Arrrghh!

This donkey drove me nuts last night!!

Hee Haw my ass, you Jackass!

Gummi Bears: Live Action Movie!

I wish - that would be sweeeet!

Love forever love is free...let's turn forever you and me

Wow.

It's been forever since I posted...well - on here at least.

We've been working on a new blog at work, and its going well so far. I just hope we can keep it up. The consultants keep telling us that a morning audience is the most inclined to hit the internet, so I guess that's a plus.

It's been a rough week at work - Becky was gone Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Normally, that would suck and all - but with the new 6 AM format, it sucks HARD! I don't know how I'm going to be able to not snap when she's actually gone for a full week. It's just crazy amounts of work.

Luckily, Kristin came in a little early all three days, so I wasn't completely alone.

Either way, thank GOD it's Friday... almost. As soon as I go to bed, and wake up - its my Friday. :-D

Today was going to be the day that I get my love life straightened up, but its been all screwy for 25 years, whats another day?

I'm going to bed now...

...all I wanna hear is the message beep. My dreams, they've got to kiss, because I don't get sleep, no...

Jimmy and Spinner's Rap....too funny

Happy Anniversary Momma and Daddy

Good Lord, I guess it shouldn't be that hard to believe... but today is my parents' 30th wedding anniversary.

30 years!

That's a long time. It's been some good times, and some bad, but overall... it's been 30 years.

Happy Anniversary!

Charlotte Coliseum Implosion

Ah...19 years of memories. Almost makes you want to shed a tear.

Bye-Bye to the Hive!
1988-2007

I'm the king of the castle, you're the dirty rascal. Crash into me!

Okay... it's been a BAD 12 hours for me.

Around 2:30 this morning, I was trying to go to sleep - when I think I started a kidney stone. I was moving around a lot, because I was in so much pain.

Then the nauseousness started. I don't know if any of you have ever had a kidney stone, but for a man it's like having a baby - but in fast forward. You get the pain and "morning sickness" and you're throwing up for a while. Then within a few days, a jagged stone (not smooth - don't be fooled by the name) has made it's way, scratching along the side of the wall all the way from your kidney to your "you know what." And then it's time for the "birth."

Like I said, it's in fast forward, so we don't have the hours of labor, but that thing hurts so much when it comes out, it can bring you to your knees in a heartbeat. You're still in pain for a couple days after, if that gives you any idea on how much it hurts.

So yeah, I hate getting them, and this is NOT my first one by any stretch of the imagination. I'm going to hate the next few days.

So anyways... I was getting sick until about 6:30 this morning, and after the first time or two, it was mainly dry heaving and I'm pretty sure there might have been some blood. I thought about going to the hospital, but didn't. I just wanted the pain to end.

Then I got up and went to church with Jen T. First time I've been back to church since Grandma's funeral. A lot of the things just got to me and I had a hard time with that.

But then, I'm leaving church and I see a voicemail from my sister. So when I get to the red light, I'm starting to check it, when this woman creams into the back of me. Apparently - she didn't see the red light, my truck, or the three cars in front of me that were stopped.

I smacked my head on the back window of the truck and it's killing me. Once again, I thought about going to the hospital, but didn't. I hope I don't regret not getting checked out.

But yeah, her car (which is actually her husband's company car, and he was NOT in the car) wasn't too bad, and I guess mines not either, but my back bumper and tailgate are fucked up. She was all "I'm going to give you my insurance, since the car is a company car." I thought it was sounding fishy and told her, I didn't care what she did, but I was calling the police. I want a police form, damnit. You're not screwing me over and having me get stuck with the repair bill.

So then the cops came out, filled out the form and put that it was her fault. She didn't get charged, but as long as my form says it's her fault - I don't care.






So yeah, now I just have to figure out how to tell my parents, "hey, by the way, I know you're out of the country, but I'm going by the house to borrow one of your cars, so mine can get fixed."

Oh well. I just hope they call today, so I don't have to tell them on their 30th wedding anniversary tomorrow.

I have more to post later, about the rest of my weekend and the next three weeks! It's going to be hectic.

"...I will be your dixie chicken, if you'll be my Tennessee lamb. We can walk together down in Dixieland...Crash into me...Crash into me..."

And bad mistakes....I've made a few. I've had my share of sand kicked in my face and I've come through

Okay...

So I'm going to try and be done with depressing posts for a while. I'm not saying they won't be, but I'm making a conscious effort to change my outlook on life right now.

Today marks a week since we buried Grandma. I'm still having a hard time, losing Papa and Grandma so close together. There's been a couple times that I've done something recently, and I wanted to call Grandma and tell her about it, but then reality hits.

I think the part that hit me the hardest, is what has made me happiest in the last few months. We found out on Thursday that we won the 5AM book. Okay, so technically we tied Channel 9 with a 3.6, but when you take it out to the hundredths...we won 3.60 to 3.58. Stupid rounding up.

It's the first time that the 5AM show has won in YEARS, so we're obviously very excited about it. As much as I'd love to take full credit for the turn-around, it's been a couple years in the making. It's sad that the people who helped to build the show up (like Heidi, Jen O, and of course, Trent Faris) aren't on the show anymore to enjoy the success...but they know they were the bricklayers.

