4 day weekend

Turkey Day

Of course we forgot to take pictures during our Thanksgiving brunch and dinner, but it was quite the day. We went to dad and Linda's for lunch, read through the Will, rummaged through stuff, and just visited. After we left there stuffed, we went to my mom's for the turkey dinner. She always makes so much food and it's so good you really can't stop eating! We laid around there, visited with my aunt and uncle, and watched Wall-e. It was a packed day of eating, visiting, and eating some more. I'm truly grateful for my family. I'll miss the days where we don't want to make anything for lunch or dinner so we drop in and raid the fridge.

Friday

I had the thought to go shopping but I was way too lazy. I didn't want to battle the crowds, the crazy people, and the long lines. I guess the money saved wasn't worth my time. I love the fun stories though that come from the early morning shoppers! Plus, "I still have 26 more days to shop, why go now!" So, I sat around and did nothing. I played Zelda, I vacuumed the floor, and...I did nothing. It was really nice.

Saturday

I still didn't have the drive to go shopping and I think it's because I didn't have anything in mind of what I was looking for. The great deals are nice, if you need that item. Anyway, Jake and I had put up a couple items on craigslist, so we don't have to haul them up, and people started calling. Around 11 a.m. one guy came and bought our end table and coffee table. We went to my mom's to visit (and to raid the fridge for left overs) for a couple of hours. When we were there someone called and wanted our bed. We arranged to do that later that evening. After mom's we went to dad and Linda's to meet up for BINGO! Linda is a huge bingo player. Dad and Linda would go all the time, so we thought this would be a great way to get her out of the house. She could sit there all weekend and do nothing if we didn't get her out and about. So Tommy, Jake, Linda, and I all decided to go play bingo. Tommy has played once or twice (I think), I've only played once, and Jake had never played. So the fun begins. Tommy and I decided to play two cards, Linda is doing three, and Jake is sticking to one. It was non-stop looking for numbers! With two cards it was chaos! As soon as you were done looking for B12, they had already moved on to the next number! No time to look up, no time to even see if you had a bingo, no time for a drink! Since Jake only had one card he didn't have much pressure. So about two games from the end, Jake takes a drink of pop and then spills it! All over the table, all over his board, and it's running towards Linda's! The game didn't stop. Jake jumped up and grabbed napkins and when he was cleaning it up the judge lady had walked by and told the caller lady to stop the game. She went and brought Jake two new games of bingo. She helped him catch up and we were back in action. As of now we had no luck. Nobody had won. We missed the chance to win the $10,000 pot, the $5000 pot, the $2500, and the $1000 pot. So on our last board and last game, we had to get blackout. Jake needed one number I19. They didn't call it. Someone else got bingo and won $450. BUT there is a second chance for $200. The next number called was I19! The conversation then went like this:

Jake: bingo (just saying it)

Linda: You have to scream it!

Jake: bingo (not screaming it!)

Linda: Scream it! (Hitting Jake in the arm!)

Linda BINGO (screaming it!)

Jake flinched so bad and we all started laughing! If she wouldn't have screamed it they would have gone on and if someone would have won with the next number, Jake would have had to split the pot with them. So...the lucky I19 brought us all a little happier! The family rules are, if you go as a group you split the money. That way everyone has fun and everyone feels like they won. We all walked away $50 happier! 

(the computer camera flips things!)

After that we went back to dad and Linda's to eat and hang out. Jake and I had to go deliver our bed to the guy in Henderson and meet up with some friends for dessert. We made the drop and headed to Town Square. We walked around, chatted and went to Claim Jumper. By time we sat down it had almost been an hour and everyone was hungry. So we ate. After dinner we called it a night and headed home. It was such a good day. We had a lot of fun and loved to be busy with relaxing things! Not school or work!

Sunday

Now it's Sunday...almost time to get back into the daily grind.

Why I'm Not a Vet

Valiant, Arthur, and my dad

I have a new respect for my sister in-law, Megan. Megan is a vet at a pet hospital. She has a lot of letters after her name...I'm not exactly sure what her real job title is. Either way, I could never do her job and this is why...

