The Weekend

After completely freaking out and leaving after my Uncle passed, I felt like I had to go back up there. So Friday afternoon, Ariel and I loaded up and headed up North! We stopped along the way and picked up my cousin and his son, both of whom I haven’t seen in a while. We were really close growing up, and even as adults, but life separated us, as it sometimes does, and we lost touch. That definitely won’t be happening again, because we had so much fun together, and Ariel and Antonio were inseparable!!!! But more on that all later!
We made great time on the way up, and got there about 6:30pm, just in time for dinner! Then it was over to my cousin Cheril’s for some dice, and maybe a few drinks 😉 Turned out there were about 10 of us playing, some related, some not, but we had the best time! I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time!! After dice, it was time for ghost stories. I’ve heard a couple of stories about Cheril’s house, but NONE compared to the shit I had to hear Friday night!!! So I ended up sleeping with Cheril, her daughter Melisa slept with our cousin Nathan, the kids slept together, and some random kid John slept on the couch with the dog. There was no way in HELL any of us were sleeping alone (no, the kids didn’t hear the scary stories, they were already asleep).
Saturday morning, we headed back to Aunt Betty’s (Cheril is her daughter, and they live about a quarter mile away from each other up in the mountains). Nathan made everyone breakfast…scrambled eggs, waffles and bacon. YUMMY! When did he become nice AND learn to cook? Who knows, but thank God he did!!
My cousin Melisa is graduating from Cosmetology school in a month, and is GREAT at hair, so I had her chemically straighten my hair, something I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time. I’m so in love with it I can’t see straight, and so far everyone has agreed that it looks great on me 🙂 It’s still a bit frizzy, but I also can’t wash it until morning, so it’ll look better then. I, being impatient, am going to post pictures anyway 🙂
Anyhoo, straightening my long thick curly as hell hair took a few hours. All the while, we watched a movie and talked a lot of shit, all of us giggling like retards!!
Dinner was the yummiest pork ever, along with sides…yeah, those were good too, but nothing compares to that pork!!
Saturday night, Ariel started running a high fever, so we stayed at Aunt Betty’s where it’s a little quieter and just cuddled on the couch together. My cousin Gary (Cheril’s son) and his finance stayed there, as well as Nathan and Antonio, so while Ariel slept on me, we watched Carlos Mencia and laughed our asses off!
Sunday morning, smaller but still yummy breakfast, and then just some random shit talking until we left around 11, because Ariel still had a fever.
The drive home was nice and quiet, as she was conked out from the cold meds, and I had the stereo on low. It gave me time to think about the past 6 days, and how much things had changed, repeatedly! I got to think about where I was Monday and Tuesday, how devastated and lost I was; and Wednesday and Thursday, which are quite hazy, and then Friday. How scared I was to go back up there…wondering if I was going to be able to go into the house this time. But you know what, it was fine. Great in fact, and it was just what I needed. I needed to see that everything was ok up there, that it was ok to go into their home, knowing he’s gone now, and that it’s ok to still be sad, because they all are too. I know I’m not going to get over it overnight, but I woke up this morning feeling good, and for the first time since last Sunday night, I slept last night, with no bad dreams. It’s all still one day at a time, but I think I’d still be in a pretty scary place if I hadn’t gone up there.
I also want to thank you all again, for all of your well wishes and comments. Just knowing you guys care…not only enough to read my blog, but to share in my pain as well. We’re an interesting family us bloggers 😉