Today I did something I could never do, or would never do, in my last decade or two with Moki. I made spaghetti, with homemade red sauce (garlic, Marzano tomatoes, ground turkey, red wine, and a little Fra Diavolo sauce from a jar in the fridge). I almost never made spaghetti for dinner, because Moki did not like spaghetti. He liked pasta, or thought he did, but what he wanted was butternut squash ravioli, or tortelloni or tortellini. He hated noodle dishes, shells, and especially bowtie pasta, which figured with brutal regularity in the Tap Room fare. I cooked him some butternut squash tortelloni two or three weeks ago, and labored over the sauce. He gestured to me to put his dish at the top of the headboard, and he never touched it. As with other meals I brought him since about early October. It used to be he’d eat at least half, I’d stick the leftovers in the fridge, and he’d gladly pick at and devour the rest, and any other leftover pasta, in the early morning.
And of course I bought a bottle of wine because I wanted to put some in the sauce. First non-vodka alcohol I’ve had in months, apart from maybe a beer or two weeks ago. I have nearly consumed the whole thing in the course of ten hours. This is like when I lived on First Avenue in San Diego and every evening would consume a whole bottle of cabernet from the Royal Food Market across the way.
Have made some progress and resolutions on the funerary front. There is an Online Direct Cremation outfit and I called its number. Turns out it’s part of the same Crestwood funeral home in Hells Kitchen I spoke to last night (Thursday). The rock-bottom price they have is $1975, which with extras (death certificates, minor fees) takes us over $2000. Still that’s not like the $9000-$11000 that the Frank E. Campbell people would want. I called Campbell’s because the president is a NYAC member and has a listing in The Winged Foot. I was hoping for some friendly guidance to an inexpensive cremation. Well this Online outfit makes it possible for you to do the entire process by phone and the web. You fill out forms, you get a contract, you sign and return, and they get the death certificate and pick up the body. Their relatively low cost is due to their use of a crematorium out in New Jersey. Then they can ship the cremains to you or a funeral home. In this case it will be the one in Medford, Mass. that Alicia mentioned. It’s about a four-day turnaround after you seal the deal.
So, tomorrow and Sunday, I’ll fill out the forms and call Alicia. Maybe A.T. as well. Give them the ETA and ask for address and number of the Medford funeral parlor. Must also talk money. They offered to help, and I expect they mean expenses.
Started to write an obituary for Moki, found it was getting to be too prolix. Looked at an obit for Joe Cronin from the Globe (Moki was asking about him a few weeks ago). Short and snippy, like cablese. I’ll mention his education then NBA/bball career—Celtics, front office of NBA with Walter Kennedy, later EVP of the Indiana Pacers. Four years with Marsh & McLennan, later a private insurance broker. He served “Michael Edmund Burns, Basketball and Insurance Executive.”
Phoned Tom Lynch today to tell him the news, and kept breaking down in tears and groans. I’m still crying ten times a day. I’ve never had a death affect me this hard. Carlos at the front desk said to me, “I’m sorry for your loss.” Didn’t know he knew, or most of the concierge staff.
I’ll gradually tell Tom Ashley, Dick Duignan, and other regular contacts. Cindy Laney. I wonder about Max Kirby. He sort of cold-shouldered us after 2015. He is, I believe, the grandson of Dan Burns.
I found the mokibball photo of him shooting hoops at the AC, will reproduce some copies. Could make a postcard.
Down at St. P’s, I actually attended First Friday Mass, and it wasn’t too bad. Rosary and novena as well.
Phoned the USAA check service today to get some more checks for Moki’s -224 checking account. He hasn’t had any checks on that account in years. Last order was in 2016.
Planned to do some laundry yesterday, and got as far as buying some Persil. Tide getting low. Coming back with my shopping tote around 8:30 was when I spoke with Carlos. Then I ordered an Americano from the Starbucks downstairs. Haven’t done that in about three weeks. The coffee felt good inside.
In his last days Moki would utter odd thoughts and questions. When I asked him if he wanted tea (maybe ten days ago) he asked, “When, why did we switch from coffee to tea? Why did we do that?”
