Text 16264, 100 rader
Skriven 2014-08-26 11:05:00 av NANCY BACKUS (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: Re: odd places & names 83
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-=> Quoting Michael Loo to Nancy Backus on 08-23-14  04:52 <=-

 ML> In the last decade or so mortality has been in the back of
 ML> my mind for obvious reasons. The question of where to die
 ML> recurs (when, one doesn't have so much control over, though
 ML> there are situations when suicide, assisted or otherwise,
 ML> seems to be a viable solution). I used to think that having
 ML> a party and surrounding oneself with friends might be fun,
 ML> at least for me - hard to tell about how the friends would
 ML> feel; now I wonder whether practical solitude (in a hotel
 ML> room or on a plane) would make sense, or even more to the
 ML> point, actual solitude, say out in the wilderness somewhere,
 ML> where nobody would have to deal with an ugly corpse until
 ML> it had been nicely picked over and not so messy any more.

I guess I've more figured that I'm not likely to have much say over the
where any more than the when... except with a lingering last illness.
But I've generally figured probably there would be some people around,
whether or not I was aware of them.  Not likely to go the suicide route,
assisted or otherwise, though.  Though I might be tempted, given certain
circumstances...  maybe...  I'm inclined to let things play out as they
will...  :)

 ML> My friend Dave's wife has been given only a month, brain
 ML> cancer. At one time a doctor's prediction was given more
 ML> weight but was less accurate; these days, otherwise, and
 ML> further, she, like Billy, has cheated the numbers for a good
 ML> long time, couple years at least. She's sleeping most of the
 ML> time now - her daughter is providing what is essentially
 ML> in home hospice care, and I'm arranging to interrupt my
 ML> wild schedule to come by for a last visit. But she's going
 ML> to go with friends and family about, one hopes in minimal
 ML> discomfort (she hasn't experienced too much), gradually
 ML> slipping into unconsciousness. That doesn't sound like such
 ML> a bad way to go.

No, that sounds not a bad way at all.  Hardest on those providing the
vigil, perhaps...  My friend Sharon's brother is dying of cancer, too...
he's at the non-responsive stage already, and she's having a hard time
with it... I think her parents are having an even harder time, it's hard
to see one's child go first...

 ML>> I used to have pretty inerrant memories of what I'd eaten and
 ML>> where I'd been, but now I have to have a camera. Sometimes
 ML>> even that doesn't work, as I forget to bring the camera.
 NB>> Yup, hard to use something not at hand... ;)  Guess the days are
 NB>> all attacking at once now, and it's hard to sort them all out
 NB>> afterwards. ;) 
 ML> As you often say, quite.

I think I picked that one up from you, actually... ;)

 ML> It is pointed out that humans too behave much worse in
 ML> temperature extremes, especially at the higher end of the
 ML> scale. Maybe this bee thought it an injustice that she had
 ML> to go about earning a living in (relative) stifling heat
 ML> while her spouse either lazed about or more likely had
 ML> abandoned her, so she took out her hard feelings on the
 ML> nearest available male of whatever species. Or do I
 ML> anthropomorphize.

Methinks you do anthropomorphize there... :)  More likely the extreme
caused agitations and she just wasn't herself...  ;)
 
 ML>> One of the things we're doing is treating Ian and Jacquie
 ML>> to a fancy meal, and I am looking to spend at least E50 a
 ML>> head and possibly considerably more counting wine. This
 ML>> isn't being a cheap trip.
 NB>> That was the reference I was pretty sure you meant... ;)  Some things,
 NB>> while well worth it, just aren't inexpensive...  :) 
 ML> Maybe I'm doing this frantic journeying as a response to
 ML> the concerns noted above. Turns out we ended up dropping
 ML> E45 for the meal, with Ian graciously taking care of the
 ML> wine at E25-odd per person. 

That's not so bad... considering... :)

 ML> He claimed it a Michelin star quality meal; I was pleased
 ML> but not quite so impressed and would give it a couple of
 ML> those crossed fork and knife thingys. More later.

I'll be watching...  :)

 ML>> There was a campaign to get people to apply for passports;
 ML>> it must have worked.
 NB>> I still see posters in the post office and other public buildings...
 NB>> after all, it is a revenue source... ;)
 ML> One that is an actual service that - if one doesn't go
 ML> anywhere - doesn't cost the government anything.

They have to pay their customs staff... but I suppose unless a great
deal of extra people started traveling, they'd not have to add extra.

ttyl             neb

... Kludge: (v., adj., or n.) to fix a program in the usual way.

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