My favorite and last surviving aunt died early this morning.

She had a good life, but not a long enough one (barely seven decades). A product of her generation, she smoked like a Pittsburgh chimney, and suffered from several varieties of cancer. She raised four kids, all of whom are married with kids, none of whom ever divorced. She didn't live to see her first great-grandchild, who is still in the planning stages. The last time I saw her was in July, at the wedding of her first grand- child.

I have no living ancestors, and now no relations even of their generation. She wasn't my aunt by blood, but by marriage.

It makes one feel old, and inadequate. When my last ancestor (my maternal grandmother) died a few years ago, I told one of my cousins at the funeral, "We're in charge now. We're the grownups."

"And we're next."

No one's getting out of this alive, and it remains a disconcerting, if not frightening thought.

Anyway, I'm getting on a redeye to Detroit in a couple hours, and I'll be gone until Tuesday. I'll try to check in occasionally, because my brother has a high-bandwidth connection, but it will be hectic, and I've got other work to do that I've crammed into my laptop, so I can't promise anything.

As always, there are better weblogs than mine over to the left, there. Enjoy, and I'll be back in a few days.