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Art and Pete are old friends of my mom's. Mom went to college with Art, and he later moved to L.A. and met Pete. My mom and I visited them fairly often, first in L.A. and then in Dallas, starting from when I was 5. (My first plane flight was going out to see them.) My memories of them are kid memories: Art and Pete holding my hands and swinging me over curbs, the dogs that they had, the time that we went to the ocean in L.A. and I was surprised that it was salty, etc. I considered them my second set of parents in a way. They moved to Europe when I was in high school, and I went there and saw them when I was 17.
After that, I moved to California and didn't have much money. Then when I had the money, I was working to all hours and didn't have the time to go to see them. When I had the time again, I didn't have the money. (Isn't that how it always works?) My mom, on the other hand, has made trips to see them regularly and also took trips with them. She talked on the phone to them regularly.
Pete died suddenly yesterday. For me it's a psychic wound because I haven't seen them for so long. (However, I told my mom that "you guys are like monoliths to me".) My mom is devastated. It's a very sad day around here.
My mom wants to fly to England for the funeral, but Art and Pete were on a trip to Dubrovnik when Pete had a massive stroke, and died a few days later. So there's a lot of red tape in getting Pete back to England for the funeral. The time that it's likely to happen is when the London Olympics open, and my mom is wondering if she'll be able to get there. I suggested flying into an alternate airport, such as Edinburgh, and take the train to England. (That's an added hassle that she doesn't need though.) She's going to talk to a friend later tonight who's very Britain- and Europe-savvy, so maybe he'll have some ideas.
Apparently Pete, who traveled around Europe on a regular basis, thought that Dubrovnik was very beautiful. I'll have to go there sometime.
After that, I moved to California and didn't have much money. Then when I had the money, I was working to all hours and didn't have the time to go to see them. When I had the time again, I didn't have the money. (Isn't that how it always works?) My mom, on the other hand, has made trips to see them regularly and also took trips with them. She talked on the phone to them regularly.
Pete died suddenly yesterday. For me it's a psychic wound because I haven't seen them for so long. (However, I told my mom that "you guys are like monoliths to me".) My mom is devastated. It's a very sad day around here.
My mom wants to fly to England for the funeral, but Art and Pete were on a trip to Dubrovnik when Pete had a massive stroke, and died a few days later. So there's a lot of red tape in getting Pete back to England for the funeral. The time that it's likely to happen is when the London Olympics open, and my mom is wondering if she'll be able to get there. I suggested flying into an alternate airport, such as Edinburgh, and take the train to England. (That's an added hassle that she doesn't need though.) She's going to talk to a friend later tonight who's very Britain- and Europe-savvy, so maybe he'll have some ideas.
Apparently Pete, who traveled around Europe on a regular basis, thought that Dubrovnik was very beautiful. I'll have to go there sometime.
