Weekend Wrap Up: Amira, Cyaneyed, and HDTV
This weekend has been kind of a blur. I am in a funk about Amira's passing. No, we all knew she was dying, it wasn't a surprise, but she was such a giving person. We wanted to go down and see her service (tomorrow at 6pm in Buchanan, Virginia) but there was no way to get down there, drive for 3 hours and drive back. We don't have the money, time off from work, or anything. We sent flowers instead, to Peter, but I feel like a jerk because, again, money got in the way.
I got yelled at for not passing the information along quicker by a few people. Look, I am sorry, I should have realized just how MANY people cared, and just a blog entry was not sufficient. Many of my Technicon and Shivacon pals never read my blog. I guess I was broadsided by it, didn't follow the chain o'command, and I am a douchebag. I just don't know how to handle deaths and funerals and stuff. You think I would, I have been to so many of them, I can't count. My own mother, two grandmothers, several in-laws, and countless friends and coworkers. But I never learn. I am not being sarcastic, I am truly sorry I botched this up, and I feel pretty bad about it.
I will always remember Amira positively, despite so many things that seemed to work against her in her life. She never had a bad word to say about anyone. Sometimes she came off a little squirrelly, but then again, so do I. I first met her when she replaced the Montouris as roommates at the FanTek cons. Amira and her (then) young son roomed with takayla, CR, and myself. For the next many years, we all watched our kids grow. Twice a year we hooked up. Amira taught my son how to massage, and taught me all about ADHD. We spent many, many nights discussing our lives, mistakes, regrets, accomplishments, and so on. But as much as she was part of our lives for many years, she was suddenly gone. Years went by, and we e-mailed a few times. Things never seemed to go well for her, but she always had a positive spin.
Once, while at a bellydancing show, she fell right off the stage. Like, not even a pause or indication she knew she had stepped too far back and "whoomp," she was behind the curtain and on the floor. But she got right back on that stage and finished her number right where she left off. She, like her friend Miraj, always smiled when she performed, unlike many dancers who are all so serious.
I can still hear her voice, clear as a bell, offering advice about something. Her advice was never unsolicited, never arrogant or patronizing, and she always had great advice about how to deal with difficult people. She never saw herself as above others, but beside you, wondering the same things. I miss her so much.
I never think that the powers that be alway takes the good ones away from us any more, but I think that she must have finally graduated after dealing with so much bullshit. I hope to see her again when my time comes, and I hope to live up to her many ideals which I respected so much.
Her obituary is already three pages full of comments. If you have a spare moment, share them with Peter and those others who loved her.
In other, less depressing news, cyaneyed celebrated another birthday, which means she got to be 29 again. I would like all Prunes reading this to know that I never intended to see Gadams naked, but these plans were dashed by his gift to her: a semi-nude, PG-13 calenedar of him. Our gift was takayla arranged her party at the Sakura in Tysons. Crummy cell phone pictures are on my blog.
And we finally have an HDTV! We didn't buy it, per se... but it was a gift from anyarm from her divorce in lieu of staying with us. As a house guest, she's been most unobtrusive and gracious, but the TV was appreciated anyway. :) We have to make room in our bedroom, though, so it sits in our living room for now.
I got yelled at for not passing the information along quicker by a few people. Look, I am sorry, I should have realized just how MANY people cared, and just a blog entry was not sufficient. Many of my Technicon and Shivacon pals never read my blog. I guess I was broadsided by it, didn't follow the chain o'command, and I am a douchebag. I just don't know how to handle deaths and funerals and stuff. You think I would, I have been to so many of them, I can't count. My own mother, two grandmothers, several in-laws, and countless friends and coworkers. But I never learn. I am not being sarcastic, I am truly sorry I botched this up, and I feel pretty bad about it.
I will always remember Amira positively, despite so many things that seemed to work against her in her life. She never had a bad word to say about anyone. Sometimes she came off a little squirrelly, but then again, so do I. I first met her when she replaced the Montouris as roommates at the FanTek cons. Amira and her (then) young son roomed with takayla, CR, and myself. For the next many years, we all watched our kids grow. Twice a year we hooked up. Amira taught my son how to massage, and taught me all about ADHD. We spent many, many nights discussing our lives, mistakes, regrets, accomplishments, and so on. But as much as she was part of our lives for many years, she was suddenly gone. Years went by, and we e-mailed a few times. Things never seemed to go well for her, but she always had a positive spin.
Once, while at a bellydancing show, she fell right off the stage. Like, not even a pause or indication she knew she had stepped too far back and "whoomp," she was behind the curtain and on the floor. But she got right back on that stage and finished her number right where she left off. She, like her friend Miraj, always smiled when she performed, unlike many dancers who are all so serious.
I can still hear her voice, clear as a bell, offering advice about something. Her advice was never unsolicited, never arrogant or patronizing, and she always had great advice about how to deal with difficult people. She never saw herself as above others, but beside you, wondering the same things. I miss her so much.
I never think that the powers that be alway takes the good ones away from us any more, but I think that she must have finally graduated after dealing with so much bullshit. I hope to see her again when my time comes, and I hope to live up to her many ideals which I respected so much.
Her obituary is already three pages full of comments. If you have a spare moment, share them with Peter and those others who loved her.
In other, less depressing news, cyaneyed celebrated another birthday, which means she got to be 29 again. I would like all Prunes reading this to know that I never intended to see Gadams naked, but these plans were dashed by his gift to her: a semi-nude, PG-13 calenedar of him. Our gift was takayla arranged her party at the Sakura in Tysons. Crummy cell phone pictures are on my blog.
And we finally have an HDTV! We didn't buy it, per se... but it was a gift from anyarm from her divorce in lieu of staying with us. As a house guest, she's been most unobtrusive and gracious, but the TV was appreciated anyway. :) We have to make room in our bedroom, though, so it sits in our living room for now.