The High Cost of Dying & Living

When my dad died, I discussed how expensive funeral arrangements could be, even if one stuck with the least expensive options.  I won't repeat the post with my mom's passing, but I would like to specify how expensive obituaries can be.

Throughout her life, my mom lived near three distinct cities, so I chose to post her obituary in the Albuquerque Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Philadelphia Inquirer.  I chose to have it run three days in each newspaper.  (I don't know why, but three days is stuck in my head as the standard length of time.)  Since Sundays are a big day for newspaper readership, and since the timing is appropriate for my mom's viewing, I chose Sun. through Tue. (and added Wed. in the ABQ paper, since that's the day of her viewing).

For the Albuquerque Journal, the total cost for all four days is $1,583.00.  Sunday only costs $440.75, and Mon., Tue., & Wed. cost $380.75 per day.

For the Chicago Tribune, the total cost for all three days is $1,328.07.  Sunday only costs $679.00.  Sunday/Monday only costs $1,003.50.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is the most expensive.  For all three days, the total cost is $1,584.66.  For Sunday only, it costs $1,308.78.  Monday is just $275.00, and Tuesday is free (if it is the third consecutive running date).

I checked the Sunday Journal, and I saw that they included my mom's picture -- in color yet.  (I don't know yet if the color option will be Sunday only or all four days.)  But I did not want her picture included!  Now I know why running her obituary was so expensive.  (Fortunately, my credit card could handle the cost, but I'll be asking the bank's trust department to reimburse me when I meet with them this week.)

Obituary

WOYWOOD, GENA LOU (nee Genevieve Louise Dove), age 85, died on April 23, 2018 in Albuquerque, NM.  Raised in Elmhurst, IL, Gena Lou graduated from York High School and received her B.S. in Psychology from Elmhurst College, where she met her husband Dennis.  After working briefly at Westinghouse in Milwaukee, WI, Gena Lou moved with Dennis to Cherry Hill, NJ, where they raised their three sons, Warren, Derek, and Brett.  Gena Lou was an enthusiastic volunteer with the PTA, Music Boosters, Thomas Paine Elementary School library and bowling league, Maple Shade Congregational Church, and American Red Cross blood donor center, who named her Volunteer of the Year for the southern New Jersey region in 1991.  After moving to Albuquerque, Gena Lou was an early and dedicated supporter of the Peppertree/Royal Oak Residents Association and Quality New Mexico.  A viewing for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at French Mortuary, 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE in Albuquerque.  Private interment will be at Logan Park Cemetery in Sioux City, IA.

Alone Again, Naturally

This song has been stuck in my head as being one I'd share with you when the time was right.  Unfortunately, it's right now.  The lyrics don't always fit my life, but the refrain sure does.

https://youtu.be/D_P-v1BVQn8

I Have a Pronouncement to Make

It is with regret that I share with you that I am now an orphan.  My mother passed away overnight, after a period of illness.  I hope I made her end of life stage as comfortable as possible.  If there is a heaven, then she's with my father again.

I haven't finalized arrangements* yet, nor written her obituary, but I'll share them when they're ready.

(I thought the title of this post was fitting, as medical personnel "pronounce" death rather than "declare" it.)

*For those of you (us) who have been putting off making arrangements, please do it now/soon.  It will make things much easier for the family or friends you will leave behind.

If This Was a Joke, It's More than a Week Late

The strangest thing happened to me yesterday.  I underslept.

I woke up, shaved, got dressed, ate breakfast.  You know, the usual.  When I went back upstairs to brush my teeth & make my bed, my alarm clock said the wrong time.  It had to be.  I looked at two other clocks in the house.  Nope, my alarm clock was right.  I had woken up exactly one hour early.

Clearly, someone must have reset all the clocks in my house while I slept.  That must be it.  The alternative is that I played an April Fool's joke on myself, and that can't happen.  Right?

In Defense of Efficiency

Although I have opinions, I seldom share them in this forum.  I talk about things I see or do, things I ponder, things I find humorous.  I avoid political or religious topics, on the main, because I value the thought processes (or lack thereof) more than the decisions made.  After recent news, though, I want to say something.

Regardless of one's views on climate change, I think it's wrong to ease environmental regulations.  You can even put aside all science & interpretations of said science and still think it's probably not good to put into the air/atmosphere these chemicals, particulates, or gases that weren't there before.  I intend to argue from a different viewpoint today.

In the past, some gas or petroleum companies would burn off excess gases as unnecessary byproducts of their industry.  Regulations were imposed to restrict this "flaring" and to reduce leakages in the systems.  Now put aside your opinion if you think this is good for the environment or if you think it's bad for business.  Look at it this way.  If you capture this gas, rather than burning or losing it, you can sell it.  That makes you more money.  If you have more gas to sell, your company can remain in business longer.  That sounds like it benefits both business and the environment to me.

Earlier this week, talk arose about reducing efficiency standards for automobiles.  Why?  If your car combusts fuel more efficiently, then you spend less money on gasoline.  You also extend the viability of the petroleum industry.  How about just feeling good that you're driving a more efficient car?  Even better, rather than disparaging foreign countries, businesses, and products, you could say, "Look how great American engineers are!"

I might be a small voice in the vast wilderness, and who knows if it matters that I think certain things are right or wrong, but I surely disagree with the way decisions are being made.

Are You a Man or a Mouse?

In these chaotic political times (more chaotic than usual), I can't help but think, "I would've voted for John Brain."

I started pondering, though.  In the episode where Pinky ran for President, who was his running mate?  I remember Brain was his Chief of Staff, but who was the Vice-President?

Pinky ran as a candidate for the Pink Party.  Brain was an independent.  He should've founded the Logical Party.  Naturally, the campaign slogan would've been, "Make the Logical choice."  (Boy, could we use an option like that!)