Walking down the aisle for my Graduation

After a lot of hemming and hawing and even asking here if i should even bother, i decided to attend my graduation. It seemed like a OK idea to graduate with my favorite uncle and say yes i did attend an actual graduation of my (i didn't go to my high school one i went to Coney Island instead).

As my graduation got closer i started to mildly panic and considered at least a dozen times blowing it off and heading to the beach.  The prospect of my mom visiting me which is always a terrifying experience was making me very antsy. My mom in my home makes me extremely uncomfortable for reasons i won't go into now. Some of my friends know and they still think its crazy i don't like it be trust me it doesn't work.

Well the day before my my graduation my mom was supposed to fly to the airport at 9am then we would later head up to Norfolk that night for the actual ceremony Saturday morning. Due to lots of crazy weather we didn't get her till after 3pm. We ended up getting on the road after a nice dinner at Cheesecake Factory.

The morning of the graduation it was a light drizzle and i couldn't find my uncle. He decided to drive down that morning and left late. i was standing inside waiting for him and he literally ran in as his line was walking into the arena. And then i don't know why but i started getting REALLY nervous. The walk down the aisle into the arena and i was shaking. I don't know what came over me but it wasn't until the keynote speaker that i calmed down. Something about me finally after 3 tries and more than 15 years since i graduated high school i finally could say i have my degree. It was surreal. I cheered loudly for my uncle and i smiled proudly when they handed me that rolled up fake piece of paper.

This is the gathering of the graduates before we enter.

Beginning of processional

Yep that's me and my favorite uncle.

I found my mom, aunt and C1 in the audience, C1 head down tapping away on her DS. I packed the earplugs since i wasn't sure how she would do in the arena. She managed to make it thru the ceremony and wasn't stimming too badly when it was over. My mom quickly got outside and across the street away from the crowds with her. The rain was light but took a funny step walking back down the aisle and hurt my knee.  It was an amazing feeling of relief when it was over and after some quick talking and hugs we said goodbye to my aunt and uncle and i drove my mom to the airport. It really hit me when she hugged me goodbye and whispered "i'm really proud of you" My mom usually says critical things to me so that really meant a lot to me. C1 and i quietly found a Sonic and drive home. I called my grandma on the ride home and told her i'll be at her beach house in the morning.

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Sooo...

I'm still here. c1 is enjoying her no bedtime and sleeping till noon, as well as all the junk and soda her grandparents sneak her. I swear. She's living off of mickey D's breakfast, dr pepper and enteimanns donuts. The fact that she's not sick is equally impressive.

Still here. somebody shoot me

Have i complained enough yet?? because right now fro the 3rd time since i'e been here my stepfather has locked us in the basement. i swear

Are we having fun yet?

So its Christmas. last night's dinner was on so awesome but i didn't get to bring any leftovers home. i did get a belly full of food and 5 jumbo glasses of wine down. That is always the highlight of my trip. Anyway we got home a little before 1am and c1 asked to open her presents. i was really sleepy but i recall hearing my mom say sure so we all opened gifts last night. c1 got so much stuff my mom really did go overboard this year, and i got a new GPS, a power-drill (apparently c1 said i needed one) she must have heard me cursing about the cheap one i currently have, and a gold and platinum watch. And as usual my mom left the price tags on. this watch is huge and expensive. I'm afraid to wear it because i might damage it. y'all know i dont do jewelry, but apparently she thought by $50 watch which needed a new battery every 8 months was inferior. umm ok. Well the good news was i got to sleep till almost noon.

So now its about time for me to take c1 to her aunts house to spend time with the other side of the family. Her father called me for the 1st time in 6 months to ask when i was taking her over. not so fast he just wants to know so he can keep me from coming in his sisters house. i told him he'll see us when we get there.

Disfunction knows no bounds

Apparently my brother (the good one) is back in prison. It seems his aunt who he was staying with when he got released has been running credit card schemes for years. she got my brother involved, he got caught and he's mother yes his aunt's sister (who was fully aware of what her sister was doing) is pissed off at my father of all people becasue he's trying get some details and find my brother a lawyer.

You all know how i feel about my father so the fact that i'm actually on his side means this must be some levels of hell freezing over. no wonder its so damn cold.

New year old drama

Happy New year everyone. I know I've been a bit behind because i was in Wrong Island for thew holidays. But lets get to the details huh?

