Reality Check

The past couple of weeks have been an amazing blur... that is until Thursday night. Let me start off with the good before I get to the sad.

Two weeks ago my company had the entire department in town. There was a lot of REALLY good training that went on and I got the "Butt Kickin Award" for all that I have done and accomplished this past year. For those of you that know me personally you know what I do and how hard I have pushed myself professionally this past 6 months. It really showed and has paid off.

Last week I went to the Texas State Fair with the family and had an uh-mazing time with my family. I broke my 5 week diet to eat some of the most fantastic fried food these pretty lips have ever tasted. Fried Pineapple Upside Down Cake... need I say more?

Then last Tuesday I went out to Arizona to do some training for one of our new systems our department will be using. We got so much accomplished in such a short period of time. We were there for about 2.5 days and it was really great. In fact I got to even meet one of my favorite blogging buddies Ashley over at Cute as a Fox. She had her Elmer's Craft Party when I was in town so that I could go. Let me say that some of her friends are uber crafty! Wish I had 1/4 of the paper crafting talent that one of the ladies there had. Anyways, I owe Ashley a HUGE thank you for having me over!

Thursday night (my last night there) I was out at dinner with my co-worker and our vendor. It was then that I got some very sad news. My grandfather "Pop" had slipped into a coma and they didn't expect him to make it until Monday.

Let me take a break to say that for the past year and a half he hasn't been the same. Infact it wasn't Pop at all. The calm, gentle person I had known for the 26 years before had slipped into a state that on a good day might have known my grandmother's name, had random violent outbursts, and just had really left us a long time ago. So for the past 2 years it has been really difficult to see him like that.
He just wasn't who I remembered...

I then left from Arizona on Friday morning and went out to see one of my girlfriends in LA. I got there and she totally kept my mind off of it. We went out and saw LA, China Town, the oldest street in LA, went out dancing... all in all I had a wonderful time and coulen't have thanked her more for keeping me occupied.

On the way to the airport (Sunday) I got a call from my husband telling me that my grandfather had infact passed away that morning. On one hand I appreciate my mom and sister not wanting me to get upset while I was on my trip, since really there wasn't much I could have done anyways. But on the other hand I wished I would have known sooner. So when I tell you that he infact passed away it is very much a sad thing, but I know he was hurting and in pain, so it is very much a good thing.

I remember when I was just into college and my grandfather had just had surgery to put a pace maker in. He refused to eat. I went down there every day for weeks at lunch and fed him. I know I was his favorite... he always paid special attention to me when I was little. Anyways, because I went to see him every day he got better, but of course that was 10 years ago. Anyways, he was an amazing man. He was 94, almost 95 years old, and if he had made it one month longer my grandmother and him would have been married for 70 years. He served in WWII in the 144th Infantry Division and was such a patient man. I already missed who he was before, but now I miss him as well.

Pop I Love You, and am glad that you can finally be at peace.


~TTFN