Weird

I don't know what's going on, but it has become increasingly difficult to sign in to my blog. But...I obviously figured it out.

What has happened...Deanna's step mom, Evie, sent us some tasty treats. I am not sure if Deanna was able to eat a peanut butter cookie before I devoured them all. They were delicious!

I talked with Jeff...my mom's cousin. Everyone back home has been making trips to visit with him and everyone far away has been calling. It was a nice talk...and odd at the same time.

Like I've said before, I had 7 grandparents growing up and I have one that is still living. I can remember the last time that I saw most of them. It was usually in a hospital. However, I didn't know it was the last time I would see/speak to them, and maybe even they didn't know. The odd thing about speaking with Jeff was the circumstance...we both knew it was the last time. There was something kind of refreshing about it. Knowledge is power I guess.

Apparently he is still hanging in there. He said he feels like there is something he is supposed to do before he goes, but he doesn't know what.

In other news, this xmas is very low key for Deanna and I. I think 2007 is the year that we get our butts in gear and attack whatever it is that we want to do. It's nice to know we can survive doing things that we enjoy doing...but there's a difference between surviving and living comfortable.

My video sketch group is cranking along. Our site is up... www.seven8nine.net. We have 3 videos up, 2 more being edited, and some scripts ready to be shot. Sam Super is a machine...he is the one editing all of this stuff and he rocks at it. If any of you saw our Ridin' Dirty video, he is the one who edited that. Sam is my hero...he should be on the NBC show "Heroes".

Sad

I just found out that my mom's cousin is going to be dead soon. She has 5 male cousins on her mom's side. Their parents have been going through some rough times medically speaking...and so have some of them. When my mom was a teen-ager she had a kidney transplant so that her cousin Jeff could get it. He's gone through life constantly dealing with medical woes, but always very cheerful. Of the five, he lived the farthest away. It was always great to see him at family events.

He recently had to have some toes amputated because of dialysis complications. He and his wife have made the decision to stop being medically supported by dialysis. The doctor has given him 5-7 days.

The first time I remember actually going to a funeral it was for a step-grandmother I hardly knew. She was married to my grandpa who lived in Bend...Grandma May. I barely knew her and really wasn't attached at all. I think I was between 10-12 when she died. I remember being fine (and I could be totally wrong) until going up and seeing the open casket. I then made my way outside to the front of the place that the funeral was being held and cried and cried. I felt like I barely knew her. I couldn't have missed her more. That feeling was imprinted. I hate death. I get that way still to this day. Someone dies, I'm done for...cry and cry.

I thought I was lucky growing up because I had 7 granparents (because of my dad's step-parents). When you're a kid you're like "Whoa! I just got FOUR $10 checks for my birthday! Thad only got TWO!"...

I have one living grandparent. My grandfather on my mother's side. I resemble him except he was buff when he was young. I've lost six grandparents.

I'm not sure what to think of this one. So many things cross my mind. At least he is choosing when to go and won't be suffering anymore. I certainly will miss him though. It hits even harder because he is my parents age. It's one thing to worry about grandparents, but now everyone is getting old.

I'm not one for afterlife tales, but I hope there is one for Jeff. I'll miss you Jeff, you've always been an inspiration in positivity for me whether you know it or not. I can't remember a single time I've seen you without a smile on our face, and that is how I'll always remember you.

Who knows, maybe 5-7 days will turn into 5-7-20 years...crazier things have happened.

Mom, Dad, sis, I love you guys.

The Short Version

Thanks to everyone hoping I'd live. Of 24 people who started, I managed to take out 5 of them before receiving a very sneaky letter bomb while on a job in Arizona. It wasn't expected at all and very well played.

The game had recently come down to 5 people...one who was very paranoid and good at the game (the one who got me in Arizona), one who was my ally (you got one alliance), and three who weren't really playing and just happened to be lined up in order of who needed to get who...borrrrrrring.

It is now down to my old ally and one of the do-nothings.

In other news, I had a nasty virus on my computer that I got the Friday after Thanksgiving and I am just today getting back to normal. I had to do a complete reinstall and my backup discs were faulty so I had to wait until I received my back up set from the manufacturer (they arrived today).

I'm almost back to full capacity. Luckily, because of my photography, I have an external hard drive and was able to get everything important over onto it.

More as it happens.