Thursday, July 10, 2008

I'm Ba-a-a-a-ack

Uncle Jack and my cousin Janie

What a week it's been. We'd had plans to go to PA, which were canceled and then the plans were reinstated. I had already told my mom I was coming to her house for the Fourth, but decided on Thursday afternoon to go to PA after all.
I started out at ten pm, right after the Yankee game ended, so that I would not hit Yankee traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway. Grrr, there was an accident or something on the George Washington Bridge, which added an hour to the time my trip took. I arrived at my destination, the Split Rock Resort in the Poconos, (where my in laws have a time share) at 2:04am. Sarah was the only one awake, and she came down and brought me back up to our room, where I had to sleep on the couch, since all the beds were already being slept in. Let me tell you, it is hard to get to sleep after a four hour drive. My mind was still hyped up from driving through unfamiliar territory in the mountains. Good thing I wore track pants and a tee shirt to drive in, because it was pitch dark and I didn't want to make any noise, so that is what I also had to sleep in.
The next day was the Fourth of July. Lori, my sister in law and I had breakfast together and then went shopping with my two nieces. After that we went with everyone else to my brother in law's house for the graduation party for my niece. We had a very nice time...until I got a phone call during the fireworks from my cousin. My Uncle Jack, who was also my Godfather, had passed away.
I left the next morning for home, while everyone else went to a water park. I thought about how I had passed by Uncle Jack and Aunt Elly's house three times in the past month, but never stopped in because I looked crappy, or I hadn't called ahead, whatever. When I got to my Godmother's exit on the interstate, I called her and stopped for a visit.
Home again, hubby wanted to go visit his mom, whose health has not been good, so we went there right after I got home. I'd had only about half and hour break, which was spent looking at funeral flowers online.
Next day, Sunday, was the wake in Bellmore, which is about 45 minutes away. I got home around midnight (just before, actually) and got up again at 6:45am to get to the funeral home for the service before the mass. Thankfully, there was room in one of the limos and my cousin offered the seat to me. I was so grateful not to have to drive an hour out to the cemetery and an hour back in to Bellmore. The family got together to eat at Piccolo, a deliciously good restaurant in Bellmore, and that was very nice to talk with the cousins about Uncle Jack and old times.
After I left there, my sister Kerry called me and reminded me of our Mary Kay meeting. Sleep would have to wait a few more hours. I ended up being glad I went. It is so uplifting to get together with these wonderful, positive women. After the meeting, a fellow came out and gave my director, Cyndi and I bottles of green tea with plum. Delicious. He said we looked hot. Does that mean we're babes? *ROTFL*
I got home around 11 and just crashed.
Now that I've told you about my weekend, how was yours? I have a lot of catching up to do.