With a Dark Lantern and a Burning Match

The reason I'm still largely not present is that I'm usually either working long days on film shoots or attending parties immediately following film shoots. In other words, I'm doing pretty well for myself. Ciro has just moved in to a new apartment, so I'm already planning parties for when I get back, not to mention doing theoretical Christmas shopping (in that I haven't reached the buying stage, but am in the pleasant "wouldn't this be nice to get for so-and-so" phase). Emily and I went to a Guy Fawkes Day firework show that featured a kind I've never seen - they were whirly, but whirly stationary, like they flew up in to the sky and then just stuck there for a while spinning around like pinwheels made of fire. Pretty great. Afterward, we had a few pints of bitters and some pasties, because what else would one do on an English holiday (except perhaps eat sausages and mash and drink cider)?

On the other hand, I've just gotten news that my Aunt Caroline has been taken off life support. I didn't know previous to an hour ago that she was on life support; it seems she hit her head at Halloween and immediately went in to a coma. It's pretty abrupt. That said, she's had brain cancer for a few years (follwing breast cancer a few years before that), and we've known (and she's known) for a while she wasn't getting better. Everything is already in order, and I got to see her a few months ago at a time when she was doing well - not blind or disoriented or unable to remember what time it was (all of which came in and out), but the way she was before (only much older looking). I'm going to miss her, because we always had fun together, but my main concern is the rest of the family. The holidays are going to be rough for my cousins, Max and Scarlett, and there's not much I can do about it. This is on top of Uncle Rex's financial troubles, which were going to make for thin celebrations anyway.