September 11, 2004

Today is a weird day for me. It is my maternal grandmother's 83rd birthday, and wonderfully, she is still with us. She survived a mastectomy in her 40s, to become blind in her 70s, lose her youngest son to cancer in 2001, and undergo a second mastectomy only last year, followed by a heart attack while recovering from the surgery. I wish her life were easier, but her strength is inspiring.

Today is also the 13th anniversary of the death of my beloved paternal grandfather, who was the most important influence on me growing up. I still think about him every day, and wear his wedding ring, along with that of my other grandmother, his wife, who died 7 years ago. His main legacy to me was my love of books, and the feeling that most things can be attempted, because there is no reason to believe "can't" without having tried.

And of course, there are many others for whom this is a day of mourning. My thoughts are with them,

the other friday five

Another Time Travel Question
You're given a chance to use a time machine to snatch five historical personages and bring them to the twenty-first century. Perhaps you're saving them from their awful fates in history, or perhaps just picking them up for teatime and a Saturday night dinner party. The catch is, there's a problem with the time machine and a possibility that you will need to house all of them in your living space for a few days, pehaps up to a week. So they'd better get along. Which five historical personages would you pick up, with good faith that they would play well with the others, and what would you expect each to contribute to the evening of merriment?
- from Gord.

I thought about this a bit, and treid to go for inspiring, thought-provoking choices, but, then - naaaahhhhh. Why not got with the first silly thought that comes into your head? So - here it is.

We're going to have an evening - possibly a few days of merriment. Not save the world, change the course of time, or alter destiny. We're going to have a paaaarrrtttyyy....

1. Jim Morrison - in full flow, with whatever alcohol or chemicals he felt would improve the mood. I want poerty, music, mayhem, and the feeling after all this that it didn't really happen - or did it?

2. Janis Joplin - if they promised not to bottle each other, as I believe already happened! And provided she promised to share her Southern Comfort.

3. Brian Jones - but he's not allowed to nod out.

4. Kurt Cobain - ditto. Not sufferign from stomach trouble.

5. Keith Richards - wait, he's still alive....

Everyone else can be found here - they'll be far more sensible and philosophical!

http://f5.mgivf.com/