I mostly got up to JFK without any issues. the taxi did call me 45 minutes early (ie 4:45am) to see if i would accept an earlier pickup time. Yeah i wanted to hurt somebody when i got to the terminal and JetBlue doesn't even open till 5:45am. I just waited around the terminal for about 25 minutes just so i could check my bags. After getting into town i hit the ground running with errands and whatnot. I must have got dragged everywhere Sunday. The rest of the week went pretty fast paced. I had people to see pretty much every day. I was supposed to go bowling with Mike but after 4 failed attempts i just let it go. Miscommunication meant i didn't see TOM till Thursday when he came over for dinner and an official meet the parents type thing. I mean he's known both of them and has met them in passing lots of times but this was the first scheduled time where the 4 of us sat around talking for a few hours. He also floated the move to ATL idea that i so hoped he wouldn't. Thursday was also the day i was scheduled to have a mammogram after finding a lump. The good news is I'm not dying any faster then usual and after several hours they sent me home with a clean bill of health. Of course though one of the girls was sore for pretty much a full 24 hours. I saw everyone i attempted to see and spent Christmas day at my grandmother's. my brother lost 60 lbs in prison. which i must say he looks really good. he went in overweight and now he's back to his old self. Even spent most of the night hitting on one of my cousin's friends. The boy has not changed. I didn't see my other brother or my nephew. I also didn't see my grandfather or father because both were too sick to come home.
C1 dad decided to be an ass and wait till Christmas eve to work out Christmas day plans. even after i told him tough because i made plans when he didn't call i ended up leaving my grandmother's early so i called and offered to drop c1 off at his sister's house as long as he brought her home. it was only 7pm and he gave me some song and dance about having to work and that he'd wait till Sunday. He did slightly redeem himself by coming over to the house on her birthday after work just to give her a bday present. I guess he's trying.

Oh i almost forgot Christmas eve! we went to Jersey as usual for the 7 fishes dinner at my mom's best friend's house. this year had 19 adults 8 or so kids (i lost count) and 1 dog. It was great as usual and there was lots of food left over so i ate good for several days afterward. We also stopped at my mom's sister's house since we were already in Jersey. We were there about 25 minutes which was 18 minutes too long.

Of course i was ready to go home about 2 days before i did and my mom's husband managed to irritate and grate the longer i was in that house. I did have a good Christmas though because I got an iPhone. I'll post a picture of it eventually but right now I'm just trying to figure out how to use the stupid thing since there's NO MANUAL. But the bigger news is that my mom listened and got me what i asked for. So whoever had an iphone in this years pot won. Hmm that also means I've got about 4 years of weird presents on the horizon.

At least i'm home and getting back into the groove of things. i really missed my bed, that aerobed is much to close to the floor.

Back to the grind and the heat followed

it is hella hot. Yes i know its July and i live in the south but still, no rain makes it stifling. I came home a few days ago and as of now my mom and her sister aren't speaking, her brother disbarred lawyer isn't talking to her and she isn't talking to his wife. I have no words for most of them as well as one of my cousins. Funerals really bring out the ugly.

In other news i had to admit to get back on track and i never missed my bed so much in my life. Sleeping on an aerobed for 2 weeks isn't remotely as bad as sleeping next to a kid that kicks and slaps you at night. oh and she talks in her sleep just like her dad. We spent the weekend running on half errands and going school shopping for the stuff on her supply list. $50 later we left Staples. Today was her first day of 4th grade and yeah I'm nervous. She came home with way to many fliers leaflets and info cards oh and her new planner. She's very excited and she said she got 2 new classmates but she can't remember everyone that left. Kids and their memories.

Moving forward, I'll always have my memories

Nana died last week Thursday. I was on the phone and now i don't recall with who, but my mom beeped in on the call waiting sobbed said just that one line and hung up. I collapsed into a ball on my bedroom floor and just sat there till i had enough composure to call hellish K. I gave her my list of who to contact for me and then i cried myself to sleep. Me and C1 caught a flight up here on Sunday afternoon, and the funeral was Tuesday. Looking back its amazing how much work you can get accomplished when your trying to keep busy instead of grieving.

C1 came with me to the wake and funeral but nothing else. (death as taught me 2 new words, interment & repast) I sent her to spend the rest of her day with my other grandma, the one i went to the beach with just last month. After the madhouse at my Nana's house. I swear i really do hate my family and the way some of them attempting to ransack her house and take her stuff. They all went home buy Thursday and I'm still here till the end of this week. My mom has her good and bad days, today was her birthday and yesterday while at dinner with her husband she broke down when she realized her mom wouldn't send her a birthday card for the first time. But all in all we are doing ok. I'll miss my Nana forever we only fought because we loved each other so much.