End of a very long day at work - didn't get out of the office until nearly 8PM. Followed by hot sake at home and a very long conversation with an old friend. Thank you for being there for me during this very strange year.

Finally back home from a long sad week with my family in Smyrna. Still trying to re-aclimate myself to my life after just a few days taking care of my mother and my parents' house. My little place felt strangely warm and cozy after the time away. I still have a four-day-long headache hanging out deep inside, threatening to make my head feel like exploding but other than that I'm fine. This was my mother's first day alone in the house and to try to get some rest. She slept in this morning and was planning to go back to the cemetary by herself this afternoon and take photos of the flowers at my father's gravesite.

My father has passed away yesterday.

The call came in the morning while I was at work. Got home and threw a few things in a bag, changed out of my work duds, and wnet to my parent' house where people were already gathering. Went to the funeral home with my mother, brother, sister-in-law, and neice to make final preparations. Picked out the least cheesy guest book and cards, casket, flowers, etc. Ordered what will probably be far too few copies of the death certificate for legal and financial purposes.

Sometimes I miss the days of childhood and adolescence when you could have crushes on people that you never had to consider even having the possibility of going anywhere other than where it is at the moment. There was never any plans ahead or what if's - just that delicious, painful moment of longing for things you did not know or expect.

Got a phone call from mother on my way home from work today telling me to come for a visit this weekend. I'm there every weekend but missed last week's visit because of the ice. I told her I'd try to make it up Sunday. If he's awake for anything, I would think he'd want to be awake for the SuperBowl and I am so behind on everything I need Sunday to catch up. Maybe I can come with Monster and the two of us can allow her to take a break from taking care of my father and get out of the house for a while. She says his health is deteriorating rapidly this week. The pain medication he has is recommended for four to six hour intervals and she's giving it to him every three hours. I suppose he's building a tolerance for the meds now and they don't do the job he'd like them to.