Nasdrovia

Or something like that. basically,"Gidday " in Russian. I have found a new way to waste time on the interweb thingy. Here it is... http://englishrussia.com/ go have a look. Its fascinating. The latest offering there is a tour of the Baikonur Cosmodrome when it was still run by the Soviets. Whoever took the pictures risked a lot, as the place was very much still top secret. If, like me, you are a fan of Tom Clancy et al, then there is also a photographic tour through a Typhoon class Russian pigboat there. Damn they're big, but very little room inside. There is also a set of photo's on the Kursk, the pigboat that sunk with all hands. What a mess. There are thousands of links in there. all sorts of subjects, all absolutely fascinating. Go have a look.

We are off to a funeral at Hamilton today. One of my cousins on my Mum's side. Its a blessed relief for her really. She had the dread curse that seems to go with that particular line. Alzheimers. She was 83. As Alzheimers & Dementia seem to run inthe family on both sides, I have , strange to say, been giving a certain amount of thought to the subtle nuances involved in both diseases. I mean, what happens to YOU when you reach the advanced stages. We all know that the body lives on like some form of surrealistic zombie, but what happens to your consciousness ? Do you drift on in some form of semi aware state, where you come briefly aware for short times that you are no longer responsible for your body ? Or do you go to some form of cosmic holding area & wait for your corporeal self to realise that the driver is no longer at the wheel & finally let go. I don't know. There are all sorts of wierd possibilities here. I just hope I never get the chance to find out.

The funeral is at 1 pm at the crematorium. Herself & I are going to leave home early so that we can have a leisurely lunch at Morrinsville on the way over. It will be good to catch up with the rest of the cuzzies anyway. We aren't that close a family, so a funeral is as good an excuse for a get together & a chat as anything. Even if it is somewhere as coldly impersonal as the crematorium chapel..