…and I’m back!
I spent 28 hours on the way to or in the state of Michigan, and I’m very glad to be home. It was very nice to have the whole family together, though, and as funerals go, it was a very nice one. My grandma would’ve wholeheartedly approved of the party afterwards at her house, because it was exactly her style: so much food, people could barely move afterward. Not to mention the champagne of beers. I think the best moment for me was when we piled in cars to head to the funeral home, and I realized that it was just me and my brothers and sister in the car. I can’t think of another time in our lives that that’s happened. It was really comforting in a way. Everybody’s coming back to Minneapolis today, including my mom (finally!) and the Florida branch of the family, who will be here til Monday. We’re planning to go hang out with them some more tomorrow. I did indeed drive my dad’s PT Cruiser back by myself, and it wasn’t bad at all; it’s no Miguel, but it’s pretty fast, and is capable of playing very, very loud hip-hop. That’s basically what I look for in my transportation. I made the drive in a little over 4.5 hours, which may be a record. Don’t tell my dad or the Wisconsin State Patrol. My parents aren’t sure what to do with my grandparents’ house yet, and I’m glad nobody’s jumping to make a decision. It was built by my great-great-grandfather, and it’s an amazing house; the only problem is that none of us wants to actually live in Menominee, Michigan. At least we’ll be able to go back after everything has calmed down, maybe over Christmas, and spend more time in the place we’ve held as a tradition for so many years. I want to take photos then, too. I wasn’t particularly in the mood yesterday. And now, I must go get my surfer squares from the oven. I hear drunk people like them, and we’re expecting a whole passel of those types at the party on Friday! Jenni