As I mentioned yesterday, I felt like shit all day. Of course, that didn’t stop me from heading out to the bars when beer o’clock came around. It seemed logical that a few gin and sodas would ease my suffering. Anyway, it was worth a try.
The first thing that happened when I arrived at It Doesn’t Matter was hearing the news that a long-time acquaintance had just died.
Don was only 62 but had been in poor health for several months, and he was recovering from a broken hip at the time of his passing. Apparently what killed him, though, was his COPD. The guy telling me about his death had been at the hospital with him, and the doctors couldn’t get the respirators to oxygenate his blood. At least, that’s how I understand it. Don was a heavy smoker right up until the end, and if you are suffering from COPD, that’s going to kill you pretty quick. Anyway, Don was a good guy, and I’ll miss seeing him around.
Thankfully, whatever is going on with me is nowhere near that severe, but I’m going to see the doctor this afternoon for advice on how to keep things stable. I wound up not staying at IDM very long, turns out the drinking wasn’t making me feel better after all. Still, I had one more mission to accomplish–the long-awaited review of Lux bar.
I didn’t stay at Lux long; two beers (buy one, get one during happy hour) and out. I took a few crappy photos before leaving and wrote a bar review this morning.
I slept better and woke up feeling better, or at least stronger. I did the Friday group hike this morning and survived, but man, those hills sure do get me huffing and puffing.
Time to shower up and see what the doctor says. And after that, it’s SOB Friday at Whiskey Girl. What a life!
I hope the doc proves helpful. I’ll be curious to hear what s/he says.
62 seems awfully young to be kickin’ it, but if Don was an inveterate smoker, then there we are. Sorry to hear he’s gone. My condolences.
Read your review of Lux and thought of the French poem by Baudelaire, “L’invitation au voyage” (Invitation to Travel), which has a refrain: “luxe, calme, et volupté” (literally, “luxury, calm, and voluptuousness,” but more like “sumptuousness” in the context of the poem).
Actually, though, the original Latin lux meant “light” (totally different root from
“luxury”). It’s where we get the name Lucifer from: “light-bearer.” Less demonically, girls’ names like Lucy and Lucia come from lux. The bar certainly has an entrance filled with light.
Yeah, 62 is young but the coffin nails will get you.
S/he is the correct phrasing because it is a husband and wife team. Spent almost an hour with them talking about my health issues and some what’s going on in the community chat. Trying something new up my nose for the congestion, adjusted my BP meds to hopefully bring those numbers back down, and gave me some antibiotics for what could be a lung infection. Hopefully, I’ll be back to “normal” soon.
I really enjoyed your entreaty regarding the meaning of the name “Lux.” Sumptuousness seems to be what look the bar was going for. The Latin origins also are a good fit. I was thinking there was an Egyptian history to the word for some reason.
Sorry to hear about your friend. Bummer.
Never smoked and I think why I never started was a PSA we had to watch in grade school. It was about a smoker how had throat cancer, had a tracheotomy , and was so addicted that he continued to smoke through the whole in his throat.
Anyway, hope that the visit with the docs was time well spent.
I think I saw that same PSA. The stupid thing is that I didn’t start smoking until I was 30 and when I quit 20 years later, the damage was done. I understand the addiction, but it Don’s case my sense is that he was determined to live his life his way and consequences be damned.
Yes, it was a productive doctor visit and hopefully, I’ll be back on track soon.