UncleArthur

My mother died, aged 92 and with a pacemaker. I'll tell the story with dark humour because that's what she enjoyed, and I know she'd appreciate it.

So, mum was in hospital: she could no longer swallow and was obviously on her way out. I refused to get her intubated to keep her alive; she hated the idea and I wanted to let her go with some dignity. I sat with her all day and watched as she slipped away because, unlike with our pets who can be "put to sleep" with a simple injection, one is forced to watch a loved one die slowly and painfully over hours or even days. But I digress.

Eventually, at around 10:30 p.m. her breathing began to slow down. Then it stopped. I waited a while and called to the nurse on duty: "I think it's over." Immediately after these words, mum took another shuddering breath. "Oops," I said. "My mistake, she's back again!"

Now, I don't know whether or not that was her pacemaker kicking in, but another nurse did tell me that people with pacemakers don't tend to die easily because it keeps bringing them back. No idea if it's true or not.

Cheers, mum! Now you're a minor internet celebrity!

Edit: grammar.

Yay!

Might I suggest my two favourite genres: sci-fi and fantasy.

Last Friday would have been the 95th anniversary of my favourite author, who successfully merged the two genres with her Saga of Pliocene Exile books: Julian May. She also found success with the linked Galactic Milieu books which, with the SPE series, totalled eight (nine in the US) of the best novels I have ever read; it also incorporated an incredible whodunit within the GM books.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23284.Julian_May

It feels a bit like winning £25 on the lottery: not what I'd hoped for, but I'll certainty take it.

My car requires a service plus oil change every year or 10k miles, whichever comes first.

I don't understand how anyone can do this. If you've spent thousands on an asset that (in the USA) one relies on, surely you'd at least get it serviced once a year. I wonder what her house is like.

Thanks!

The gutters had a thin plastic mesh covering them when we moved in, which had become brittle and fragile with age. This is a much more robust system and should work just as well (and last longer) than the previous installation. I guess we'll see in due course!

Thanks!

They're proper ceramic(?) / slate tiles and they do overlap but the moss may be hiding the joins.

With the kit I bought, very simple indeed. The sections clip together and are held spring-loaded in the gutters. Once I'd figured out the best way of fitting the sections together, it was a breeze.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-gutter-guards-black-100-115mm-x-500mm-10-pack/12515

Probably, but that's t'wife's department. She designs and plants; I just do the heavy lifting as instructed!