Voltron

Thanks Rob, Tom, Steve and Brent. Very touched that you picked up Manhattan materials to toast my mom, Brent, thanks for that too. I may not be a poofter, Steve, but I have shed lots of tears these last few days, including when I read your post. I hadn't planned to speak at her rosary on Friday night but felt I should when the time came. I broke down in tears a couple of times during my remarks but my mom would never let that stop her, so I persevered. Another couple of times I started weeping today were when I looked at my iPhone pics. A couple of times during my mother's last day we felt compelled to take some photos when she was doing better because we were certain that we were going to lose her soon. At the risk of being morbid I am going to share a couple of those pics and the stories that go with them. I take my online persona from the defender of the universe, but my mother was known in the family as the Boss of the World because she was pretty sure she had something to say about everything going on around her. It was always said lovingly and it was never meant to suggest she was domineering, but it was a good nickname. Anyway, my poor father kept asking her for a smile even when she was doing very poorly. She often obliged, but she also tossed in a roll of her eyes a few times just to show she disapproved a bit. Here is one pic from quite late in the night and about 12 hours into the 25 hours of her final hospital visit. Even later, when all six siblings were present after my sister arrived from Minnesota (by a little miracle she was already on her way that day) and my brother made an emergency trip up from LA, somebody decided that we needed to take a family picture. We've done this innumerable times over my lifetime but this one seemed incredibly weird. I had just walked back into the room and violated infection control protocol by not putting on the gown and gloves instantly but everyone else looked like Smurfs, which only added to the oddity. The amazing thing was that as we lined up beside her hospital bed and my nephew started to take a picture, my mom started clawing at the oxygen mask she needed to wear the entire time day. We all freaked out that she was in crisis but as soon as somebody helped her get it off she struck a pose and flashed a big smile for the camera. Yes, the Boss of the World was dissatisfied with her appearance for her last ever family photo. I will never, ever forget those last moments and hours, good and bad.

That's a good bet! Team ATC rules!

Nice meet Team Rio!

We definitely appreciate you sharing your whisk(e)y knowledge, Mikey, so please keep it public! I don't think I should drink to my mom with this one, so I am toasting my HC friends and especially Mike Sr. Who sent it to me. Cheers everyone and behemoth thanks Mike!

As my mother always said, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so more best wishes on the new venture to my ro-bro. Very glad to have you back posting.

RR Sanctification in my mother's honor (even she would hate the beer and question the name) and watching the World Cup. USA scores while typing!!! Wow Sorry about the crowd Mike. Very curious about the taste of that Brooklyn, JP.

Thanks to each and every one of you. Beautiful tribute drinks Mike, Jim and Shelly. We had a beautiful funeral mass and tribute yesterday with about 300 in attendance. The priest came back from his new parish to do the service, which was special to us because he has known my mother and family since I was in grade school. He was at our old parish, then moved to my parents new parish that they joined after moving across town. My sister and brother gave great eulogies, and I got through my reading without breaking down. My dad was happy with the service, which was paramount to all of us.

I am incredibly sad to say that the MOTDOTU passed on this Wednesday, even though I am certain it was to a better place. After fighting to stay with us for the last four months, and really the last five years, my mother died peacefully with her husband, all six children, her beloved sister and brother in law, ten grandchildren, two daughters in law, and one niece by her side. Remarkably, I had just returned from Germany, a brother had just gotten back from Hawaii, my Minnesota sister was flying in by chance that day, my globe-trotting CEO brother was a day from leaving for NYC, and my LA brother was able to fly up on short notice when our mother was taken to the ER Tuesday morning. Despite a good run of improvement and a couple of great days, she must have known this was the right time for her. That doesn't mean she went easily because she continued to fight up until her last couple of hours when she was calm and serene and ultimately passed very peacefully. We all felt blessed by the fact that we could be with her and that she was lucid and aware much of the time. This community has been very supportive in general and while my mother has lost her health and I figured out how to lose my wonderful mom. The short and long obituaries that appeared in today's papers are linked below if anyone is interested in hearing a relatively quick take on a wonderful life. If you are so inclined, please raise a glass in honor of Catherine Corrinne Reid Bedecarre. She was a hell of a gal, and you can toast her with whatever you like to drink, but her choice was a Manhattan and we have had quite a few these last few days. Cheers Mom and thank you for everything. Short obituary in SF Chronicle Long obituary in SJ Mercury News

Violent Femmes -- Hallowed Ground

x12 on the awesome brisket. Deano knew how to live!

Only in his sensitive private areas. Those little Braun kids as so nimble. About the mini fridge, I'm excited to have room to keep all my vermouths and mixers chilled, have a spot for cold beers, and a second temp zone to store better wines. Claire is even more excited to get back the real refrigerator.

Bonal & Rye. Brilliantly yummy.

Beverage fridge/wine storage for Mayberry.

Look who's talking!

Good luck dealing with the outage, KG.

Gene and Raffy, I'm sorry I missed your call yesterday while you were quaffing some beerish delights. That Bass has quite a layer of sea foam on it! Now enjoying a pair of Corpse Reviver #2 cocktails to celebrate Claire finally getting a full-time tenure track contract! Long overdue, but with the partial credit she has earned she can get tenure quickly and get past all the annoying annual contract shenanigans. Congrat Claire! And the Swiss Opaline absinthe is fantastic in cocktails!

I cannot keep up with him after our 25 hour travel day yesterday, but at least I can be like Mike for a bit.

Just started Clash of Kings, the second book of the Game of Thrones series. Happy to be reading something I haven't already seen on TV. A little suspense doesn't hurt.

That's a great moment, Todd! Congrat again on the big win. We got to take a pic with the World Series trophy but we could not touch it.

Sweetwater 420 in the Atlanta Sky Club. Back in the USA! Ooh, Dusty, good to hear because I still have a Victor & Victoria pair i have yet to try.

Damn, Andy does not fuck around! Looking good.

I'm thinking about it and it would be great to link up. Sorry that it doesn't work for you Mikey.

Hanging in the British Airways lounge in Munich waiting for our Air France flight to Atlanta operated by Delta, and wondering what I should have for breakfast... We're also doing a lot of Grahame and Joanne impressions rather poorly to pass the time. Cheerio! ps, beautiful B&R Jim. Glad you liked it. I sometimes drop the Cointreau a bit to make it sharper. Keep us informed of Bonal recipes you like.

Claire popped the last beer in the fridge, and we split it while letting our feet rest before dinner. I haven't walked this much on a daily basis in a long time. I was tired enough to forget to take pics of our last drinks at the hotel restaurant, but they were good ones. I had a rye sour and Claire a sidecar. A glass of Austrian white wine with the meal was the closer. This has been a fantastic trip and I absolutely love Germany. People were right when they said the tourist invasion takes a lot away from Prague, but I could move into the Ameriky Bar for a good long while. Thanks for all the well wishes along the way folks. Auf wedershen.

Self service bars are fun! Looks like a great day all around, Ric. I got up and headed out for a tour of Dachau concentration camp. It was five hours or so with train/bus rides and three hours of tour and short film. Incredibly interesting and moving to be in a place as notorious and disturbing as that. Never Forget and Never Again, indeed. After that sobering experience, I needed a drink, so I am watching the Tour de France in my hotel with a snack and a Franziskaner Dunkel Weiss.