My trip to Milwaukee was mostly uneventful. The traffic was light, and I didn't even slow down much below the speed limit going around Chicago on the trip out (mid afternoon Thur) or even on the way back (Friday evening). I hit a patch of lake-effect snow going through Indiana, but even that only slowed me down a little.

However, on my way to Milwaukee I got word that another friend has lost her husband. The Carol that my Carol used to sing with is now a widow.

The good news of sorts is that I could be there to give her a shoulder and someone to talk to.

The shitty news is that this is three friends who have lost their partner, one friend who lost her mom, and a friend of mine who have died in the past month. I know I'm hitting an age where statistics are catching up with us, but this clump is a bit more than statistics demand.

I'm turning into the guy who helps my friends cope with their loss because I've been there recently. This is not a position I ever aspired to.

The vaguely good news for the two friends in Milwaukee who lost their husband is that in each case, the husband had lots of medical issues and had been given about ten years to live over twenty years ago. They got more years together than they'd expected. It wasn't a surprise that they passed, just a surprise that it happened so close together.

I'll probably have another trip to Milwaukee for a memorial service.