I hope everything is okay, that sounds horrible.

  45. 45.

    eric

    ouch. wishes of good luck and hoping the plastic surgeon stayed at a holiday in express last night

  46. 46.

    dmsilev

    Ouch.

    As someone who does machine-shop work on a fairly regular basis, the chance of getting an injury like that is always in my mind.

    Best wishes to your dad, and hope that he gets well quickly and smoothly.

  47. 47.

    Citizen_X

    Holy crap! Was the thumb recovered? If so, I think he stands a good chance of reattachment.

  55. 55.

    Bobby Thomson

    Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Glad he didn’t cut off that knuckle.

    Here’s to a speedy recovery.

  59. 59.

    tinare

    Best wishes for him, definitely. My brother cut that part of his thumb off using a table saw about 20 years ago. They were unable to re-attach, but with healing and physical therapy, he is able to do everything with “a piece missing” (as he always says) that he could do before. But, it is a painful thing to have happen. Wishing him a good recovery!

  61. 61.

    rikyrah

    1. PRAYERS to your father.

    2. As someone who checks her cellphone only twice a day, I do have a fear of something like this happening, and me not knowing about it.

  62. 62.

    schrodinger's cat

    Ouch that sounds painful. Did he lose a lot of blood? Speedy recovery to your dad
    @jharp: So true, as a student I worked in a mechanical engineering wood composite lab. The scariest equipment was the circular saw they had to cut up wood into samples. Very scary.

  66. 66.

    Anya

    John, I am sorry about your dad’s accident. I am sending my most positive thoughts your family’s way. Best wishes for a speedy and an uncomplicated recovery.

  67. 67.

    black onion

    I grimaced for two minutes on that thought. Christ. I hope he’s okay, considering. I’m amazed to still have all of my digits after over a decade in restaurant kitchens. Been to the hospital before from work, but I’ve always been lucky.

    Your dad’s in my thoughts.

  69. 69.

    jharp

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    The scariest equipment was the circular saw they had to cut up wood into samples.

    And there is always the possibility that loose clothing gets caught in the saw and drags you in.

    Yes sirree, fuck the power tools.

  71. 71.

    Mystical chick

    Oh my goodness!! Sending thoughts to your dad for swift healing and to your family for peace and clarity.

  79. 79.

    SBJules

    I am hoping for a great Surgeon and fast healing. No fun for your Dad, but I add healing vibes to him too!!

  80. 80.

    aimai

    My god, John, all my thoughts and prayers are with your parents and your family. I know it is going to come right in the end. Please let us know how things go and give your mother a huge hug from me.

    aimai

  84. 84.

    djork

    My dad did something similar with a saw of some sort a few years ago. He was able to able save it and get it reattached. Surprisingly, he has almost full use of the finger, with only a little stiffness.

    So, best wishes to your dad.

  88. 88.

    Seanly

    Cole – sorry to hear about your father’s accident. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

    Were they able to find the digit? Keep us informed if you’re up to it.

  89. 89.

    schrodinger's cat

    @jharp: The saw was in an enclosure, and it was much more powerful than home-repair type of stuff. Still scary.

  90. 90.

    oklahomo

    Oh no, that’s no good. About 4 years ago I had to have my right index finger rebuilt after a run in with a chainsaw. But I got lucky and got the surgery done right away, and have about 90% function.

  95. 95.

    ding dong

    My thumb. Hurts thinking about it. It ll turn out ok. I have confidence in your papa s luck. He’s got you guys after all.

  96. 96.

    Elizabelle

    This is mean, but my first thought on reading about your dad’s mishap with the woodchipper?

    “Proof of paternity.”

  97. 97.

    quannlace

    Definitely sending good thoughts to your Dad and your Mom.
    ******
    One time I split a finger open while trimming a painting. Learned after surgery that the fingers is one part of the body where the nerves DO regenerate themselves.

  101. 101.

    Schlemizel

    Oh god John, I feel so sorry for your dad. I hope things go well & he keeps the use of his thumb.

    My grand dad’s left thumb was mangled by a shell fragment & was just a skinny nub but it functioned pretty well so even if they can’t get the whole thing back together he will still be OK.

    Its probably going to be harder on your mom & maybe you kids. But plenty of good thoughts are going your way.

  104. 104.

    flukebucket

    Sure puts an exploding bathroom into an all new perspective doesn’t it. I am sure your dad will be fine. Probably more pissed off than anything. Hopefully the pain pills will ease some of the misery.

  105. 105.

    RedKitten

    @Elizabelle:

    “Proof of paternity.”

