Back from Beyond!
Well! It's been an interesting couple of weeks (nearly a month, really).
Sorry I haven't been on or posting or anything, 'cause, uh...Long story.
So! It all started out with our internet service getting cut off by COX. Why? Well, they ran a scan and found the Transformers movie on our hard drive.
Here's the kicker: no one downloaded it. (Come on, I saw that movie in the theatres. Why would I download it?)
After telling COX that it was some random kid using our wi-fi (we didn't have it locked. Every time we needed to reset 'cause the internet wouldn't work, it would delete whatever password was stored), dad tried to install a password. He kinda couldn't remember how to do it, so he called linksys for help.
He apparently got some bitch on the phone, 'cause she told him to download an update something and hung up on him. Also, didn't record the call. Trusting the woman, he downloaded the 'update,' and then the router refused to work.
The next day, he finds out that whatever he downloaded had fried the router, so he needed to get a new one. But linksys, being nice (this time), told him he could send in the old router, and they'd give him a new one, free of charge.
Unfortunately, this was 3 days before we were leaving to Michigan. Even if he sent the router in, no one would be home to receive the replacement.
So we leave for Michigan for a couple weeks.
Michigan trip:
Me and mom are driving up, and dad will be flying in at the end of the week.
It takes us a few days, and we're getting grumpy 'cause mom's occasionally in pain from surgery and can't sit still a long time, and both of us are needing to wake up early each day to leave.
And then, around Davenport, the Check Engine light goes on. Cue panic. The week earlier, the car had been taken in for maintenance, and supposedly fixed. We take the car to get it checked and, lo and behold! the same cylinder that was replaced the week before is broken. But it should be ok for driving...For a bit. After a few calls (and during), we're back on the road!
The trip itself
My cousin is adorable <3 (but occasionally pushy and annoying. Makes me glad I don't have any siblings, 'cause I know this is what a little brother would be like. Except ALL THE TIME instead of just during my trip. But I still love him <3). We stayed at my aunt's and uncle's place, and their house is wonderful. The last time I saw it, years ago, the basement was still less-than-complete. Open ceilings with wires, the floor wasn't even there in most parts (just wooden beams for support). Most of the walls weren't there, either.
But now it's become lovely. The house still needs more remodeling work done, but it's a really nice place.
My other aunt, her boyfriend, and my cousins the twins were also there. Wow, the twins sure are growing. And learning words very quickly! (But they don't want to listen to anyone but their parents. It gets annoying sometimes when you're scolding them for trying to run into the street, and they just go crying to mommy)
Spent a bunch of time going through my aunt's stuff in their garage, sorting it, packing what we wanted, and giving what others wanted to them...
The next day was going through her storage unit. Oh, geeze. I remember helping pack that thing. Moving boxes from one place to another, not even bothering to go through them...I didn't realize how much was actually in there.
Some of the stuff is real nice, like a bunch of porcelain dolls, and some rare books.
Other stuff...I really don't think 10-year-old candy, meds, or toiletries are any good anymore...
By the end of the trip, everyone felt sweaty and dirty, and I was extremely thankful that it had started to storm so that I could actually cool off and feel a bit cleaner.
Then dad came and there was the funeral for my aunt. It was a nice funeral, in a shady cemetery with HUGE trees. Lovely place. At the end, we released monarch butterflies that fluttered around. Her headstone was placed in the family plot and pink flowers were set (her favorite color).
Needless to say, everyone cried a lot. Myself included.
...Dammit, I'm crying again just writing this.
...I miss her...
THEN, a party. Lots of peepers (and even a tree frog!) were hopping in the back, and in the evening, we roasted marshmallows on an open fire.
Good food, good company.
And the next day, there was a barbeque at my uncle's place, for everyone to see the 'shrine' there, and there was more good food. Though much of it was leftovers from the previous day XD;
Then, we're off to another part of Michigan for another memorial at my aunt's friend's summer home on the edge of Lake Michigan. Beautiful place. Lovely house. Good food there, too. Walking along the beach at sunset (twilight, rather)...And I found a fossil! Plant fossil, some kind of fern, probably.
And then we played card games until I practically crashed.
After that, dad had to leave, and while we were driving him back to the airport, we somehow got on the topic of long-lost siblings (as a joke), and...And I found out I actually do have one o_O I have a half-brother on my dad's side. I never really knew, mostly 'cause apparently the last time I saw him, I was 2 or 3, and my parents never realized they hadn't spoken of him since.
I would like to meet him...I realize he probably doesn't consider us family. After all, isn't family the people who raise you? The people who act like family?
...I hope I don't offend anyone (mostly him, but I don't know if he remembers me either), but the story my dad told...my half-brother's mother sounds like a slut (my words). She had other kids, to different fathers, lied about her age, and (while I don't know about her other kids) eventually left my half-brother to a foster family, because she...I don't know, actually. And this is where I'll stop speculating about 'what really happened.'
SO! I'm interested in finding him, even though it might not be the same the other way, so I'm gonna bug dad to get in touch.
Another day was spent cleaning out more of the storage unit that we hadn't gotten to. Also a hot day, leaving everyone feeling dirty, though this time there was no rain to cool off in.
