A Secret History

I don't think I've wrapped my head around this yet, but Uncle Andy is gone. Yesterday morning he was walking down the street in sunny Santa Monica with Aunt Heidi, a family friend, when he had a heart attack. He was conscious when he was taken to the hospital, but died shortly thereafter. He was not ill, had no known health issues, was only in his mid-60s. After we got the phone call, tutordennis left immediately to drive to Elk Grove and tell his mother that her brother was gone.

Where is consolation? I am glad Heidi was with Andy, and that he knew she was there. I'm glad he got to meet his new nephew, Benjamin Andrew, earlier this month (named for Grandpa Ben, Andy's father). I am glad for the support of our friends and families.

But I wonder what will happen with Grandma Furn, since Andy had moved in to keep her company after Grandpa's death a few years ago (it seems beyond painful to have to bury both your husband and your son). I wonder what will happen to the family business, run primarily by Andy. I wonder what Thanksgiving will be like without him.

I initially wondered why this happened. But there is no why; it just happened. Can anyone really get The Call at any time, about anyone? I lit the yahrzeit for my father last night, who died a few days before Thanksgiving as well. I can't believe it's been fifteen years since he took his leave of us.

• 09:43 Making sweet potato pie for Hoi Didymoi. #
• 10:27 The Victorian Dictionary: a resource for those interested in how life was lived in Victorian London. www.victorianlondon.org/ #
• 10:30 @vonslatt: Please do not break the Jake. *hug* #
• 10:33 @nathanfhtagn: Debaucherers? No... Aha! Debauchees: noun, those given to debauchery. #
• 20:38 Hoi Didymoi and Co. gifted the bunnies with a huge sack of carrot tops and greens from their CSA veggie box: www.twosmallfarms.com/ #
• 21:55 So I told him 'Look, man, I don't take my clothes off for anybody, even if it is sci-ent-ific.' #

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• 08:28 Fun photo shoot against the industrial background of the naval hangar. #
• 10:47 Being interviewed while standing on the balcony of the gorgeous Steampunk Treehouse with Oliver W. Lowe, et al: tinyurl.com/retrofuture #
• 15:18 Was esp nice to chat w/ Tom Sepe, whose awesome Whirlygig Emoto ttly steals my pin-up mojo: www.flickr.com/photos/nullalux/2476955427 #
• 15:26 Then a jaunt for bagels with Hoi Didymoi. Now back to work. #
• 16:03 @slurketta: *corsetsquee* Pics or it didn't happen! #
• 19:41 Retweet from @scazon: Socrates clinically diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy 2,400 Years Later. is.gd/8e69 #
• 20:28 LIFE magazine scans its image resources to Google Image Search: go to images.google.com/ and enter "[any decade]s source:life" #
• 22:01 On this ep of Bre Pettis' "Things," Adam Mayer shows off his Model 15 teletype machine from the 1930s: vimeo.com/2275109 #
• 22:58 Circus Contraption presents circus arts in startling, unique ways: www.circuscontraption.com/shows.html (thanks, @miss_mimsy!) #
• 23:09 BibliOdyssey's Five Centuries of Board Games: tinyurl.com/5mmndm #

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• 14:13 I can haz lappy! @tutordennis bought me a sweet Macbook. #
• 14:50 Performing schedule-fu to fit in an interview w/ NBC for the steampunk segment they're taping Weds. P.S. @nathanfhtagn: I love those days! #
• 16:01 @katealaurel: Congratulations! The Teach for America-Greater New Orleans 2009 corps is lucky to have you. #
• 17:38 Walking home from work. It's a lovely evening. #
• 19:12 Geeking on the computron. #
• 22:05 Baking and munching on chocolate chip cookies with Rabbit. #

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• 13:05 Brunch and stroll in Burlingame with @tutordennis, followed by some laptop shopping. Looking forward to hanging with the gang at @xthread's. #
• 13:27 Happy RATurday from @artmonstergirl's Smokey McButtons: www.smallandcute.com/photos/rats/smokey/ #
• 15:44 I may not talk a blue streak, but I have one in my hair. #
• 22:59 A lovely time at @xthread's with friends new and old. Currently doing the do at @juverna's (now with bonus @teawiththecheat!). #

