PLANS. THERE ARE PLANS.

My apartment mate is staying home today, because she doesn't feel that after her youngest brother died she'd be able to act normal at the office where there are idiots. It's a sensible decision. She needs time to grieve. Everything I've heard about him tells me he was a very nice man.

I never knew him, I've only met one of her siblings. But he sounds like someone I would have liked. One of her other siblings sounds like someone I would not want to meet, socially or otherwise, what with being a born-again Christian and a know-it-all control freak.

My apartment mate is having a hard time of it, and I am no help.


I brought one of the Totoro over to her room (there are three Totoro here) and he was no help either. What with being somewhat obsessive and blinkered, and inclined to cheerfully talk about strange snacks that only Totoro know about. Some of the other small roommates are better at this. They mostly live on her side of the apartment where it's frequently quieter. The more eccentric and dysfunctional creatures all live on my side, although the turkey vulture stays mostly in her room, because he's fond of the senior T bear.
And Otto the Octopus looks out for him.

One would have thought that Totoro would be good at this.

Nope. Obsessive and blinkered.

He's absolutely NO comfort to a Chinatown girl who has lost her brother. Totoro is probably going to mutter absurd things most of the day, or say cheerfully inappropriate stuff at inopportune moments.

Although I think Totoro agrees that the born-again-Christian control-freak should have died instead. We're all on the same page about such people in this household.



One a slightly different note, she's made me promise not to die all of a sudden, because she couldn't handle another person dropping dead without warning. Which means that although there is absolutely no likelyhood of that anytime soon, I am now committed to a long and slow demise. I have no idea how I'm going to manage that when the time comes.
Personally I would prefer to keel over without warning in the middle of doing something good, like her sibling, but I acknowledge that a lingering and operatic demise over several months would be more convenient for everyone and give them plenty of time to get ready.
I'll share this with my doctor when I see her next.
Maybe I should take up gardening.
That sounds good.


Again, it's not likely in any way that I'll be going in a any way at this moment. But I'll try to give everybody plenty of time to prepare. That way y'all aren't overseas when it happens. Wear something festive. I am not a goth.



==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================