How do you spell Charma?

I believe in Charma, Carma, Karma, Kharma, (How do you spell it?) even though I'm an Aetheist, Skeptic, and Pessimist at times.  I believe there's material proof that when you send out good things, good things come back.  When you have activity, results will follow, and all of that.

Here's an expample of how this works.

Last week a family came in to make arrangements for their mom's services, mom had passed away out of town while visiting relatives but all the Next of Kin was right here trying to make arrangements.  Their primary concern was the services being too close to their sons arrangements 2 and a half weeks away.  I told them that things take some time but believed they'd be able to have the services well before their sons wedding as long as everything goes as normal. 

Secondly they wanted a Saturday service and I explained there would be an overtime fee for the weekend but they seemed OK with that at the time because Mom had preplanned most everything and very little money is going to be needed. 

Two days later everything changed and they were not only calling me screaming about time tables to get mom here but also calling both my managers, the doctor in the other town for the death certificate, the other Mortuary and giving everyone grief when there's nothing that they could do to speed things up.  Additionally, suddenly the charges to bring in staff and set up services on a weekend were another issue.  I'm not sure what happened but obviously the rest of the family was not willing to share in any expense related to scheduling ther services as to not interfere with their wedding.

After 5 days of screaming, assurances and back and forth over an inconsequential weekend charge the family confirmed services for the weekend and everything was finally set.  Then Kharma came back to bite them in the ass.

That evening the son of the deceased wasn't feeling well and had to go to the ER, he has to have emergency Kidney Stone surgery right over the services so now they have to cancel it all and it will be very near her sons wedding...

Kharma's a bitch if you don't treat it nice.  keep this in mind when you have someone TRYING to help you, most of the time service industry people really are trying to help, that's why they're in the business.  They will help you if even if you are difficult, but Kharma's going to get you....

Labor Day weekend

I've probably said it before, but it is very comforting working at a place that reminds you of the finite time you have on this earth.  Pulling into the cemetery is like pulling into an art gallery.  Lives are spent like a brush on canvass, for a short time they are here to create, but soon they will be useless, with only what they created left behind.  It's unfortunate that for most all the leave behind in their memory is a date in time and a name.  There is so much more, so much.  The important part is it reminds to how to live, as the Great Jimmy Buffet sang "I'd rather die while I'm living, then live while I'm Dead!"  We had a great Parrot Head weekend this labor day.

 

It started with a heat wave at our home with the thermometer looking more like the temperature gauge on my car than itself we spent the first day hunkered inside or in the pool trying to beat the heat.  From there we had long standing plans to go to the Discovery Center in Santa Ana for the Pirate Special, Jacob had a blast and got to learn a lot about science through the hands on exhibitions at the Center.

 

On Sunday and Monday we chartered a 28' sailboat out of San Diego through Marina Sailing.  I can't say enough about the group at Marina Sailing.  A combination of dedicated owners and great staff that want you to enjoy yourself make this charter arms and legs above the rest.  The 28' Catalina was a 2006 model, and a 35th anniversary special addition with roller furling main, and jib, a full set of electronics, including GPS, Cockpit Wind gauge, Knot Meter, and Depth Meter.  The Cockpit was fully cushioned with settee's up on the aft which everyone really favors. Full biminis, and dodger kept us out of the sun when we wanted without hindering sailing too bad.

 

On Sunday we invited some of our family down for a day sail and we went out to the ocean attempting to beat upwind to the next harbor, the wind didn't get above 8 or 9 knots for any period of time and we shortly realized this was an unrealistic goal.  The only thing left to do now was to take up sail, float, eat, lunch and swim.  Jacob also caught his first fish after 3 fish were on the line but fell off just as we took them in the boat. 

 

That night we met some good friends who live in the area and caught up on all the things we haven't gotten to over the years at Anthony's on the bay.  Kari, Jacob and I slept on the boat that night.  Which as a sleeper the Catalina left a bit to be desired.  It has a main cabin orientation where one person has to sleep aft and can't get out unless they wake up the other.  I've been in one before with the same situation and hated this one just as bad.  I finally went up to the bow cabin, moved Jacob over and was able to sleep quite nicely.

 

The next day we knew was going to be similar to Sunday, hot with little to no wind.  I had hoped to get some good sailing in this weekend but it's not going to happen, so I ask Kari to crank up the Buffet and we motor down the harbor to an Anchorage just on the other side of the Bridge.  Jacob and I swim while Kari peruses her magazines and gets lunch together for us.  I was glad to get there early as later in the day the anchorage filled up with other people looking to just get in the water and have fixed location to put people as they went out wakeboarding, tubing, or water-skiing.

 

We spent a little time trying to beat upwind through the bay back to harbor but found similar conditions as the day before.  Kari wasn't feeling to good, she had been feeling a head cold coming on since the day before and it had fully sank it's hooks into her.  She was miserable and hot and tired and was ready to get back.  As we motored back in I'm left with an image in my head, not a picture, of Jacob standing on the board watching the sun brush it's last strokes on the day, Kari down below getting things ready to make port and I at the wheel hoping to paint the best picture in the cemetery.