My dad left behind two Britney Spaniel dogs. They were his hunting dogs. They both are boys. One named Valiant and one named Arthur. He paid a good wad of cash to have full bread, papered, AKC registered, trained dogs. The problem: he wouldn't get them neutered. I think it he thought they would be less of a dog or something. I don't know. So twice a year (normally around mating season) they became territorial. Valiant always had to dominate. Anyway, last Monday, Linda called freaking out and said the dogs were in a big fight and needed to have Jake come and separate them. The problem: We were at UNLV and 45 min. away with no traffic. So Jake went. By time he got there Valiant had Arthur pinned in the corner of his cage. Blood every where. So Jake separated them loaded Arthur up in the truck and went to the vet. Linda had already made an appointment earlier that day to have them neutered on Wednesday. They came back picked up Valiant and took him in. The outcome: Both dogs neutered and Arthur had a tube in his leg to drain out fluid and prevent infection. To let them recover without fights we took Arthur in. He's a good dog. Probably better because he's on drugs! Our job was to clean the area where the tube stuck out. One at the top of his leg and one at the bottom. It was gross. Then we had to squirt some sort of tea-colored liquid behind it! He didn't like it. On Friday he went back in and had the tube removed but now we still have to squirt and clean. For not having a major part of his manhood and being beat up...he's doing pretty good. I'm not sure I could do this as a profession. Jake can't. He nearly passed out on the first day of cleaning. It was pretty gross. So I give Megan a gold star, pat on the back, and more respect for having to deal with things like this everyday! 

Family in PA

There are so many pictures that I'm going to post from our trip to Pennsylvania, for my dad's funeral, but here are just a few.

 Tommy (my brother) and Tommy (his son) outside of the funeral home. 

This is at my dad's cousin John and Ester's house. They live up the hill from Dad's cabin. Tommy wasn't to hip to be next to the stuffed animals. One time he "sneaked up" on the bear, punched it, and ran away! It was so stinkin' funny!

Tommy found a pipe that his little hand could fit into! I just want to squeeze him! We have pictures of my brother when he was this age and they look so much alike!

Then he had to check it out!

This is me and my Dad's Aunt Betty. She told me that I didn't look like a Harris. I'm definitely a Harris. We have the same forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin! I think I'll have to send her this picture! She's the last sibling left from my grandfather's generation. I think she's in her late 80's. I love old people. There's something about them that is so fascinating.

Bad Idea...#1

Don't read your father's journal and think you're not going to cry when he talks about you.

My dad. My Hero.

On Thursday, October 30, I boarded a plane to Eugene, Oregon at 12:30 p.m. The plane landed safely and Jake was waiting to pick me up outside. I turned on my phone and it rang immediately. It was Jake. I was right in the middle of grabbing my bags from the over-head compartments and told him I would be right out. As soon as I hung up, my phone did the little ring that means you missed 13 calls. Then it started ringing again. It was my sister. I answered it. The conversation went something on these lines: 

Mandy: "Did you hear?"

Me: "No, what's up?"

Mandy: "Around 4:00 p.m. Pennsylvania time (1:00 p.m. Nevada time) Dad had a massive heart attack and passed away."

My phone volume was so loud that the guy in front of me turned around. I didn't notice anyone or anything else around me from leaving the aisle way on the plane to meeting Jacob in the front. I was numb. It didn't seem real. It hadn't set in. In my mind I kept thinking this was a dream or a test. A test to see how I would react. It wasn't. After making a million phone calls, Jake and I drove to Portland, flew to Chicago, and then flew to Pennsylvania. I'm tired of flying! So this is what happened: 

My dad was at his cabin with his cousin John. They had plans to go put up his hunting nest in some tree Thursday evening so they could hunt all day Friday and Saturday. He wasn't feeling good but insisted on getting it done. Originally he thought he had indigestion or heart burn. He took a Rolaid. Then he thought it was his gallbladder. John told him to rest. He was stubborn. He put on his boots and went out the door. John followed. As they were walking about 100 yards from the cabin my dad asked to stop and rest for a moment. John knew something was wrong. So when they stopped, my dad bent his knees to sit against the hill and continued to roll all the way back. He died immediately. John called 911 and performed CPR. The paramedics came immediately and took over. Nothing improved. He flat lined.

We were able to go to the place where he died. It was peaceful. It was beautiful. I couldn't imagine a better place to go. He was with the people he loved. He was in a place he loved. He was doing what he loved, hunting. It was so quick, we assume he didn't suffer. Although I don't want to face the fact that he's really gone, I know he is. Gone for a time. He was my dad. I love him and he knew it. I have no regrets. The last time I saw him I gave him a big hug and he told me he was proud of me. He came to soccer games. We went to Disneyland when I graduated high school. We went to the Dale Evans and Roy Rogers museum. He walked me down the aisle when I got married. We worked together. He took me to college and filled my refrigerator. He always encouraged me. He loved my husband. He counseled us. We knew everything. He was smart, educated, and had so much experience. He was funny. We joked and laughed. He taught us to be kind, loving, and giving. Oh, how I could go on. I know we will be together again. It just doesn't seem real.