It's been an insanely busy 11 days... it feels more like a month has passed in that time. I'm exceptionally tired, so I apologise if this blog has a rambling, stream-of-consciousness feel to it.
My Grandad had been in hospital only six days, then passed away on Thursday evening. Friday I was out at the cemetery with my grandmother signing papers. We had dinner that night with the family at my grandparent's house - fish and chips
Saturday I went out with Pagz to find a small container for a portion of my grandfather's ashes, then we went to the cemetery again to drop it off. We had lunch and dinner together that day - it was nice to get to hang out with a friend. I remember being exceptionally tired and having to bake cookies when I came home that night.
Sunday morning my mother and I had to go on a two hour road trip to - get this - my grandmother's ex husband's fiancee's 80th birthday. Nobody else in our family really wanted to go - understandably, my grandmother wasn't in the mood for a party, and my aunt has father issues, so she & her husband stayed home as well. My mom wanted to go to be there for her dad, who is really not a very nice man. I don't *really* like to call him my grandfather... he is, of course, but when I say "grandfather" I tend to just think of Grandad... he was very special to me.
Anyhow, we packed up and left for this party at about 11 o'clock. It's a very pretty drive up the island, I found myself pointing out all the places that Heckler and I stopped on our road trip last Spring. We stopped at a farmer's market on our way up. When we arrived at the house nobody had arrived yet, so I set to helping my mom get all the food on the table. I think about ten people showed up in total... maybe twelve. They said they expected at least 20... so the chilli my mom made in my gynormous soup pot was a little excessive. As was the huge slab carrot cake we ordered from Costco. Sighs. It was a pretty dull day, just sitting around chit-chatting with people I didn't know... that and serving them food, as we seemed to be the only volunteers. I slept for most of the ride home, as I had to work that night.
Work the last two nights has been difficult. I work as an overnight care attendant - I have a separate room and I'm called on a baby monitor when I'm needed. It works out well for me, because I'm a night owl and I often stay up fairly late talking online with Heckler and Pagz, or watching tv or movies on my computer. The family I work for has family stay with them here and there, often in the spare room downstairs. For some reason though, I have had a roommate the past two nights. I don't sleep as well sharing a room (nor do I sleep well if there is someone passing gas all night in the bed on the other side of the room). Last night was a special treat, my roommate brought a ticking clock in. Joy. The family is lucky I didn't go on some kind of clock smashing rampage in the middle of the night. I was also called more than I usually am through the night, so yeah... sleepy.
Today, I am picking up the death certificate from the funeral home, and taking it over to my grandmother's house. I'm also taking over the revised obituary for her approval, before email it off to the newspaper. I had composed an obituary on Sunday night, but my grandmother said, "yours is nice dear, but..." She gave me the things she wanted included (which was fairly similar to what I had written) and the order in which she wanted it. I hope she approves of this one.
All in all, I think I'm coping okay. I cried at the hospital when we all went up to say our final goodbyes. I cried when I read Heckler's letter in the "Dear _____" thread. I haven't really cried much since. I think it might be because I've been too busy to really sit down and grieve.
Father's Day is going to be hard. My grandparents took my mother and I in, even purchasing a duplex for us to live in with them, while still having our own space. While my mom worked full time, my grandparents helped to raise my brother and I. My grandad was the only father I ever really had. I won't have a Father's Day card to buy this year
My Grandad had been in hospital only six days, then passed away on Thursday evening. Friday I was out at the cemetery with my grandmother signing papers. We had dinner that night with the family at my grandparent's house - fish and chips
Saturday I went out with Pagz to find a small container for a portion of my grandfather's ashes, then we went to the cemetery again to drop it off. We had lunch and dinner together that day - it was nice to get to hang out with a friend. I remember being exceptionally tired and having to bake cookies when I came home that night.
Sunday morning my mother and I had to go on a two hour road trip to - get this - my grandmother's ex husband's fiancee's 80th birthday. Nobody else in our family really wanted to go - understandably, my grandmother wasn't in the mood for a party, and my aunt has father issues, so she & her husband stayed home as well. My mom wanted to go to be there for her dad, who is really not a very nice man. I don't *really* like to call him my grandfather... he is, of course, but when I say "grandfather" I tend to just think of Grandad... he was very special to me.
Anyhow, we packed up and left for this party at about 11 o'clock. It's a very pretty drive up the island, I found myself pointing out all the places that Heckler and I stopped on our road trip last Spring. We stopped at a farmer's market on our way up. When we arrived at the house nobody had arrived yet, so I set to helping my mom get all the food on the table. I think about ten people showed up in total... maybe twelve. They said they expected at least 20... so the chilli my mom made in my gynormous soup pot was a little excessive. As was the huge slab carrot cake we ordered from Costco. Sighs. It was a pretty dull day, just sitting around chit-chatting with people I didn't know... that and serving them food, as we seemed to be the only volunteers. I slept for most of the ride home, as I had to work that night.
Work the last two nights has been difficult. I work as an overnight care attendant - I have a separate room and I'm called on a baby monitor when I'm needed. It works out well for me, because I'm a night owl and I often stay up fairly late talking online with Heckler and Pagz, or watching tv or movies on my computer. The family I work for has family stay with them here and there, often in the spare room downstairs. For some reason though, I have had a roommate the past two nights. I don't sleep as well sharing a room (nor do I sleep well if there is someone passing gas all night in the bed on the other side of the room). Last night was a special treat, my roommate brought a ticking clock in. Joy. The family is lucky I didn't go on some kind of clock smashing rampage in the middle of the night. I was also called more than I usually am through the night, so yeah... sleepy.
Today, I am picking up the death certificate from the funeral home, and taking it over to my grandmother's house. I'm also taking over the revised obituary for her approval, before email it off to the newspaper. I had composed an obituary on Sunday night, but my grandmother said, "yours is nice dear, but..." She gave me the things she wanted included (which was fairly similar to what I had written) and the order in which she wanted it. I hope she approves of this one.
All in all, I think I'm coping okay. I cried at the hospital when we all went up to say our final goodbyes. I cried when I read Heckler's letter in the "Dear _____" thread. I haven't really cried much since. I think it might be because I've been too busy to really sit down and grieve.
Father's Day is going to be hard. My grandparents took my mother and I in, even purchasing a duplex for us to live in with them, while still having our own space. While my mom worked full time, my grandparents helped to raise my brother and I. My grandad was the only father I ever really had. I won't have a Father's Day card to buy this year
VIEW 25 of 30 COMMENTS
spaceboy:
I'm sorry to hear about your Grandfather
nuit:
our boyfriends who are both very british have the same birthday