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• 09:07 Oh my sainted pants! Really enjoying following @stephenfry's twitters and photos from the documentary he's currently shooting in Magagascar. #
• 12:01 Steampunk Pics provides the visitor with charming collection of steampunk imagery: steampunkpics.blogspot.com/ #
• 14:06 For heavens sakes, keep your octopi entertained! Bored Otto the octopus wreaks havoc: tinyurl.com/ottohavoc (via @Baerana) #
• 16:25 @choklit: Welcome to Twitter, dear. #
• 18:21 The enchanting Professor James Fzz, an Aethernet architect who creates in brass, copper, wood, and steam: handley.org.uk/fzz/ #

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• 06:20 Hey now, don't be a crybaby, be a TRYbaby. Nobody likes an Adolf Quitler. #
• 08:09 Warm cinnamon roll and coffee with nog for breakfast. I like today. #
• 08:19 Because, like @theredshoes, I dig graphs: www.twittercounter.com/ and tweetstats.com/graphs/nullalux #
• 08:20 @vonslatt: Spoon! #
• 10:07 @byronium: Everybody must get sconed... </dylan> #
• 13:58 @nprpolitics: The passage of Prop 8 in CA didn't let down only "gay Americans." It failed ALL of us. #
• 14:13 Tumbled down stairs (not holding any babies, thank goodness). Slightly bruised, but oddly, it seems to have fixed my cell phone. Net win. #
• 19:18 Oh my. What the @#$%&! is everyone swearing about? www.cursebird.com/ #
• 19:33 According to MySpace, I'm one of "The Girls of Steampunk." And I'm in capital company, it seems: tinyurl.com/girlsofsteampunk #
• 19:37 Yay for people who bring me couscous (thanks @karenbynight)! Boo for weird Twitter SMS issues. :) #
• 20:20 Ah, to be young and in love and also a zombie, probably: tinyurl.com/5mxvl4 #
• 22:52 Huge bank error (involving most of my funds from SteamPowered) resolved in my favor after minimal paperwork! My happiness is a golden poem! #
• 22:58 Popular Mechanics chooses the 10 Best Old-Is-New Gadgets from 2008 Steampunk Convention: tinyurl.com/popmechsteam #
• 00:18 Steampunk's key lessons are not about the past. They are...the instability and obsolescence of our own times. tinyurl.com/bsterling #

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• 14:44 Reading Vreeland's Girl in Hyacinth Blue, recommended by my mum. #
• 18:49 Now reading Gaiman's Fragile Things. #

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• 11:40 Gingersnap latte with Hoi Didymoi. Just booked lymphatic massage for tonight. #
• 13:53 Also, dropping off antiqued busk for Steampunk waist-cincher (w/ cute pockets!) at Dark Garden Corsetry tmw, and more plotting RE: custom. #

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MAKE Magazine profiles the Etsy Steam Team at SteamPowered '08

Gareth Branwyn writes (Nov 5, 2008):
The Etsy Steam Team at the Steampunk Con (From left to right, by username: lilibat, PinkPeacock, nullalux [chalepa_ta_kala], 19Moons, Choklit, OrpheusAlchemy, IndustrialFairytale, FaradayBags, and figments. Photo by Andrew/shoutingboy).

I finally met members of the Etsy Steam Team at last week's Steampunk Convention. As you may or may not know, Etsy (think: Amazon meets eBay at a craft's fair) allows sellers to organize themselves into "teams" based on similar interests or product lines (to network, share promotion, skills, etc.). Obviously, the Steam Team is gathered around their mutual interest in making and selling steampunk and Victorian-inspired art and crafts. At the con, they offered everything from watchwork and church key jewelry to surreal antique assemblage, clockwork bugs, potion bottles and other alchemical chotsky. It was a wonderful and talented group of artists and crafters that I was happy to meet and with whom I hope to stay in touch."

Thanks, Gareth!


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