oof

Okay so I know it's been a little bit but now I have the time to do a full update and kinda flesh out how this thing is gonna work...


On the eighth of this month, my grandfather was rushed to the ER: non-responsive, labored breathing, pneumonia. Later that same night he was moved up to the CCU. (Coronary Care Unit -  and ICU overflow)  The long and short of it is that he had suffered a massive stroke, and after eight days at the hospital in a comatose state and paralyzed on his left side he passed. I spent seven of those eight nights at his side. I was there when the nurses and doctors came through to explain his condition or run tests. I was there in the middle of the night when most of my relatives had gone home, sitting next to him holding his hand and talking or singing because we knew he could hear us. There was a point (I couldn't really tell you when in the week, though I want to say Monday-ish) where he was moving his hand where we asked him to. "Can you lift your right hand for us? Can you touch your stomach? Your leg?" So I did what I could to let him know that there was always somebody at his side, loving him, cause that was all we could really do.

We removed him from the ventilator he was on since he got there the morning of the 16th, and he passed later that night. His funeral was held on the 20th, the day before his 79th birthday, at the same church he had attended longer than I know... (If my memory serves me right the pictures I've seen of my aunt Laura's wedding are in that same church and they were married about a month after I was born, also my dad went to Catholic school there - when he was in 3rd grade...)

My grandfather was always one of the most important men in my life and I feel awful that I didn't make more time to spend with him, or call him. I wouldn't be even half the woman I am today if not for the qualities I learned from that man; directly and through his children. Determination, strong will, focus, loyalty, not to mention a lead foot passed through the generations.

One of my favorite memories of him is from the fall of 2006. That was my first semester in college, and since I didn't have a car yet, he drove me and my mom the three hours up to Tahlequah for enrollment. And like I said, he had a lead foot. So we're headed north on SH62 between Muskogee and Tahlequah, almost there, and the speed limit is 65mph. My grandfather is doing 85ish. We get pulled over. And I can still see it clearly in my head the way the highway patrolman swaggered up to the car. He just knew he was about to put some young college kid in his place for speeding through his turf. The look on his face and the moment of silence as he regrouped his thoughts was priceless when he realized that in fact he had pulled over a sweet looking man in his 70s.
"Uh... How are you doing today sir? Can I get your license and registration?"
My grandfather hands it over.
Looking at it, "Do you know how fast you were going?.... Sir."  You could just tell this was a good ole country boy raised to respect his elders, but terribly caught off guard.
My grandfather says he hadn't really noticed.
"Well Sir, you were going a little bit higher than the speed limit, so I'm gonna need you to slow down. You have a nice day, Sir."
Basically my grandpa got off with a verbal warning because the poor cop was so flustered that he had expected the wrong thing... Good times.


So now that I have sufficiently sidetracked...  In my last post I announced that my departure date was the 23rd. And since I'm not rambling about all the awesomeness that is the Caribbean just yet, I'm sure you've realized I am still in OK. Let me explain:

Before I can join the ship I have to be given a clean bill of health and have some needles stuck in me (vaccinations). Because of the short notice and the other issues of the past couple weeks, (Eight days from email to ship? Really? With my grandpa in the hospital? Come on now...) I didn't have time to get a physical. In fact the earliest appointment I could get was for this morning. So my departure date has been pushed back to April 2nd, which means I'll fly out to Miami on the first. The ship, the ports of call, the job is all the same. (http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipCode=MJ <-- that's Royal Caribbean's site for the ship I'll be on if you wanna check out my new home away from home)

But that means I'm leaving on Sunday. Which means I can go to at least part of faire!!!!!! XD Anyway... My week is almost full if you wanna kick it with me before I go you'll have to let me know, and fast... Tomorrow, Wed. and Fri. seem pretty booked (I think I'm gonna try to be at faire Fri. morning, but I'll have to split for plans in the afternoon and evening. I may get the chance to go back Sat. though. Maybe...)

ALSO!!!! If you want me to send you a post card you need to send me an email, Facebook message, or text message with your current address so I can add it to my list.  (only exempt if you have already given me your address. So, not really exempt at all, lol) I love you but don't expect one if you don't verify your address for me. EVEN IF YOU THINK I HAVE IT: CHECK WITH ME!!!

(right now I have: everybody from my gaming group + Leslie since she shares an address, Trey, Tina, Heather, Evil, Boxy, Dawn, and John T.) <-- anybody else needs to get me their address!!!!

Okay. Done ranting. Love you all.
~Elle~