Posting via Modem

So we're in our favorite hotel in Bellingham, WA, the one with the spooky aviators hanging from the ceiling, over the indoor pool.

We met a dad in the jacuzzi, a local. His house had caught fire a couple days ago. Insurance services showed up to collect their clothing (for cleaning), and possessions (for storing), plus picked up the tab for some time in a hotel. His family was enjoying the facilities. The house was to be repaired.

Over dinner at Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro we discussed Buddhist precepts, Dawn's cancer treatment, tragic deaths, pain, suffering, enlightenment. I'd just learned about Douglas Hofstadter's suffering, from the preface of Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies (my reading of late). His story reminded me of William Wharton's, and of Ken Wilber's.

Tara remarked how kind it would be if death were not so hard, as in "see you in a next life sometime." I remarked that if I died tomorrow (not my plan of course), no one should get too bent out of shape over it. I've had a wonderful time and I'm grateful.