lately time spent fussing over current events has become a sort of release, oddly enough. riding a cab crosstown for a work mission this week, i was distracted by the radio talking about iraq and the us and you know.

this morning i got in the car shortly after 9am and minutes later the radio reported that columbia had lost radio contact. in regular intervals, the story continued and unfolded. they announced there was video of the shuttle breaking up in the sky, and you think i know what that is like.

later on in the hospital we were watching a press conference going on at nasa and a nurse suggested that maybe we should stop watching it; some people get too upset about such things. but it's distracting to feel sad over such a loss when you're waiting, just waiting for a new heart.