But, I have to sorta think Grandma was helping out. I know that before Grandma died and before she become really sick, she was always asking how we were doing and if we were getting close to winning. She told me that she was praying for me, that I would be able to do my job to the best of my ability and that I would find success. I'm a big believer in prayer, so I just have to say thanks to all my co-workers for the job well done, and thanks Grandma!

"...I've taken my bows and my curtain calls, you've bought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it...I thank you all..."

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling...from glen to glen, and down the mountain side

I figured a good sad Irish song was appropriate today.

We held Grandma's visitation today from 3-5 o'clock. It was good, but sad at the same time. There was a pretty good crowd, never really a line, but a pretty good flow of people. There were a few minutes of down time here and there, but that's not a bad thing.

It was hard seeing Grandma though. I was trying to be strong, but I couldn't. I miss her so much.

I just finished writing her eulogy. It was hard, I lost count of how many times I wrote and then re-wrote it. I just couldn't seem to get it right. It seemed like I was never quite capturing the woman Grandma was.

I figure'd I'd post it, I don't know why, but I've talked so much about her on here that I figured "why not?"

So this is your warning....from here down is my eulogy that I'm reading tomorrow morning, nothing more, so if you're hoping something funny will pop up at the end - just stop reading.

---------

Grandma's Eulogy 5/21/07

"Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve taken some time to sit down and think about Grandma’s life. While I was thinking back and remembering all the good times, I’ve seen what a tremendous impact Grandma has made on my life.

All you had to do was meet Grandma once. Just once, and you thought the world of her. She was a strong woman, with a loving heart and gentle spirit. She always knew the right words to put a smile on your face and joy in your heart. She loved to make people happy, and the people she loved the most were her family.

When I was growing up, I was like most children. Grandma was the woman who gave big hugs and made good food. The older I got, the more important Grandma became and the bigger impact she had. It wasn’t that she had changed, but my perspective of her had. Grandma taught me about love through her words, but mainly by her actions.

I know that no one in my family will ever doubt the amount of love that Grandma had for us. She supported every one of us, no matter what. She was always our biggest cheerleader and our biggest support team. When we’d do well, she was the first to congratulate us. When we’d fail, she’d be the first to offer kind words and a helping hand to dust ourselves off.

She couldn’t always be there physically, with seven grandchildren in all parts of the world, but you always knew she was there for you. We were in her thoughts and in her prayers.

Grandma was a very religious woman and you always knew if Grandma was praying for you, you were going to be just fine. I always knew that Grandma was going to be there, without judgment and sweet smile to comfort me…no matter how difficult life became.

Grandma showed me love, a kind of love that is never-ending and never fading, and that gives me comfort. I am a better person today, because of the things Grandma taught me and the love she shared with me and for that I will be eternally grateful.

There’s a verse that Grandma said she wanted as part of her funeral, and I’d like to read it to you now.

“A light is from our household gone; a voice we loved is stilled. A place is vacant in our home that never can be filled. The Golden Gates did open, a gentle voice said “come,” and with farewell unspoken, we said “Thy will be done.” May the Blessed Virgin greet her, and present her to her son; May his Sacred Heart receive her, as it was God’s will was done.”

Grandma was a strong Irish woman, and I think it would be appropriate for me to end with an Irish blessing. This is one that has been hanging in the hallway of Grandma and Papa’s house for as long as I can remember.

“May the road rise to meet you...may the wind be always at your back…may the sun shine warm upon your face and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, Grandma, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

---------

"...and if you come, when all the flowers are dying and I am dead, as dead I well may be. You'll come and find the place where I am lying, and kneel and say an "Ave" there for me..."

I'm staring out into the night...trying to hide the pain

Yeah, it's another one of those entries.

I'm not having a good night. I found out Friday afternoon that my Grandmother had finally died. They always say something about knowing, and it helping - but they lied. Knowing that Grandma was going to die, didn't help the pain of finding out.

I know that I've told her what I wanted to, so I don't have any regrets on that end, but I still miss her.

Friday night I stayed in Charlotte, because my parents told me just to come back on Saturday. I went out with Karla, Holly and Dan. We went to Jason's friends house... and there was alcoholic beverages to help ease the pain.

But that's not what I want, it didn't do anything really. I woke up, still sad. It's not that I expected I wouldn't, but you can always hope, right?

I woke up and went to play softball, which I will update in another, less sad post later.

And now...here I sit, in front of my computer in Lancaster, writing a eulogy for my Grandma. It's hard. I did one for Papa, but this second one seems to be harder for me. I don't know if it's because I'm trying to compare the two eulogies and keep them different or what. I don't know.

This time around seems to be much harder all around. Things are different. When Papa died, we all gathered at Papa and Grandmas house to rally as a family and around Grandma. There's no Grandma this time, so one set of family isn't coming in until tomorrow for the visitation, and I've only seen half of the other set.

It's just that I've always been around family during death, and now I'm not. And Grandma was the last of the grandparents...maybe that's why it's harder.

I feel like I have to be strong for my parents. They've been through some much in the last 7.5 weeks with Grandma. I know deep down, they don't want me to hide my feelings, but I still feel like it's the thing I should do. I don't want them to have one more thing to worry about.

I think I'm going to put this thing aside for tonight. Maybe I can figure out the rest tomorrow.

"...I'm going home, back to the place where I belong. Where your love has always been enough for me...I'm going home..."