h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My dad was born 17 November 1919, but he died only 53 years and 50 days later. I am now close to 14 years older than him.

Only a couple of days ago I lost my ex-mother-in-law. She was 94 and had caught pneumonia a few days before and that was that. She was somewhat demented in her last years, but apart from that making her confused from time to time she was neither sad nor aggressive as some demented may well become.

As one of my sisters put it: She had the age for it but her death can make you "melancho-sad" anyway.

Life and death are strange occurrences sometimes.

Your father was three months older than my father, Pierce. I still miss him.

M<y mother ended up with poor eyesight and poor hearing, which made her pretty confused at times. My sister and I were never really sure if dementia was in there as well.

When you're laboring against that many obstacles, it's a wonder you end up as sane as you do.

Speaking of sanity I had the strangest dream a night or two before my m-i-l died: I was at a wedding and at some point it turned out to be my own however very different from my actual wedding back in 1982

I don't remember seeing my bride or her mother in said dream but I got to talk to my late father-in-law again which was great. He was in a very good mood and we had a lot of fun so that was really nice.

Quite in contrast to his later years when his physical health deteriorated badly and he was quite depressed.

Dreams can be odd, but also uplifting at times

Last night I dreamed I was being chased upstairs and down, and through bathrooms by Nazis. I was with a small group of people, and we escaped by turning into mice. Mice can fit through very narrow spaces in the walls.

I wonder if there are in the 's cellar in Chile from whence came the I am celebrating the memory of my Father with

The wine maker told everybody that there was a in his cellar hoping this information would frighten his superstitious employees, neighbors and others from stealing his

Casillero del Diablo makes good wine in Valle Central and this bottle even was on offer. I know Father would have approved. As would my Father-in-law who also appreciated good and was a good businessman too. (Dad was a librarian. As paulh will know there isn't usually much worldly fortune to be gained in this line of work. The reward is different. Am I right, paulh?)

My recently diseased m-i-l never said no to either - but mainly to keep her husband from drinking too much, I reckon

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After this event, I found that I couldn't "feel" for anyone passing on from this lifeincluding members of my own family.
But! It did not stop me from respecting the person/s or events that occured at any time before they passed on
I have to say most honestly though! That since I became a "member" of the internet and especilly hootoo
I now find that the friends I have within hootoo - met or not met yetit hurt me, when either THEY are unwell in some form ? or a relative of theirs is unwell or passed away...

Because all I can do is put a "post" in a thread (and) in some friends her, who I have email contact..

It seems very littleBut the thought is 100%

"some friends here!

sorry....

Thanks, my friend

Near death experience will do this to you. I know. You live and you learn. Often the hard way.

I soon got used to not having Dad around and of course I have no problems with old people leaving this world. Makes you a bit sad at the moment because you reminisce and realise you'll never see them again. But that's about it. Because that is the way of life and death.

Only thing scaring me now is the thought of the younger generations and what they may encounter. But I'm trying not to think about it because 1. it may never happen and 2. I can't prevent it anyway. So no good reason to worry oneself sick.

Future generations may be surprisingly resilient.

Yes, but it's the present generations of children and grandchildren that I'm thinking of. If anything bad happens to them I hope I won't be around any more to witness it

I've seen a new novel set in the future. Sea levels have risen so far that even Nebraska is underwater. What's left of the U.S. is a chain of islands where the Rocky Mountains were.

So, houseboats will come in handy some day.

I've always a should to lean on for friends

I ain't gonna dieI'm too bloody nosey and might miss something good

"bugger" Shoulder!!!

If I could find a stock that would benefit from the boom in houseboats, I might buy it.

Gosh, Pierce, my parents were also both born in November 1919, so they would have celebrated their 100th birthdays this month. My mother died in July this year and my father in August 2008. (As noted in my journals here on H2G2 at the time)

I shall ring my sister on Sunday and drink a toast with her across the channel. After all, a gin and tonic was what kept our mother going all that time.
Here's to our parents and all the other remaining survivors of WW2.

My mother was born the day Caesar died - only 1973 years later

She lived to be 85 and was blessed with the best death life can offer: Went to bed one night after finishing her , fell asleep and never woke up again

I was born ? (according to mam and dad) but I don't think like or take after them as such, in most "dna passed on stuff"

Deserted by 's ??? But who cares ? I don't The s a one off and can NEVER be cloned (not that any scientist would want to)

Does the world need more than one, anyway?

Some claim everybody has a doppelgänger

Might be good. Could perhaps balance out certain things

"Does the world need more than one" NO WAY! I'm more than enough it to cope withinc' Los Angeles when I hit them in the 1980's