    Not really. It took a wood chipper to slow down Père Cole. Fils, however, was taken down by a mop and a bathroom floor.

  107. 107.

    Ruckus

    Tried unsuccessfully to cut off my thumb in an industrial accident once. Works fine, looks normal, thanks to a Dr. who specialized in hand repairs. He worked at the local workers comp clinic that we went to as it was closest.
    Some days I do get lucky.
    Hope the same for your dad.
    For some of us having an opposing digit is all that separates us from the ooze. The rest of us can get along fine as long as the holes in our heads don’t start leaking.

  110. 110.

    trollhattan

    Holy crap, that’s awful [involuntary shudder]. Best wishes to dad Cole, and to mom Cole who’s going to be putting up with a grumpy dad Cole regardless of how this comes out.

  111. 111.

    Dork

    Plastic surgery, eh? Are sure the thumb story is not a cover for some other, more “fingerlike” plastic surgery enhancement(s)?

  114. 114.

    The Other Bob

    My dad lodged his index finger into a hedge clipper. It looked like the tip was just cut all the way around above the first knuckle. When he went to the ER they made him wait. He decided to look at it, so he took off the rag he had wrapped around it. At that point the blood had coagulated to the rag. He removed the flesh part off his finder like a cap off the bone.

    After seeing bone, he passed out and did a summersault off the chair he was in.

    The ER rushed him right in at that point. Can barely tell after 35+ years. I still use the those old hedgclippers.

  115. 115.

    catclub

    @R-Jud: There is technology now to make this not happen on table saws. (Don’t know about skilsaws.) Expensive, relative to cheap tablesaw, but worth at least considering. And it REALLY, REALLY works. Amazing.

    Now to adapt it to wood chippers.

  116. 116.

    Insomniac

    So sorry to hear this John. Prayers and positive thoughts for your dad and an optimal outcome.

  117. 117.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    @Raven:

    best to you all, I’ll save the stories till later.

    A gal once turned me into a newt. I got better.

  118. 118.

    Democrat Partisan Asshole

    Now we know where you get it from.

    Be careful with the bandaging. And I don’t mean at home, I mean at the hospital. They applied tape directly to my grandfather’s skin when he cut his hand. He’d been on chemo and blood thinners. When they took the bandage off two weeks later, it tore a bunch of skin off his hand with it.

    He essentially bled to death. Very, very slowly.

  120. 120.

    Interrobang

    Best of luck and high-priced medical talent (on sale for a reasonable price) to ColeDa. I even said “Ow!” out loud at work.

  122. 122.

    JCT

    Good thoughts to your dad, John. Horrible as this may be, it truly could have been worse. Terrible machines those woodchippers.

  124. 124.

    Mnemosyne

    Speaking of power tools, every carpenter should have one of these instead of a standard table saw. Yeah, they’re way more expensive, but it’s better than cutting off a digit or a hand. We have one here at work and they did the “hot dog” demo. It was pretty amazing.

  132. 132.

    SatanicPanic

    A similar thing happened to a relative of mine. They put him back together. Not perfectly, but he’s still got all his digits. Hope your dad’s OK!

  135. 135.

    wenchacha

    Best wishes for your dad’s quick recovery. Physical/occupational therapy should help a great deal.

  136. 136.

    rebmarks

    My thoughts are with your Dad. And the rest of the family since I know they’re freaked. Damn, yard work is dangerous! – just this past year, my husband cut the end of his little finger off down to the knuckle, between two pieces of concrete forming a flower bed. Now he says he should get 10% off manicures. :)

  137. 137.

    max

    Apparently he was cleaning the yard and somehow cut off his thumb down to the first knuckle in the wood chipper.

    Stripped it or cut it clean off? In either event, may the elder Cole get that thing back fully.

    max
    [‘Know how he feels. Get better Dad!’]

  144. 144.

    Democrat Partisan Asshole

    Oh yeah – glad he’s largely in one piece, I read “saw” when I should have read “woodchipper”. Christ, he’s lucky it wasn’t so much worse. My hopes with all the others for speedy and uneventful recovery. But do watch those bandages with the old folks, people.

  146. 146.

    Jane2

    Yikes! The good thing is that plastic surgeons have the precision skills of engineers and can do amazing things to repair with little or no loss of function. Best of luck to Dad Cole!

  148. 148.

    catclub

    @Mnemosyne: I have never seen the demo. What does the stop destroy? The blade? A replaceable brake? I am curious. But not so curious as to find one and stick a finger in a spinning saw.

  151. 151.

    JR

    My dad took half his thumb in a chop saw accident, after he took the hand guard off it. I asked him why he would do that and he told me that his neighbor–who used to teach shop–did that with his. Then I asked how many digits his neighbor had, and he told me to STFU.

