“Why, Soitenly!”

Dear Muz:

I’m late getting this one posted, but have very little to share with you this time around. Just wanted to drop in, though … like I used to do when we would talk on the phone. Neither one of us had any news, but we could talk for a half hour. The only news that’s news of any sort is a large fire burning away much of the hillside along the mountains to the west of our mortuary. I didn’t actually see the fire, but Josh said it was quite a sight. I was working with a family … our third funeral for this family and when they come to plan, they bring everyone! We had about 15 people in the chapel, including three small children and an infant. It’s not the best place to bring small children as, for some reason I can’t explain, they don’t seem to be all that interested in making funeral arrangements! I didn’t push anything on them and they still spent a LOT of money on this funeral, so I’ll not complain about not seeing the fire.

Jan and I spent a couple of days camping earlier this week with Steve, Laura, Ian, Morgan and Jason … whom I called Ryan for some reason. I don’t know Jason well, but he seems like a nice kid. He started coming to Long Beach with Morgan a few years ago and I’d always tell him if he did anything to hurt her I’d hurt him. Badly. I think for a while he might have believed me. It was fun intimidating the boyfriend of someone else’s daughter. But as you know, we always felt like Steve and Laura’s kids were almost our kids.

We came home and hit the ground running. Last night Jan and I drove down to San Diego to pick up a case, got some dinner on the way home and finally got home about 9:00. Hadn’t been there 15 minutes when Josh called and said we had a first call at the hospital, so he and I went back down the hill to pick up that case. I think I got in bed a little after 11, which is about the time I go to bed most nights. The San Diego drive, though, is one of the prettiest in the state! You’d love the mountains and valleys.

Not much news regarding the grandbabies since we were away the first of the week. Wednesday evening we were still unpacking and grabbing a bite to eat when Josh called and said Jackson was throwing a fit to come see us. He dropped Jackson off while he went to pick up some dinner for them. I love the fact that (1) Jackson wants to see us that badly and (2) he pitches a fit about it! We had a good time and the little scutter did not want to leave our “howsh” when Josh came back.

The bad news this week is that Jackie died yesterday morning and Pat is in a rehab hospital and probably will never go home again. You know how much your little sister loved her home and being in her home. She also has dementia and seldom knows what’s going on. Last I heard they had not told her of Jackie’s death yet. It’s sad when so many in your family are leaving us. Ruth. Tom. Dad. Deck. Frank. You. Now Jackie. No doubt Pat will soon follow as she has liver cancer as well.

During our camping trip I discovered (actually Steve told me) that your obituary I have as a bookmark has the wrong month! He told me you died and were buried in July, not June, and I had written earlier. I argued with him, basing my facts on my memory. He pulled the trump card when he informed me that he celebrated his birthday right after coming home from your funeral. Unless he has no idea when he was actually born, I had to concede. But it was a wonderful celebration of your life!  I later made a further “discovery” …  that the obit was correct and, apparently, I can no longer read!

Your little sister, Pat, was pretty upset that we took so long to honor you. I guess she thinks funerals should be wrapped up within a half hour. We took about three times that long. True to how you lived your life, we wheeled your into your funeral service about 20 minutes after the funeral actually began. I think most people there related to the humor of this last tribute to your “late” life. A few were quite put off. We really didn’t care about those few … it was our celebration of your life and we did it just how we thought you’d appreciate it.

Anyway, it’s pushing 8am and we need to head down the hill to work. Today is a bit slower than the rest of the week has been, though we did get two new cases last night. As I said, I just wanted to write a little before this week was finished. Tomorrow is July 4th and we plan to all go down near Pachanga Casino to see their fireworks show. Jackson is old enough to really enjoy it this year.

Much love,

Greg