Kevin's Watch

Like rdhopeca Last week.. (Condolences to you and your family.)

I have lost a special someone .. my mother.
She passed in her sleep on April 4th,2015.
She was 95.
She didn't show or complain of any discomfort or sickness
On that day I fulfilled my given word and promise I gave to my father.
I would help my mother lived in the current house she has now passed in.
That promise started in July of 1977 when my dad died.
I took it upon myself and would not let another women come into my life.
(You know about committing to two women in this sense)
I have lived with my mother for 61 and 2/3 years, all my life.
I knew no other and I kept at it to provide for my widowed mother.

I fulfilled my word. I kept my promise.
But no matter what age you are the pain is there.
You lose a parent when you are young the hurt can be explosive and dreading.
When you lose them like I have, the pain is deep and lasting.

Today on Friday we will lay her to rest.
And life must go on.
But the pain shall last for a long time.
Time will allow me to cope and accept that pain.
and life goes on.

Rune wrote:Rob, two weeks ago I had a letter to tell me that my stepfather had died. I never really knew him, having only met him once many years ago. My mother wanted me to know that he was a good man, and although he had no children of his own whenever asked he would say that he had three sons (me and my two brothers), in the UK. That really touched me and I grieved for him.

I think on death the same way, Avatar. But usually never brave enough to say it out loud. Especially when I had to attend my brother's funeral ... gosh, has been nearly five years ago already!

Hey Rune,
thank you for sharing that. (delayed-response from me, I know, but...)
You've lost one of your brothers as well, it sounds like.
That. would. be. so. hard.

Ur Dead wrote:On that day I fulfilled my given word and promise I gave to my father.
I would help my mother lived in the current house she has now passed in.
That promise started in July of 1977 when my dad died.
I took it upon myself and would not let another women come into my life.
(You know about committing to two women in this sense)
I have lived with my mother for 61 and 2/3 years, all my life.
I knew no other and I kept at it to provide for my widowed mother.

Ur Dead- bless you. Wow.
Was that April 4th 2015 or 2016? (you said 2015.)

Ur Dead wrote:But no matter what age you are the pain is there.
You lose a parent when you are young the hurt can be explosive and dreading.
When you lose them like I have, the pain is deep and lasting.

I lost my mom while I was in college. So much of my world had a "gray," discouraged cast to it for a long, long while.

For you Ur Dead, the pain's so deep and lasting because you were really close to them?

Hashi wrote:emotionally, I lost my parents a long time ago even though they are still alive... When one of us gets around to calling the other beyond pointless small talk--and I detest small talk--there really isn't anything to talk about. This may sound odd to most of you but then you don't understand me.

Well, it doesn't entirely sound odd to me... my dad's done a good bit to drive his two kids away emotionally. (though he probably doesn't quite even know he's doing it.)
Also, my default nature is to detest small talk. And in a family relationship, sticking to endless small talk often seems like an insult.
Yeahh...

Take care, all.

Sorry for everyone's losses. It's been a tough winter/summer.

My update is that we're all moved in, and are now engaged in sorting and putting away -- as well as determining what we should never have bothered to move and getting rid of it. I found 7 boxes of old bills/receipts/bank statements in a closet, dating back to 1994, and so now I get the pleasure of culling them down to what we actually need to keep. I am pretty sure I have already been through the early ones once, and I've gone to electronic billing for most of my bills for the past few years. But still, it's not going to be much fun.

I also get to hang pictures this weekend. And we'll likely blow a day at Ikea. We've already been to the hardware store twice. Good times, good times...

Sorry it was just this past Monday.. 4/4/2016..
I was a bit in a hurry...

Now we have laid her to rest today.

Ah, sorry to hear it Ur-Dead. Sounds like she had a good long run of it, and went peacefully. A good way to go.

--A

Here's Fuzzpaws all wrapped up and ready to journey to Gianthome.



Signs of spring.



* * *

ETA: Sorry for everyone's losses.
Grandmother passed away a few weeks ago hereabouts.

Sorry for your losses, Frosty and Ur Dead.

Love the second pic.

Nice to see you around Frosty.

First pic is sorta creepy...

--A

Planning this Norway trip is getting a bit annoying, at least for the one leg of the journey that isn't all booked. I know I have to get a train from Bergen to Voss, a bus from Voss to Gudvangen, and a ferry from Gudvangen to Flam. The bus connecting the other two is the only thing that can't be booked in advance. Problem is I'm having trouble working out bus times.
I've seen comments that the whole schedule is lined up specifically for making this trip; but when I use the trip planner on the bus website, it doesn't show any buses between 10:10 and 14:00. If that's the case, then I can't go ahead with my plan to catch the 14:30 ferry.
However, when I actually look at the timetable for that particular bus route, it does show more buses including one at ~13:00. So I don't know what to believe: that there's always buses at the right times for the ferries, or that there's a gap in the middle of the day.
I can't find anything about this issue on discussion threads about the trip.

Email the bus company?

It's only Wednesday and I feel knackered.

Must be my age.

--A

Frostheart Grueburn wrote:Signs of spring.

That picture was gorgeous and mezmerizing, Frosty.
A five-year-old who saw the picture declared that there were dolphins under that silvery surface.

