On travel soon

[Xjmt]

Brian's been doing so much moving around I'm getting dizzy. Anybody got any Dramamine?

[Henry J]

Ah yes,Ohio, the state that's high in the middle and round at both ends!

Henry

[lswot]

Ohio? When did you go to Ohio? Why did you go to Ohio?

[AnneB]

I was back in the office for two days last week, then I had to go to the Navy base in San Diego the rest of the week.

Now I'm off to Ohio (Athens) in the morning. My mother's brother is terminally ill, and I'm taking her up there to see him.

No internet on the farm.

He said here he was going to Ohio, but not for a happy visit.

[lswot]

Ah.......

[brian]

I got back home last night. Unbelievably, he's still kicking. His kidneys failed and he suffered two heart attacks on Monday of last week. His living will kicked in (comfort care only), and he's had nothing from the hospital but hourly morphine shots since then.

He was communicating when we showed up on Thursday, and some Friday. He was also eating and drinking a bit, when fed. But he hasn't taken any food or drink since Saturday morning. I can't believe a person can hang on that long. His breathing has gone apnic (sp?), where he'll breathe for about 20-25 seconds, then stop for up to 85 seconds. Though the process is going very slowly, at least it's going peacefully. He'll just go to sleep at some point from low oxygen levels and not wake up.

I felt so bad for Mom, having to take her away from him yesterday, but I had to get back here for work. And she decided she'd rather not stay til the end and travel by herself coming home (she wasn't worried about the physicality of getting from A to B, it was the emotion of getting on the plane by herself after losing him that bothered her). We concluded that it's more important that she was there when he could recognize her (he's no longer responsive), than to be there for the funeral.

That was the longest and hardest five days of my life.

And I hope there were no real crimes in Ohio yesterday, with every cop in the state lined up on 33 shooting fish in a barrel. Trooper Cooper (the human pooper scooper) gave me a $120 souvenir to take home with me, even after I told him that I had just pulled my 83-yo mother away from her brother's death bed to head for the airport late. I hope the SOB sleeps well at night.

[brian]

He finally passed at 3:15...

[Xjmt]

He finally passed at 3:15...

Sorry. But at least as you said he sort of faded away. Tough on family but hopefully more like going to sleep. My best to you and your mom.

[Xjmt]

And I hope there were no real crimes in Ohio yesterday, with every cop in the state lined up on 33 shooting fish in a barrel. Trooper Cooper (the human pooper scooper) gave me a $120 souvenir to take home with me, even after I told him that I had just pulled my 83-yo mother away from her brother's death bed to head for the airport late. I hope the SOB sleeps well at night.

There can be starchy cops just about anywhere but I have not been impressed with the people wearing police uniforms in the state of Ohio since I got here.

[lswot]

Sorry for you and your Mom's loss, Brian. Take care.

[brian]

Thank you.

[brian]

On the road again....

I'll be leaving Thursday for 32 days in Japan, which is both and .

[Xjmt]

Bring home a Gisha for me too.

[lswot]

Have a great trip. ....so......you'll be taking another bullet train?

[brian]

Yep.

And I've tacked on a couple of personal days at the end of the trip. I'll be staying in Tokyo... and visiting Disneyland. I know, . But I'm kind of a Disneyphile, and I've been to all of the parks in the U.S. (except DCA), and Disneyland Paris. I can't go through Tokyo twice and not take a peek! They also have what some call the best theme park in the world, DisneySea, which is said to be unlike any of the other Disney parks.

That'll be 8 of the 10 Disney parks under my belt, lacking DCA and Hong Kong Disneyland. (One more is under construction in Shanghai.) Now if they would just stop building them, I might finally catch up!