Complex Numbers

Close Call

As some of you know, my father-in-law lives in Florida. Now, I like my father-in-law. He buys me expensive single-malt scotch and takes us out to dinner. Plus, he helped produce my lovely wife. In return, I forgive him for being a right-wing conservative and voting for Bush (both times).

Yesterday was kind of scary for us. He lives in Lake County. I read about the tornados in the morning, and we tried to get in touch with him all day to make sure he was okay. The death toll kept rising and I kept seeing aerial photographs of what was recognizably his neighborhood. We recognized some of the places that they said were hit. Of course, the phone lines were down, and any contact was sporadic. We couldn't reach him. One time in the afternoon, my wife was able to get a message on his voice mail - but then we couldn't remember if this was phone company voice mail, or an answering machine in his house. The latter would mean that he still had a house, and imply that he was probably okay.

Well, he thought to call us today and tell us he was fine, but it was a close call.

Unrelatedly, a woman I know died last week. I only saw her about once or twice a year, but she was a friend of sorts and she had three little kids. She was diagnosed with cancer in August and it claimed her within six months.

I know intellectually that I should appreciate the people I know now, because tornados and cancer don't play favorites (well, maybe tornados prefer to hit trailer parks, but that's about it). Sometimes these things make me know it in my gut, too.

And life's too short to drink cheap scotch.