Frostheart wrote: Sorry for everyone's losses.
Grandmother passed away a few weeks ago hereabouts.

to you.


for me... I'm feeling unmotivated. I need to do more tax stuff, but I have to tutor in two-and-a-half more hours :-/

Linna Heartlistener wrote:

Frostheart Grueburn wrote:Signs of spring.

That picture was gorgeous and mezmerizing, Frosty.
A five-year-old who saw the picture declared that there were dolphins under that silvery surface.

I like that. I was thinking it looked like winter was shedding its skin.

Frosty:

Oh heck -- hugs all 'round.

Have I mentioned yet that I'm going to Ireland next week?

aliantha wrote:Oh heck -- hugs all 'round.

Hugs, yeah!

Sorus wrote:

Linna Heartlistener wrote:A five-year-old who saw the picture declared that there were dolphins under that silvery surface.

I like that. I was thinking it looked like winter was shedding its skin.

Neat.

Also, I only now realize that it's definitely a piece of ice, and not a dew-covered spider's-web.

Avatar wrote:First pic is sorta creepy...

Oh, I just assumed that was the intended effect!

Murrin- I shudder over trying to work out those schedules.
I've worked myself into, well... some pretty serious agitation.. trying to figure out some transit schedules for places I've planned to go. :-/ And yeah, missing a ferry would be kind of a big deal!


also, I'm kinda concluding that my general grouchiness and malaise of the moment ("I feel unmotivated") is partly due to social anxiety... (sometimes about things like "that e-mail I need to write") and one or two other things I'm sure.

Tutoring itself is great...

aliantha wrote:Have I mentioned yet that I'm going to Ireland next week?

Not that I've seen; how fun!

Are you meeting up with the melon?

He's a squash surely?

--A

Thanks folks.

Linna Heartlistener wrote:

Sorus wrote:

Linna Heartlistener wrote:A five-year-old who saw the picture declared that there were dolphins under that silvery surface.

I like that. I was thinking it looked like winter was shedding its skin.

Also, I only now realize that it's definitely a piece of ice, and not a dew-covered spider's-web.

It is plain ice, but that substance can produce an incredible variety of forms. Some more macros from the same area here, in case 5-year-olds or others wish to discover more elusive frost-dolphins.

Another from the set that I really liked:

Linna Heartlistener wrote:

Avatar wrote:First pic is sorta creepy...

Oh, I just assumed that was the intended effect!

That's actually protective clothing against the elements, as he's sending himself by the Owl Post to save on costs. The owls grab the rope with their talons, although it may serve other purposes as well.
Do the witches of Lancre ever mount their broomsticks sans wearing three pairs of woollen underpants?

Menolly wrote:

aliantha wrote:Have I mentioned yet that I'm going to Ireland next week?

Not that I've seen; how fun!

Are you meeting up with the melon?

Av wrote:He's a squash surely?

--A

I thought he was a tater.

Anyway, yes, I am. I'm spending a few days knocking around on my own at the start, then meeting up with u. in Kilkenny for the southeastern tour.

I was hoping we'd also be meeting up with lorin so it could be a proper E-fest (i.e., three or more Watchers); alas, she's run into some health problems, and will have to skip the trip. Think good thoughts for her, y'all.

Have a great trip, Ali!

aliantha wrote:I was hoping we'd also be meeting up with lorin so it could be a proper E-fest (i.e., three or more Watchers); alas, she's run into some health problems, and will have to skip the trip. Think good thoughts for her, y'all.

I told the universe that Lorin had used up her quota of health problems. No one ever listens to me...

Good thoughts, Lorin.

Frostheart Grueburn wrote:That's actually protective clothing against the elements, as he's sending himself by the Owl Post to save on costs. The owls grab the rope with their talons, although it may serve other purposes as well.
Do the witches of Lancre ever mount their broomsticks sans wearing three pairs of woollen underpants?

Ah, traveling in style. Though I can picture Nanny Ogg going commando.

(What? My mind is a weird place at the best of times.)

Love that pic. Looks like some kind of alien sea creature.

I'm Murrin wrote:Planning this Norway trip is getting a bit annoying, at least for the one leg of the journey that isn't all booked. I know I have to get a train from Bergen to Voss, a bus from Voss to Gudvangen, and a ferry from Gudvangen to Flam. The bus connecting the other two is the only thing that can't be booked in advance. Problem is I'm having trouble working out bus times.
I've seen comments that the whole schedule is lined up specifically for making this trip; but when I use the trip planner on the bus website, it doesn't show any buses between 10:10 and 14:00. If that's the case, then I can't go ahead with my plan to catch the 14:30 ferry.
However, when I actually look at the timetable for that particular bus route, it does show more buses including one at ~13:00. So I don't know what to believe: that there's always buses at the right times for the ferries, or that there's a gap in the middle of the day.
I can't find anything about this issue on discussion threads about the trip.

I'd plan for a worst-case-scenario. When's the next ferry? Maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised, since it makes sense for the schedules to line up.

Back when I was commuting to a small town where the express trains never stopped, there was supposed to be a shuttle that would take you to the next station to connect with the express. There were schedules on the website, there was even a pole marked as a shuttle stop. There was no shuttle. Ever. Six months, never saw one. I'd call the train info hotline, and the person would read me the schedule from their website.

Not sure what the point of that story was, except that if you call/email for info, you may just get a copy/paste of the info you already have from someone who has no real inside info.

aliantha wrote: I thought he was a tater.

I can't keep up.

At least it's Friday.

--A