  153. 153.

    JPL

    Best wishes to Papa Cole. He’ll have to take it easy but that might be difficult since he likes everything in order.

  154. 154.

    greg

    I cut my left thumb off just above the knuckle about 10 years ago. I’ve had no issues, good luck to your dad..

  155. 155.

    Riley's Enabler

    Ah, crap. Sending white light to the Elder Cole, and best wishes for a complete recovery.

  156. 156.

    Shinobi

    My partner’s Aunt has no thumb on her right hand. We’ve been dating for 7 years and I just noticed this March.

    GL to your Dad, I hope they give him the good drugs.

  159. 159.

    scav

    Adding to general chorus. (have someone else fix the tub faucet. You do seem to come by a few things legitmately’)

  160. 160.

    Mary G

    He is a tough guy and I’m sure he can deal with whatever happens, but that is awful. You are all in my thoughts.

  161. 161.

    ET

    My did something really weird many years ago and ended up loosing part of one of his pinkys so I totally sympathize.

  162. 162.

    thalarctos

    I’m so very sorry to hear this happened, John. Adding all my thoughts and best wishes for the best outcome possible.

  163. 163.

    Calming Influence

    Hoping for the best outcome and the quickest possible recovery. I’ve been working around dangerous machines and nasty chemicals my whole life, and it’s not trite to say this: it could have been a lot worse. Let’s all thank John’s Dad in advance for the eyes and fingers he’ll have saved through this tough reminder – stay alert and never let your guard down around power equipment!

  166. 166.

    Mnemosyne

    @catclub:

    Here’s a little piece they did about it on “Time Warp,” the Discovery Channel show. Basically, if the sensor detects that something that conducts electricity (like your thumb) has gotten too close to the blade, the blade drops down into the brake in a split second. You end up having to replace the blade, but the $1,000 for a new blade is WAY cheaper than reconstructive surgery on your finger or hand, no matter how good your insurance is.

  176. 176.

    Mark B.

    Wow, John, my thoughts are with you. One thing to remember in situations like this is to be sure and take time to take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest and eat well, because you need to be at your best to help other people effectively.

  179. 179.

    Lavocat

    Happy Thoughts!

    Very sorry to hear this.

    Something similar almost happened to my father – but with a chainsaw! Another inch and he would’ve been instantly killed.

    Sounds like it may be time for an intervention. Perhaps it’s time to take away his wood chipper?

    I told my old man that chainsaws are for younger men (he’s 84!).

  180. 180.

    Raven

    @Lavocat: When my old man was 80 he went up in the palm tree in the front yard, about 40 feet, to trim it because he was so cheap. He hit a wasps nest and I have no idea how he got down without killing himself. Maybe climbing up to the crows nest on a tin can in high seas made it easier?

  183. 183.

    Ruckus

    @Raven:
    Owned a machine shop for 18 yrs and the things people will do around sharp objects still astounds me. If it cuts or grinds anything harder than skin it’s dangerous. That’s why we used to get those scissors with round ends that wouldn’t cut paper in grade school.

    Once again good luck to Papa Cole.

  184. 184.

    hitchhiker

    Crappity Bap!

    Tell him that a few thousand people are all cringing and sending smiles his way at the same time. And keep us posted.

    Jeebus, OW.

  185. 185.

    Mnemosyne

    @Steeplejack:

    Well, Mad Love is one of my favorite Lorre movies. I think it snuck under the pre-Code radar, because there’s still a whole lot of effed-up stuff in there (like how Lorre’s character becomes obsessed with the heroine because she’s a star at the Grand Guignol).

    I should start compiling a list of pre-Code horror movies for Halloween. Just off the top of my head:

    Murders at the Zoo
    Island of Lost Souls
    The Mummy (1932)
    The Old Dark House (Karloff again)
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (with Fredric March)
    The Invisible Man
    Freaks
    Mystery of the Wax Museum

    (Yes, I left off the two most obvious ones since I don’t think they hold up all that well.)

  187. 187.

    Ruckus

    @Raven:
    When a friend purchased a chainsaw on a stick we all were telling him to have his wife dial 91 and then stand there with her finger poised on the one button to save time.

  191. 191.

    Tlazolteotl

    Oh John,

    I am so sorry – best wishes to your dad. I amputated the tip of a finger two weeks ago, didn’t even hit bone but I am told it will be about 6 months before it is completely healed. So I feel for him.

  193. 193.

    EriktheRed

    Ai ai aieee!

