Tell us what's happened to you recently (that's interesting)

Figured it had to be something. Unfortunate that it went that way, sounded like you were really enjoying the bonding time. But good luck, I suppose.

I guess I can see how it happens. Not sure if an offer will come through, don’t want to talk about it, then it does and “When can you start? Sooner is better.” And all of a sudden, you’re moving back to Florida. Still, very sudden for everyone else around.

Unrelated, I clicked on something in the control panel that inexplicably turned my desktop into this:
image

Surprised at how well all the icons framed up. Don’t want to go to sleep dreaming of dingoes, though.

Yeah, it bothered me more than I expected it would. We’ve always been such different personalities that we fought a lot growing up, and I was 19 when he married and moved away. So I was enjoying the time together as adults who could overlook the stupid little differences that cause spats between kids and still remember that we’re brothers.

Gee. I wonder how? :)

We went to California Adventure today and my takeaway is ->> Do NOT ever try to go on the Radiator Springs Racers without having a Fast Pass. They have a ratio of FP vs regular line folks that has to be surpassed before they let anyone in from the regular line. What a nightmare…trying to keep a couple little girls entertained while literally dozens & dozens of FP holders go in front of us was a challenge to say the least.

I pretty much gave up on Disneyland when the last time we went there were line just to use the fast pass. We love Disneyland but there are just too many people.

Go when they open, and head straight there. We didn’t bother with FP because if you need a FP it’s too busy anyways.

Me and the SO used the single rider line and the child swap and it worked great, but if you want to take your kids as well then pick a non busy day/early/late is your only real option.

Disneyland is only tolerable if you plan your entire day around the fast passes. Any other approach and you will be in a world of hurt.

I’m pretty sure Radiator Springs Racer is the single busiest ride in both parks, combined. It’s one of those things that you really need to plan out.

Yeah, we went to it as soon as it opened but CA opened an hour early with magic hour I think.

An uncle and his wife had their home of 25+ years burned to ruin this week. They fought it, but had to escape in their pajamas. It’s going to be devastating.

Do they know how the fire started? Feel very bad for them.

They are smokers, so believed to be a cigarette. They were not hurt, but escaped with nothing, so it’s a good reminder to review and update the grab-and-go bags.

Day leading up to 12:07PM, February 6, 2018 and that moment - my sister and I spent with my mom, Rita McGee, in Black Earth, Wisconsin. Mom passed away at that moment. It was peaceful in that she was unconscious (or near death state, take your pick) with morphine to ease her breathing, and this was an end to her suffering. The last two + years weren’t kind to her on the health front. This has been one of the (if not the) most intense and fulfilling experiences of my (not short!) life, my sister and I began our lives with mom, and hers ended with the three of us together. I know that all the goodness in me came from my mom (and, I’ve been ex-communicado with my dad for most of a decade and didn’t inherit his flaws that did so much damage to our family, but that’s another story).

Mom’s life was difficult, but also amazing. It’s hard to summarize it (and that isn’t my intent here) in a few words, so I’ll let her do it instead. Last weekend my sister was with her and said to her “Mom - I put together a list of your good qualities. Before I share them with you, what do you think is on the list?” Her reply, in my view, is the best three word summary possible (you would really have to know more about her to understand this). She said “My independent spirit.”

Also, when I got to her on Tuesday, she was still conscious, but agitated. Her eyes would open from time to time, but she was distraught. After the next morphine dose, she never opened her eyes again. But she was trying to say something … and it was hard to hear her (her lungs were toast, two rounds of radiation treatment for cancer but she had survived that, plus pneumonia and flu, which she survived too). So I bent over with my ear close to her and asked her to repeat what she was trying to say. The last words she spoke to me (or anyone else) were “Shut Up.” Given my dark sense of humor, and the context, I don’t take that the wrong way in any respect (and find it funny, except, I understand why she said it, she was extremely confused and disoriented given she was @ end of life, so anything and everything that was going on around her, I’m sure she just wanted it all to stop, and that was literally all she could say).

RIP Ms. Rita McGee - you are loved, and missed.

I’m sorry to hear it, Nixxter. After some time passes, you’ll have to tell us more about your mom (if you want to), she sounds very similar to mine.

That is really well said and I am so sorry for your loss. I’m tears reading this.

So sorry for your loss, Nixxter.

Thank you JR, JP, Rich - I have always liked how we share our lives here on Qt3 and wanted to share mom, and her passing, with yawl : ).

It’s very appreciated that you think of us in such high regard as to want to do so. Sounds like you guys had a pretty extraordinary bond, right through the end. Hoping all the best for you and your sister, Nixxter.

OTOH, maybe she was trying to be funny. ;)
In any case, I laughed. I did not see that coming.
(I have a dark sense of humor myself however.)
Condolences. Nice writing.