3600 miles in 10 days. I've got car butt.

[airhead]

Back to the rut (office).
I've been out all of last week.

My daughter and her boyfriend graduated college on the 6th.
Then we packed up their stuff and moved them to their new city and new jobs.
I'm so proud of her I could bust, but moving her half way across the country almost broke my heart.

I would have loved to stay the week and explore her new city with her, but... (It seems there's always a "but" in my life).

I had a very dear friend (We were roomies in college, I was in his wedding, he was in my wedding, he's my daughter's god father, etc.) that went into hospice as he could no longer stand the pain of his cancer.
He had spinal cancer and lost most of his kidneys. The dialysis filtered out the pain drugs and left him in un-endurable pain three times a week.

We were there in time to see him shed his pain for good. We'll miss the memorial service and wake at the game shop this weekend.

Then back to home. BBQ in Memphis for my wife's Mother's day lunch.

Sorry for the downer, but I feel like a menopausal woman on a hormonal rollercoaster and just had to unload.

 

[cassar]

commiserations on the loss of your friend and the youngster leaving home can be a bit of a downer as you say, have a beer

 

[Dragonsreach]

Love of friends and family is nothing to be ashamed of.
Remember your friends laughter as I'm sure you'll have a lot of that in your history.
Your Daughter is only a phone or Skype away in distance, but never out of your heart.

 

[airhead]

Love of friends and family is nothing to be ashamed of.
Remember your friends laughter as I'm sure you'll have a lot of that in your history.
Your Daughter is only a phone or Skype away in distance, but never out of your heart.

All too true, Mike.
Thanks.

Kati's been at school for the last 4 years in NC. Now she's in Chicago.... Too far to go up for a long weekend.

Dar's better off. It is amazing what we'll do for our pets, but won't do for ourselves.

Lots of late night painting sessions. Somewhere I've got a pic of a dining room table with a mound (literally) of lead minis on it. We'd sit down, start pulling out figs and painting away. All the while, telling old war stories, fish lies, lines from bad movies, etc.

 

[cfwheeler58]

If you go back to your own first post, you get to read about:

A good father
A good friend
A good husband

try to take a moment from the sadness and seperation to enjoy that....

Thanks for sharing it all.

 

[airhead]

Thank you CF.

As I said, a rollercoaster. Happy to see Kati graduate and stand on her own. Happy to see her get a job in her field. Happy to see her happy and eager for her future. Sad that she'll be so far away.

As for Dar, 2 years ago, he was given 6 months to live. We had them out about a year ago and did a week of Disney, meals, game nights, etc. That was special and I could tell then that we were on borrowed time. I relieved that he is out of constant pain.

All in all, a very interesting week off. I need a day off from my vacation.

This is one of the very few places I feel comfortable to come and unload this. Thank all of you for making this home.

 

[Torn blue sky]

Life is a bit of a rollercoaster at times, sometimes we take the good and bad in equal measure. Just try to mind that your daughter is happy with her lot in life and that's all you can ask of as a loving father that helped her to get there.
As for your friend, try not to focus on the remainder of his days, and remember how he lived. Sometimes life pulls us in directions we would rather shy away from in favour of others, but i'm sure that wherever he is, he appreciates the sentiment in wanting to salute his passing all the same. You have my most sincere congratulations and condolences, respectively.

 

[10 ball]

My thoughts are with you, the saddest part of growing old is losing your friends.

 

[airhead]

My thoughts are with you, the saddest part of growing old is losing your friends.

I actually lost most of my friends before I was out of college.
Out of 5 of us that ran around together in high school, there are only 2 left. Drugs and auto accidents.

But yes, I'm getting to the age that funerals are a part of my vacation scheduling.

 

[freakinacage]

Damn, that's some heavy stuff. Can't really add anything poetic like this lot, but chin up, we're all thinking of you!

 

[mud duck]

Skype is a beautiful thing. Have a cousin that we talked to from Tokyo on Christmas using it, little or no lag. Gods isn't technology a beautiful thing. Plus now you have a "reason" to go to Games Day, and the Air and Space Museum. On the other hand, has your daughter experienced a "true" winter? She may be making a bee line straight home, say in February or March.

Sorry to hear about your friend's passing, sounds like a good guy.

 

[wiccanpony]

Kevin & Peg ........ Witchie hugs X 1000

 

[skraaal]

My condolences.

Remember the good times, they're what make life so special. Although you've friends gone, you'll never loose the memories and I'm sure that those that knew him won't either. In truth he's never truly gone as long as you keep him forever in your heart and thoughts.

Tolkien once wrote, that death is but the next step in life's great adventure. It's one of those lines that always makes me feel a little bit better when I think of things like this.

Axel.