    Sorry to hear that, John. Hopefully he recovers soon, whatever shape his thumb turns out in the end.

  194. 194.

    Tom Q

    Late weighing in, but wanted to add my best wishes. My own thumb twitched in response to just reading about this.

  196. 196.

    phoebes-in-santa fe

    Cole, my hopes are with your father and family. You’re well thought of and in many people’s hearts.

  197. 197.

    Steeplejack

    @Mnemosyne:

    Check your TCM listings. They’ve got some good ones coming in the run-up to Halloween. Actually, Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Black Cat are on this evening.

    I was thinking of Mad Love because recently TCM played, over the course of a week, that and two other versions, The Hands of Orlac (1924 and 1960). Haven’t watched those yet.

    . . . Just checked and saw that Tourneur’s Cat People is on at 9:00 a.m. EDT Saturday. And Freaks is on next Tuesday night.

  198. 198.

    Tonybrown74

    I haven’t read through all the comments to see if there have been any updates, but your father is definitely in my thoughts!

  199. 199.

    cathyx

    I’m really late to the party but I’m sorry to hear about this. The good news if there were to be any is that it’s just a finger. Not usually life threatening. I worked with a man who lost 3 fingers in a snow blower. He jokes about his hand all the time now.

  202. 202.

    ? Martin

    Well, that’s pretty shitty. Now I see where you get your handyman skills from.

    Best wishes on a recovery. When it comes to woodchippers, only losing half a thumb is about as good an injury you ever walk away with, so be very thankful for that.

    When you visit him, teach him how to tie his shoes with one hand. He’ll appreciate that. Don’t bring him an Gameboy to entertain himself with for his recovery. He probably won’t appreciate that.

  204. 204.

    YellowJournalism

    @Steeplejack: Oh, I would give the President’s transcripts and passport applications to see the original uncut footage of Freaks. The movie as is sends chills up my spine, especially those last moments and the macabre end shot.

  206. 206.

    geg6

    Late to see this but…

    Wow. So sorry, John. I’ll be keeping good thoughts for him.

    In the meantime, I’ll be contemplating how you must take after your dad. ;-)

    Too soon?

  207. 207.

    WereBear

    So sorry about your Dad! Hope it’s not too bad.

    @Mnemosyne: Well, Mad Love is one of my favorite Lorre movies. I think it snuck under the pre-Code radar, because there’s still a whole lot of effed-up stuff in there (like how Lorre’s character becomes obsessed with the heroine because she’s a star at the Grand Guignol).

    Me too! That is one wild movie.

  211. 211.

    Mnemosyne

    @Steeplejack:

    Oooh, I forgot about The Black Cat. That one freaked me the hell out as a kid because Lugosi skins Karloff alive in silhouette. Though it’s funny how you pretend I don’t have all of these movies on DVD already. ;-)

    It’s not pre-Code, but keep an eye out for a Michael Curtiz film from 1936 called The Walking Dead that Karloff did at Warner Bros. It’s a really fascinating combination of Warner Bros. hard-boiled crime story and horror film. The scene of Karloff’s mistaken execution is still nail-biting.

    ETA: Fun fact — Ricardo Cortez, who’s the lead bad guy, was the original pre-Code Sam Spade.

  214. 214.

    Anne Laurie

    Your dad will be in my prayers, Cole — and so will the rest of you.

    To add to the nosegay of Unfortunate Incidents, my mother-in-law lost her thumb to a recalcitrant bowline 30 years ago. Plastic surgery not being up to today’s standards, the medicos ended up (carefully) severing most of the ‘web’ between her thumb & first finger to give her a sort-of-equivalently-flexible stump. Once she’d healed up, she went to a joke shop & bought one of those plastic ‘suppurating wound’ plastic thumbs, which she would occasionally wear to parties. (Although I don’t believe she ever, despite her stories, made a point of dropping it in the soup to get away from an especially boring event… )

    P.S. John, even if you are the eldest, you do NOT get ‘first dibs’ on the woodchipper!

  216. 216.

    Felonius Monk

    Heal quickly, Father Cole. You are needed to keep Cole-the-Younger from going too far off the rails — The Tunch can’t do the job by himself.

  218. 218.

    Mnemosyne

    @WereBear:

    And Colin Clive! No one could simultaneously play vulnerable and unhinged as well as he could (unfortunately, it’s because he genuinely was both of those things, being a bisexual alcoholic in 1930s Hollywood).

  219. 219.

    WaterGirl

    Oh, Cole, so sorry. I have high hopes for a happy outcome.

    Calling my sister, she’s the one with the prayer hotline for good outcomes.

