This is one of my favorite photos of Robert. It was shot about this time in 2002. I hadn’t had the 300ZX very long at that time, and the days were still kind of long. This is near the Houston Ship Channel. Click on the image to view the larger photo of course.

Robert has been showing more independence each day. He doesn’t get up and cook dinner every evening, but he gets up and fixes lunch for himself each day. Sometimes, I come home for lunch and we eat together.

This weekend will be our big grocery shopping expedition. That used to be Roberto’s task, one he undertook with relish. He enjoyed getting bargains and he sure knows how to pick delicious, fresh, ripe and juicy fruits of all kinds, peaches, pears, nectarines and especially watermelons.

So this weekend we’re getting our coupons clipped and going down every aisle in search of bargains and that perfect end of summer melon.

He still has problems with neuropath and spasticity, but that comes with the territory. It’s just a matter of figuring out the dosages of medication — and which medications to give — so everything will be on an even keel.

I’m a little sad today myself because it was a year ago this evening when Roberto and I were at the St. Luke’s emergency room trying to find out what was causing his severe side/flank pains. The damn doctor in the ER dismissed my queries about osteomyelitis as being the ravings of a madwoman, dismissed Roberto as just wanting drugs.

Little did the jackass know that less than a month later, Robert would be back in the ER, this time flat on his back and unable to walk. Do I sound bitter? Well, there’s a reason for that.

I’ve told Roberto that I keep this site to update his friends and family. He’s very happy that he has his own domain. I’m going to encourage him to start writing here, instead of me. I think there are probably things he should be sharing with you — or at least things he needs to work through — and what better way than putting pen to paper. Or in cyberspace, keystroke to screen?

If this site goes wonky in the next couple of hours it’s because I’m ripping apart the stylesheet and reworking it a little bit. I’ve purchased the domain robertoherrera.com for Robert and am in the process of backing up this site and moving it. I’ll just do a 301 permanent redirect from this site. The new site will have a splash page just like this one, and will require a password to gain access to the journal and the rest of the site.

See you on the other side. (Hopefully!)