Current Post On Trae’s Blog:
My grandmother died last night. This wasn't a shock or a surprise. Her health has been on the decline, and she's been in hospice for the last month. She lived a long life, and in her final days she was surrounded by her three adult children.
My grandma was a kind woman. She wasn't perfect, but I always felt loved in her presence. She was a retired kindergarten teacher, and was still working when I was a kid. I have so many happy memories sitting at her kitchen table, and I'm going to carry those with me for the rest of my life. She was also proof that anyone who claims that you get more conservative as you get older is full of shit, because she certainly didn't.
I think it's interesting how the body processes grief sometimes. I don't know that I'll cry, but over the past month, knowing this was coming, I've felt a tension in my gut. Now that she's passed, instead of relief that tension is replaced by a sense of emptiness. That something is missing that should still be there. Something has been taken away, and I feel it.
Of course, as I wrote that, I immediately started crying... so I guess my body processes grief in pretty ordinary ways too.
I wanted to come up with something profound linking this to Beltane, which we sit in the middle of right now, but it just seemed hackneyed. Like I was trying to dig out some greater significance when the truth is death comes whenever it wants. The only predictable thing about it is that it's the end of all of our journeys. I hope that when I pass I'm so lucky to have lived such a long life with people that I love around me in my final days.
For the record, I will be fine. I just needed to get these words out while they were still in my head. I don't have some rousing conclusion or deep insight to tack on here at the end, just that gut feeling that something is missing.
Because it is.
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call it a throwback year
On the good side, some of the purchases and expenditures must have been persistent- equipment and whatnot that will last for a bit. Still, ouchie.
If I understood this correctly, it’s not one-fifth of the total budget, but only a budget one-fifth the normal size for advance funds. The real danger is if anything goes wrong, like a flood or a snowstorm that seriously hurts attendance, then that would also impact the total funds available.
Still, I’d try to ask about those credit card purchases. How can you not know how to contact last year’s treasurer, unless there was a really horrific staff blowup which is not mentioned. Maybe he’s on the run from more than just this con com.
Yeah, the purchases he authorized are final now(though I’d call every dept head and return/hock anything I could get away with), but stuff Gary bought himself? I’d be looking closely at any of those that aren’t absolutely con-related and going after him for every cent. This strikes me as intentional and vengeful on his part, you may as well return the favor.
I heard he got a job with Active Enterprises…
Deep thinking – adds a new dinmseion to it all.
Agreed, some of those purchases should help, but only a bit. Sounds like the Con could use a couple fund raising events.