  220. 220.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Ouch ouch ouch! Just saw this, and lordy, John! Your dad has my very best wishes. Please give us frequent updates.

    This time, photos are not necessary :-)

  221. 221.

    ThresherK

    Thumbs are serious. I got microsurgery on a much less needful body part (slice in an eyebrow) after a yard mishap tripping over a dog, ages ago.

    At the time I didn’t know ‘microsurgery’ existed; all I know is that the doc did a great job and there’s nothing to see there.

    (And I think my appearance wouldn’t have been improved with a scar, even a “cool” one.)

    Best thoughts to your Dad.

  223. 223.

    Steeplejack

    @Mnemosyne:

    Though it’s funny how you pretend I don’t have all of these movies on DVD already.

    No, I know you do, but on the movie front I write with a thought for the other commenters and lurkers, who might appreciate the recommendation of some movies that predate Michael Bay.

    And (I was thinking about this the other day) I came up in the prehistoric era before DVDs–before videocassettes, even (gasp!)–and seeing the classic movies was a big fucking deal. You had to keep track of the schedule for your local art-house cinema (if you were lucky enough to have one), as well as for various college film societies, etc. And if you had to work late on the one night when somebody was screening Metropolis or some obscure Ingmar Bergman movie you were interested in, then too bad! It’ll be back along in another year or two. Hell, I used to drive from Mobile to New Orleans in the ’70s to see new French movies.

    So, yeah, I have this long ingrained hoarder’s habit of scanning TCM (and the other movie channels) for lost or underappreciated nuggets.

    I was going to write in my earlier post that I got onto Mad Love because one of my favorite novels, Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano, has a continuing riff where the main character either sees, or wants to see, Los manos de Orlac in Oaxaca and weaves the movie into his interior monologue. For years I wanted to see the movie but could never find it. And now they just toss it off on TCM. Life is good.

    I guess I should throw in a “Get off my lawn” here or mention that I wore an onion on my belt.

  225. 225.

    Mnemosyne

    @Steeplejack:

    G has figured out how to copy movies from our Tivo and turn them into watchable MP4s. It is simultaneously a blessing and a curse because I think we have now reached the point where it would be literally impossible for us to watch all of the movies we have even if we spent the next 40 years watching them all day, every day.

  226. 226.

    Elie

    I’m coming late to the thread and don’t know if this is appropriate, but hopefully, if the deleted thumb is intact (more or less), take it with to be possibly re-attached if possible..

    I wish your Dad the best. They can do amazing things to reconstruct the function of the thumb, (an important integer for grasping). I think they sometimes can use big toes to replace some of the function but there are other options as well.

    He is going to be in a shitload of pain initially, but thank God there are good drugs. If they take him to the OR, the nerve block will do the trick for a while..

    Hang in there… it will all be ok — Best to your family and esp to your Pop.

  228. 228.

    Steeplejack

    @Mnemosyne:

    I can relate to that. I got a 1-terabyte external SATA drive that mind-melded with my Cox DVR, so my DVR capacity went from 30-40 hours to 320 hours. And, yes, at any given time it’s 99 percent full.

  229. 229.

    Steeplejack

    @Mnemosyne:

    [. . .] we have now reached the point where it would be literally impossible for us to watch all of the movies we have [. . .].

    Yes, but the important thing is that each one is right there at your fingertips if and when you want to watch it. Sheer ecstasy!

  230. 230.

    Angela

    I’m sorry to read about this mishap. Please tell your dad we are thinking of him and his threads seems to be the ones that are the nicest and the longest. I hope surgery went well and they give him plenty of pain meds.

  235. 235.

    Death Panel Truck

    Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

    My old man was a wheat farmer. He never lost a digit, but he was blinded in one eye while working on a windrower attachment in 1967. A tine broke off and hit him in the eye. The doctor told him that one day he would regain some sight in that eye. He did, eventually–40 years later. It was only light and shadow, but no more darkness.

    He was also smacked in the mouth with a chain while loading a D5 SA Caterpillar onto a trailer. Took out all of the front teeth in his lower jaw

  237. 237.

    Gregory

    Oh, no! I’m so sorry. Though the promising news in your update is most welcome. You’re all in my thoughts.

  239. 239.

    Allen

    Had a friend (now dead) who always used to accuse me of being a safety fanatic. I used to design the electrical systems for heavy industrial facilities. Well, to make short story long, one night he decides that his ’63 Thunderbird needs more work, so goes out to the garage wearing his bedroom slippers and promptly drops the head for a 390 c.i. Ford on his foot which promptly broke (foot, that is) Thank the FSM that he was self-employed.

Comments are closed.