Where have I been?

[alankin]

[7/4]

I thought you were in Philly.

[BeBop]

Heck, I'm not even sure where I am right now. I'll have to call the front desk.

[catesta]

Welcome back.

[jazzbo]

[Aggie87]

Busy running your other business?

[maren]

with me?

[Chuck Nessa]

with me?

←

I heard Maren and Lankin have Big Al tied up in the back room and make him watch. They email photos to Simon.

[Free For All]

I heard Maren and Lankin have Big Al tied up in the back room and make him watch.  They email photos to Simon. 

←

Sometimes when I read the new releases at jazzmatazz I secretly wonder what Alan is wearing as he types. Is that wrong?

[WD45]

I heard Maren and Lankin have Big Al tied up in the back room and make him watch.  They email photos to Simon. 

←

Sometimes when I read the new releases at jazzmatazz I secretly wonder what Alan is wearing as he types. Is that wrong?

←

That all depends...

[alankin]

Busy running your other business?

←

Those sure are big almonds.

It's also a bit bizarro-worldish. The found, Ken Lankin, is from Philadelphia. I never heard of him.

[alankin]

with me?

←

I heard Maren and Lankin have Big Al tied up in the back room and make him watch. They email photos to Simon.

←

No, that's complete wrong.

He's in the basement.

Maren, can you let him out now?

[alankin]

Sometimes when I read the new releases at jazzmatazz I secretly wonder what Alan is wearing as he types. Is that wrong?      

←

Well, it's a bit chilly this morning, so I'm wearing clothes.

[alankin]

But seriously...

[alankin]

To tell the truth, the last six months have been fairly challenging, the last three especially so, which partly explains why I haven't posted this Summer.

The biggest loss was my mother, who passed away a month ago at the age of 83 in Phoenix. She had been in remission from breast cancer for over six years, but about two years ago the cancer came back as bone cancer. She'd actually been doing well for a couple years, keeping it at bay with medication, raising her spirits by going to a support group, doing artwork and exercise at a senior center and staying active with friends. But this Spring the medicine was no longer effective. She tried some chemo, but the didn't help and just made her feel ill. I was able to visit her twice the Summer, the second time with my older daughter. I admire her strength and dignity in her fight -- she called hospice on her own in July and when she knew she didn't want to be by herself in her condo and found an assisted living place and moved herself in. Luckilly, she didn't have any pain, just weakness. Her mind was not effected and she was alert until the day before her last.

In between all that, I've had a few other distractions as well: my company sold one of their lines of business and also outsourced their IT department on 4/1 (but it wasn't an April fools joke). I was carried along to the outsourcing company, where my job has pretty much been the same, with the addition of new projects to move our data center and change our processes. My two daughters are having troubles at school -- my younger daughter has trouble getting up and out for school; my older daughter, a senior, hasn't been completing any of her assignments, it isn't clear why. (Anxiety? Perfectionism? Obviously, this is not a good omen for graduating, let alone college.) And my wife moved out of the house over 18 months ago, and I decided it was finally time to call a lawyer. And one of my cats was mauled by a dog this summer and tore out all his back claws trying to escape. He's doing OK now.

On the plus side, I filed my federal taxes on Friday, after two extensions.

Other than that, things seem fine.

[JSngry]

Well, ok. So why haven't you posted?

Seriously, that's a helluva a lot of shit to come down all at once. Fwiw, you got my fullest sympathy as well as my strongest encouragement to stay strong no matter what.

[catesta]

Seriously, that's a helluva a lot of shit to come down all at once. Fwiw, you got my fullest sympathy as well as my strongest encouragement to stay strong no matter what.

←

No doubt.

I'd rather you were just taking a break to take a break.

My thoughts are with you as are hopes for a brighter tomorrow.

[alankin]

Thanks, guys!

[J.A.W.]

Hang in there Alan, and all the best for the future!

[couw]

yes, keep your head up!

[Jim Alfredson]

Alan, sorry to hear about all your troubles. It's never easy to lose a parent, no matter the age. The lead singer in my r&b band just lost his mom this week. She was about the same age as your mom. It's just hard, there's no way around it.

Don't know what to say about the rest of it... just that I'm sorry and I hope things start getting better (and they will).

[brownie]

That's really too much and all of that in so short a time!

We're all rooting for you here!

Damn it can't go anywhere but up now...

[alankin]

Did I mention that when they rebuilt my computer after a disk problem, I lost all my email?

But I'm just glad that I don't have a dog or a pickup truck. If I did, the dog would die and the truck would break down. And then I'd be in a country song.

[Free For All]

Alan, I hope everything gets resolved and settled for you soon. You're appreciated

for your fantastic site as well as your participation here.

Thanks for all you do! All the best!

[Ron S]

Alan, I'm really sorry to hear about all of that. I noticed you hadn't been posting, but have been getting the Jazzmatazz emails like clockwork, and so figured you were just taking a break from the Board. I guess I've been a pretty shitty neighbor and should have checked. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, or if you'd like to get together sometime to catch some music, or just to shoot the breeze about anything from world events to life in Northwest Philly.