RIP
Monday, Feb. 21, 2005,

I find it easier to address the sudden batch of DEATH in a post of its own.

I found out from Lileks. About Sandra Dee, as well, but she was really no big surprise.

Thompson was a punch to the chest that made me feel like my heart had stopped. I may be able to address is somewhat more elegantly someday, but for right now, I'm too much in shock. I called Spouse, of course...he's pretty torn up about it. HST is his idol of 30 years, and his death by any means would be a blow. But the good Doctor punched his own time clock, and leaves us not just with a hole in our souls, but heads filled with questions we never wanted to ask.

Interesting thing: Saturday evening, I finished watching the great John Raitt as Sid Sorokin in "The Pajama Game", and turned the DVD off. When the dish came on, Grease was showing. Specific scene: "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee". Both of these performances got me thinking, as things tend to do. About John Raitt. About Sandra Dee. (About Stockard Channing, and Doris Day, too, I must say...)

Wow. Just wow. I'm not saying that it was any kind of omen or portent, but holy crap--it sure compounded the shock when I found out they both died this weekend!

I found out about John Raitt when I was reading the immense Fark thread about Thompson. And at that point, he was one too many, and I lost it. I got it back quickly and quietly, but not before I let quite a few tears get away.

Like I say...it's a bit much for one day, and I can't do justice to any of them right now. All I can do is mark their passing.