Sorry the family issue has propelled you so far away. You are a champ to post in spite of the adversity.
Good luck and strength your way.

For Easter. One of the local church's bells were tolling this morning. Made me think of this.

Peace

also sorry for your having to suffer the wretched drive and losing your OT. Some times reality just conspires to cascade misfortunes and accidents, large and small into ye olde clusterf*ck. The first step is to just sit back a little and breathe. Print this and hang it somewhere between you and the world:

After that, go about your business trusting that the next thing you touch won't bite you in the ass, that things are looking up and smile until it smiles you.

It is Eostre or Ostara, an old pagan holiday co-opted by Christians to celebrate the alleged return of their Preferred Prophet(tm) as a zombie, joining the ranks of the undead and thence celebrated with the trappings of the old pagan holidays overprinted with mystical rhetoric unrelated to the Jewish traditions and culture in which he lived and a big ham dinner to drive the point home. Oy.

Everybody's Horoscope - It is one of those days. Don't think too much, live, sense, enjoy and go through whatever motions you must while looking out at and into the herenow from within the sanctum of yourself. It is a free day, and thus it is your day, regardless of the noise. You may eat the chocolate without guilt.

Everybody have a good one.

Went to the couples counselor's office, and explained as calmly as I could that the relationship needed to end. I got yelled at. I got cried at. I got called a lot of names.

Every time I opened my mouth she told me I was hurting her and that I hadn't given her enough chances to fix her problems.

So, far as I'm concerned, I'm willing to be the bad guy here. I ended the relationship, I'm the one who's the jerk. Fine. I at least called her NO names when I left, and tried to be kind. I guess I failed, but I'm starting to think there was nothing I could do to properly end this amicably. I had already tried three times amicably,

So, I handed her the phone she had begrudgingly allowed me to use. (She wanted me on a smart phone again, but I HATE those things, and will not own one.) She said she'd send me her key in the mail, but after the storm out that she did, I'm not holding my breath and will change the locks next month.

I'm not going to lie. It hurts. I didn't want to end the relationship, because I love her, but sometimes a relationship keeps falling into bad patterns. She told me enough times that I hurt her that I don't see any point in continuing to do so. So, I guess I hurt her one last time yesterday, and I am sorry about that. But it's over, and I hope she can find someone who can give her the support and help she needs without hurting her like she told me I did constantly.

I know I didn't see things that way. Hence, if the relationship was going to work, I was going to have to change DRASTICALLY to match her expectations. I regret it took me two years to see what she wanted wasn't what I did.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNCM8IjtQ-o]

Thank you for checking in, anyway. I hope your trip home is easier.

My mom died suddenly and too young. Sudden death is hard on the survivors, but I consoled myself that, as far as we could tell, she had not suffered. I hope that was the case for your partner's sister.

I binged on The Medicis recently and liked it. I've come to start anticipating something good the minute I hear the sound at the beginning of a Netflix original, be it a series or a film.

If you can, spend a vernal equinox in Chichen Itza, Mexico some year.

Rachael Price, the arrangement and the Les Paul-type guitar sound so 1940s.

When the 1940s ended, it was 1950, when the film Easter Parade with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland was released. (I would have thought it was older than that.) For $2.99, you can watch the film on youtube, but here's a free taste. (It's probably on TV today for free anyway.)

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_2RMiBcTAM]

Special shout out to the rabbis who asked people not to cross a picket line in order to buy Passover supplies at Stop & Shop because failing to support oppressed workers is not kosher (not Torah).

[video:https://youtu.be/Cql4Y927vhg]

Happy everything, everyone.

Sorry guys. My partner Kate's sister just died unexpectedly, and she and I and her daughter have been driving up the Eastern Seaboard through wretched weather, multiple accidents (not involving us) and the worst traffic I've ever seen.

My love and condolences to you both. And my sorrow over your loss.

As for the Rachael Price track, the Jazz Gods have been speaking to me lately, too. I'm going to add your track to my "nu jazz" collection.

Hang in there, gentle one.

Having already been through the death of my own Mother, I couldn't imagine what losing a sibling would be like.

Grief. An unpredictable process with its own trajectory. One minute you seem okay, and the next you think you might get swallowed up by a fearsomely numbing black hole.

I imagine it's very difficult to watch someone you love navigate the white water rapids of that kind of emotion.

Glad you were able to check in and let us know what's happening with you. Be well.

I don't watch much these days because we ditched cable and, while we have AppleTV, rarely use it. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out; others, not so much.

I did just finish reading Dream Land by Sam Quinones; it's a few years old, but a tour de force (imo) regarding the opioid epidemic. He examines and weaves together so many threads. I learned a lot, and have an updated perspective on a challenge that we're still collectively at a loss to adequately address. Highly recommend it to anyone who's interested.