Eating gold always seems like such a waste.

Yeah. Except that it will later give you the opportunity to shout, "Look at me - I'm shitting gold!"

Date planned for this Saturday. Weather forecast says it'll be a sunny day, so I'm taking my date to Zoo Twilights. The Melbourne Zoo has a live band on from 6:30, and stays open till 9:30. I figure we get there about 5:00, and I'll bring a picnic-friendly dinner.

Um, wasn't swallowing gold lumps an accepted form of suicide for Chinese aristocrats?

That doesn't seem like it would work. Gold's all non-reactive.

...

and google says no, it's just an expression:

To be allowed to commit suicide, and not to suffer the indignity of a public execution, is a privilege sometimes extended to a high official whose life has become forfeit under circumstances which do not call for special degradation. A silken cord is forwarded from the Emperor to the official in question, who at once puts an end to his life, though not necessarily by strangulation. He may take poison, as is usually the case, and this is called "swallowing gold." For a long time it was believed that Chinese high officials really did swallow gold, which in view of its non-poisonous character gave rise to an idea that gold-leaf was employed, the leaf being inhaled and so causing suffocation.

and google says no, it's just an expression:

Ah. S'what I get for working from memory. Still, evocative, and it's kept me from drinking GoldSchlager.

Aimée, 3 bd/2bath at a reasonable price apartment with a view ~ma to you.

That sounds like a good plan for a date, bt. Maybe I'll suggest to my hubby that we go to the zoo, soon. (although this weekend looks like rain)

Sail, a whole lot of ~ma to your friend, her brother and her family. ALS is an evil diagnosis. I hope they have a lot of support around them.

I had a friend in college who loved that gold flecked liqueur stuff. Ick.

It's a really good expression. If I need to say someone poisoned himself, I'm gonna use it.

Oh, Sail, how tragic. Much ~ma and many prayers headed that way.

Strength and peace to your friends, Sail.

That sounds like a good plan for a date, bt. Maybe I'll suggest to my hubby that we go to the zoo, soon. (although this weekend looks like rain)

Yeah, I like it. The key point is that it gives us plenty of time to talk (I think there are a few things we need to talk about), but music to listen to and animals to admire means silences won't feel so awkward.

I'm sorry Sail. May he have a peaceful passing.