Hey all,
Sorry I haven't been posting - S's aunt died on Saturday morning, and all I've been doing is going to work, sleeping, and going to Queens for funeral-related activities. The wake was on Monday and Tuesday nights, and the funeral was Wednesday morning.
The aunt, nicknamed Chris, married one of S's dad's older brothers. She was one of eight sisters, and I actually met their 88-year-old mother when we went to Ireland last September. A very cool old lady, that one. Joe (S's dad), the old lady and I sat and talked for a couple of hours - she would sit in her chair and hold onto the handle of her peat stove while she talked, for warmth and probably comfort...
Chris had an aneurysm almost 4 years ago and had been bed-ridden ever since. She also couldn't speak after the aneurysm. When Joe came to the U.S. in the 1970s, he lived with his brother and sister-in-law (Chris) for a while, so he was pretty close to her.

The viewing and funeral were in Astoria in Queens, and on Tuesday night, several transformers caught fire and caused power outages there. One was down the street from the funeral home, and people stood outside the funeral home, watching the electrical pole go up in flames. Later on, the manholes outside the funeral home started smoking, so we left in a hurry. Four of us drove around for hours, trying to find a place to eat (with electricity) that everyone could agree with, seeing fire trucks, smoking manholes and dark rows of houses everywhere. Finally there was a lightning storm and then heavy rain, which probably stopped all those manholes from smoking! (We ate in a diner...)

So it's finally back to normal, and I can try to post some more pictures. Tomorrow!

Cool about the phone service, Dad.

H: I actually liked the ending of Lost Season 2 - very cliff-hanger-ish. So what's up with Locke and Eko and the other guy? What is their fate? What effect will this (the magnetic "Event") have on the island, and the Others? What will happen to Our Heroes, in the Others' hands? And now that the other guy's rich girlfriend has located him (via those Portuguese-speaking guys in the snowy environment), what happenes next? I'm excited! (Also, I loved the Event - everything goes white and there's a crazy sound - I've been calling it the Voice of God...)

Also, I'm thinking of going down to Atlantic City for my birthday. I'll take Monday the 21st off. S works through Saturday night, so we might leave early Sunday and drive back Monday night or Tuesday a.m. So, if you are free, H, maybe you guys could join us! S's sister and her boyfriend might come along too. We could get 3 rooms next to each other in a hotel! It would be fun... (Of course, Dad and JP are invited as well!)

Pictures soon, I promise!
C
- posted by Christoph Roggenkamp @ 7/20/2006 12:22:00 PM