Thursday was the funeral. It was actually pretty nice. My grandfather made us promise that there wouldn’t be a preacher, so two of my cousins spoke. It was much nicer than having some damn preacher that didn’t even know grandpa rambling about what a nice guy he was sure that he was and all that. Instead, we got to hear about my grandfather’s ornery grin and his way of teasing his grandkids; how we’d see that grin and run, knowing we were about to catch it. That’s right; ornery, we’re from Kentucky, all right? And my cousin Amy worked some religion in, which was okay. She’s not bad for a born again. She told about how she’d talked to grandpa about Jesus, and he’d made a joke. She told us how she’d told him it wasn’t funny, even though it really was. I like a born again that can admit grandpa’s anti-religious humor is pretty funny. But apparently, grandpa promised her he’d pray or something. I don’t know if he was telling the truth. Brett taught me when I was younger that you should always just agree to do that stuff later, when nobody’s around to make sure you did it, to make people feel better. Maybe it’s different on your death bed.
After the calling hours Wednesday, and again on Thursday after the funeral, we all went to my grandma’s house for a while. It was actually really nice. I’m not terribly close to my family. But somehow it felt right and good that we should be together then. My cousin Daniel sang hillbilly hymns to us. And I was glad for it. In Kentucky, the Old Regular Baptists sing for like three days until the burial. Now, theologically I think I have less in common with Old Regular Baptists than I do Jainists. But I missed the singing for grandpa.
Thursday night I think I failed my Astronomy exam. Everyone told me to ask to have my test moved because of the funeral, but I’m not sure it would’ve helped much. Besides, I’m such a pain in the ass in Astronomy, what with talking all the time and not paying attention, that I really couldn’t justify asking for a favor. Astronomy bites. I’m glad there’s a curve. Fifteen minutes isn’t enough time to study for an exam that kids who studied for four hours swear they failed.
So Friday seemed like it would be calmer. But it wasn’t. The drive back from Columbus was ridiculous. I can’t count how many accidents I saw. The roads weren’t really that bad. But people kept driving like they were. So you’d get jackasses trying to do 40 in the fast lane on 71, and other jackasses trying to do 80 and trying to pass them. And, then, of course, you get accidents. I was lucky though. About an hour after I got home, the roads really did get bad.
I mention the fact because it played a part later in the evening. I ended up having to take my mom to the hospital last night. She’s got pneumonia. And even though she was so sick and out of it that she couldn’t remember my name at one point, she was still alert enough to bitch about my driving. In the snow, you really don’t need anyone screeching about your driving. She was actually pretty good about it. But it was nevertheless difficult.
I didn’t get home last night ‘til late, so I didn’t get up today until late. Mom’s feeling a bit better, and looking a lot better, so that’s cheering. I have to write a 12 page paper this weekend, and that’s not so cheering. But I think it’ll be okay.
Just taking life a day at a time at this point.
posted by Sarie @
2:35 PM
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