Oh Boy, here it comes!

Boy, where do I start?

Well, let’s see. I can give a little synopsis of what has been going on, then maybe touch on each subject.

1) I went home for a family reunion.

2) I’m STILL working on that damn townhouse.

3) I’ve received lots and lots of bad news.

4) I have some really, truly good friends.

5) Cancer abounds, and takes it’s toll.

6) I’ve been working on my roommate’s basement, and have some studs up around the walls!

7) Finances are in the s***ter.

8) My younger brother is still in Iraq, and missed the family reunion, one out of three from my Grandfather’s decendents (the other two were spouses)

9) Yet another close friend is a victim of the slump in the economy.

Okay, I think that is enough to get started. I went home to the Frozen Tundra for a family reunion earlier this month. I was talking to one of my best friends in the world, who happens to live in a city somewhat closer to my parents’ place, complaining about the high cost of the plane fare to get home for the reunion. He told me to check on the fares to his town. I asked what good that would do me, I still would be 9 hours away. He told me to just check the prices. So I did as I was told. It was half the cost. He said to book it, and I could take his personal truck to my parents’ place and to the reunion. So, I did this. It wouldn’t really be putting him out, because he has a company car he would be using. (little did I know, he also loaned his company car out to one of his employees while I was gone, so he was left with his two classic cars, a motorcycle he won’t ride, and his bicycle. Luckily, he’s close enough to work to ride his bicycle) So, I flew to his town, and drove his truck to my parents’ place. I had a nice visit with the family, the reunion was awesome, seeing lots of people I hadn’t seen in 6 years or more. It was depressing that my younger brother couldn’t be there, since he is still in Iraq. He did call while we were at the reunion, and was able to talk to a bunch of people who were standing around. I’m so glad I was in the right place at that time. It was SO good to hear his voice. I also got to see my cousin who was diagnosed with cancer not so very long ago. He is, I think, 9 years older than I am, and has always been a strong, outgoing person. The cancer had hit him hard, and it was difficult for me to see him sitting in a wheelchair, just a mere shell of the cousin I have known all my life. I was able to have a little one on one time with him when I walked him over to his truck one day. He definitely had resigned himself to the fact that he was not long for this world. I hated to hear the words, but he was not lavishing himself in self pity, just stating what he believed to be true.

I also met some of my mother’s cousins that I have either not met before, or didn’t remember meeting. I am so thankful that I come from a wonderful, loving family. I had such a good time with everyone. My cousins I have known all my life, who used to come live with us in the summertime on the farm were a very welcome treat for me, as were others who I knew and loved and were just not quite as close with. The reunion went so fast, and it just seemed to be anticlimactic. That seemed like a little bit of a downer, but it was still good to see everyone while it lasted. After the reunion was over, the rest of the time just seemed to go so much faster. I wanted more time to visit with my family, yet I was also very ready to come back to my own life. So, when people asked me how my trip home was, I honestly answered, too long, yet too short. Does anyone else ever feel that way?

On the way back to my friend’s place with the truck, I was fortunate enough to have planned a stopover at my cousin’s place, Gift of Angels. It was SOOOOOO good to see my wonderful cousin! She was a wonderful hostess, and fed me well. (as did EVERYONE in the Frozen Tundra) Also while I was there, I was able to talk to another good friend, RollerBeth. We talked for WAY too long, yet also not long enough. GoA took me to her place of employment to meet one of her employees whom I have been talking to online for a couple years now, I think. I was also able to see Cowboy, a guy who graduated a year ahead of me in our little podunk hometown, who also works for her. We had a great time, and GoA got a little bit tipsy. She was giggling like the GoA I remember from high school. Her giggles were always a highlight of any day for me. I love her smile and her laughter is very contagious. I don’t think anyone can resist at least smiling along when she is giggling.

That stopover did not last long enough, however. I had to get back into the truck and go back to my friend’s place. When I got back there, I found out that he had also loaned out the company car. (I wasn’t too pleased when I heard this, and I let him know it) He was fine, however, and didn’t seem to mind too much. We were able to take his classic cars out for a couple drives while I was there, too. He has a 1966 Austin Healy Sprite, and also a 1972 MG Midget (basically, the same car, just different names on them) which I gave him so that he could fix it up, as I had had it for something like 11 years and never had the money or the time to fix it up myself. I just wanted to see it fixed up. We went to pick it up from my parents’ place the weekend before September 11, 2001. He has put many many hours of work into it, as well as lots and lots of dollars. She’s running beautifully, though, and is absolutely beautiful! He also found out the day before I returned to his house, that he is being laid off from his job on August 29th. Just what I needed… more bad news.

I flew home on the 14th. I’ve been busy working on my roommate’s basement, starting to finish it. I’ve also been working at the townhouse I’ve been working on forever. While I was gone, the owner’s son was supposed to complete a couple small jobs so we would have less to do when I got back. Turns out he decided to paint a whole lot more than I had intended on painting. Turns out he decided to paint the front door, some fixtures, and a few other things… ON THE NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS! Needless to say, he created more work in the cleanup than he accomplished. He also painted doorknobs, and other brass fixtures with a metallic gold spray paint. This wouldn’t be so bad, except that the fixtures are supposed to be polished brass, and everything else in the house is polished brass! Ugh!!! Oh well, I’m NOT the owner of the house. Yesterday, we scrubbed paint off the floors and put down coat number one of the polyurethane. I’ll go back tomorrow to put on coat number 2.

Also upon my return home, my friends and business partners informed me that one of their dogs has been diagnosed with cancer, and tonight he told me that he doesn’t think she has much more than 2 weeks to a month left.

This past Wednesday, I got a call from my mother. As soon as I saw it was my mother calling, I knew something was not right. The tone in her voice confirmed it. My cousin, who I’d talked to at the reunion, had passed away shortly before she called. He left two children and one grandchild, two brothers, his parents, and many, many people who loved him, cared for him, and needed him. His funeral was Friday. I couldn’t afford to go back for the funeral. This didn’t set well with me. I was never really CLOS