My dad still wants to drive

And that makes a lot of sense. It gives him independence, and makes him feel useful, and most importantly is a part of his identity. But the man cannot be trusted with 1.5+ tons of metal. His naturally aggressive style is now paired with impaired judgment. It's a no-brainer from a road safety standpoint.

I understand why my mom resists this. For one, it's practically challenging. For another, it's heartbreaking for her and her husband. But man, he almost killed my sister last week because he made some kind of mistake on a local road with a 50mph speed limit.

My other sister wants to involve him in the discussion about his driving. There are multiple reasons for that, including the feeling that she herself was left out of too many conversations and doesn't want that to befall baba as well. I would like to talk with him about it too, so that he's at least partially in the loop, but I don't want to let him decide his own fate. I'd like to put it in the hands of the state of Texas, but I haven't heard back on an inquiry I sent.

Danielle has tried to intercede to cut through the issue, which I appreciate. Hopefully it doesn't inflame things. And she told my sisters about Simon. Hopefully that buys a little grace.

This morning I don't feel that depressed so far, and I'd like to take it easy. Last night I was starting to cramp from exhaustion and electrolyte depletion despite force-feeding myself mac and cheese with a notable dose of sodium.

The air quality was supposed to be bad today because of wildfire smoke, but at the moment it's good. Maybe I'll go for a walk through the cemetery. I could bring my new friend "Ghost Cat" along (last night I pretended to talk to self-aware ghost Simon, voicing his responses in his usual pseudo-deep voice--it helped). We'll see.