In which I use Vulgar Language, so skip if you're all refined and stuff...

I'm telling you, when my time comes to die, I'm having words with the Lord or the Grim Reaper or [your deity of choice]. I'ma have to get all up in his grill, shake my finger in his face and be all, "Nuh-UH! Hold up there, homes! Remember 2007?!? You owe me at least eight months' do-over if not more, so you best BACK. THE. HELL. OFF." And I'm going to want to enjoy my do-over in the same state I was when those months sucked donkey balls, not in whatever state of drooling, incontinent senility I may be at the time. Assuming, of course, I'm not senile enough to have forgotten that I intend to demand a do-over. Furthermore, I might want back all the added-up time I spent waiting in line and on hold, though I'll settle for just "in line at Sam's Club" and "on hold with BellSouth".

The craptacular lowlight of the year is the illness and death of my father, about which I cry nearly every day. But I cry when I'm in the bathtub so nobody knows.

Then I learn through the grapevine that a friend/former co-worker is very ill. A follow-up inquiry about how he's doing is answered with "Oh, he died, didn't you know?" Er, no, I didn't (well, we didn't including Cheryl, The Boss, Michelle, some other friends). No one got the word in time to send flowers, attend services or anything.

Then I learn than my beloved uncle is in ICU, heavily sedated following surgery and it happened when he and my aunt were on vacation a few hundred miles away. His situation continues much the same, with the bad news being he's not much better and the good news being he's no worse.

Then Saturday morning, I got the call that a friend and co-worker - actually The Boss's business partner in two of The Boss's companies - has died. Sunday evening was visitation and Monday afternoon the funeral, which were held in a town about an hour and a half away so in addition to sadness, loss and emotional upheaval, there were logistical issues to overcome.

Then Tuesday, we get word that Alan's Aunt Hazel has died. I don't think we're even going to that funeral because of Alan's work schedule/situation.

This is one of those times when I dare not shout to the heavens, "WHAT ELSE?!?" because I might get an answer.