The car was taken in for examination to try and get it fixed.
We then got the news that the entire engine would have to be replaced. That...wasn't possible in such a short time, since we were leaving in a couple days. So he just put some new stuff in that would (hopefully) prevent the car from breaking down on the way back. Took it back to our uncle's, packed it (ok, I did most of the packing. Tetris, you serve me well!), and left the next morning after a tearful (and nearly tantrum-like) farewell from my cousin. <3
Took another couple of days to get back. Stopped in Davenport on the way back for some EXCELLENT Japanese food. mmmm. Had swordfish for the first time. In love with it. Then stopped in Elk Horn to drop things off at the Danish Immigrant Museum, went up the windmill there, had a lovely meal at the all-you-can-eat smorgasbord there ^^
Continued on through the mid-west. Got delayed by a huge storm (remember that storm here in Phoenix earlier this year? The one that caused so much damage and practically flattened the city? Yeah, it was like that. Just as much lightning, too).
Made it back with no problems, though the router wasn't up by the time we got back D:!
Had to wait a couple days, and here I am!
...Sorry. That was a LONG post.
Sorry I haven't been on or posting or anything, 'cause, uh...Long story.
So! It all started out with our internet service getting cut off by COX. Why? Well, they ran a scan and found the Transformers movie on our hard drive.
Here's the kicker: no one downloaded it. (Come on, I saw that movie in the theatres. Why would I download it?)
After telling COX that it was some random kid using our wi-fi (we didn't have it locked. Every time we needed to reset 'cause the internet wouldn't work, it would delete whatever password was stored), dad tried to install a password. He kinda couldn't remember how to do it, so he called linksys for help.
He apparently got some bitch on the phone, 'cause she told him to download an update something and hung up on him. Also, didn't record the call. Trusting the woman, he downloaded the 'update,' and then the router refused to work.
The next day, he finds out that whatever he downloaded had fried the router, so he needed to get a new one. But linksys, being nice (this time), told him he could send in the old router, and they'd give him a new one, free of charge.
Unfortunately, this was 3 days before we were leaving to Michigan. Even if he sent the router in, no one would be home to receive the replacement.
So we leave for Michigan for a couple weeks.
Michigan trip:
Me and mom are driving up, and dad will be flying in at the end of the week.
It takes us a few days, and we're getting grumpy 'cause mom's occasionally in pain from surgery and can't sit still a long time, and both of us are needing to wake up early each day to leave.
And then, around Davenport, the Check Engine light goes on. Cue panic. The week earlier, the car had been taken in for maintenance, and supposedly fixed. We take the car to get it checked and, lo and behold! the same cylinder that was replaced the week before is broken. But it should be ok for driving...For a bit. After a few calls (and during), we're back on the road!
The trip itself
My cousin is adorable <3 (but occasionally pushy and annoying. Makes me glad I don't have any siblings, 'cause I know this is what a little brother would be like. Except ALL THE TIME instead of just during my trip. But I still love him <3). We stayed at my aunt's and uncle's place, and their house is wonderful. The last time I saw it, years ago, the basement was still less-than-complete. Open ceilings with wires, the floor wasn't even there in most parts (just wooden beams for support). Most of the walls weren't there, either.
But now it's become lovely. The house still needs more remodeling work done, but it's a really nice place.
My other aunt, her boyfriend, and my cousins the twins were also there. Wow, the twins sure are growing. And learning words very quickly! (But they don't want to listen to anyone but their parents. It gets annoying sometimes when you're scolding them for trying to run into the street, and they just go crying to mommy)
Spent a bunch of time going through my aunt's stuff in their garage, sorting it, packing what we wanted, and giving what others wanted to them...
The next day was going through her storage unit. Oh, geeze. I remember helping pack that thing. Moving boxes from one place to another, not even bothering to go through them...I didn't realize how much was actually in there.
Some of the stuff is real nice, like a bunch of porcelain dolls, and some rare books.
Other stuff...I really don't think 10-year-old candy, meds, or toiletries are any good anymore...
By the end of the trip, everyone felt sweaty and dirty, and I was extremely thankful that it had started to storm so that I could actually cool off and feel a bit cleaner.
Then dad came and there was the funeral for my aunt. It was a nice funeral, in a shady cemetery with HUGE trees. Lovely place. At the end, we released monarch butterflies that fluttered around. Her headstone was placed in the family plot and pink flowers were set (her favorite color).
Needless to say, everyone cried a lot. Myself included.
...Dammit, I'm crying again just writing this.
...I miss her...
THEN, a party. Lots of peepers (and even a tree frog!) were hopping in the back, and in the evening, we roasted marshmallows on an open fire.
Good food, good company.
And the next day, there was a barbeque at my uncle's place, for everyone to see the 'shrine' there, and there was more good food. Though much of it was leftovers from the previous day XD;
Then, we're off to another part of Michigan for another memorial at my aunt's friend's summer home on the edge of Lake Michigan. Beautiful place. Lovely house. Good food there, too. Walking along the beach at sunset (twilight, rather)...And I found a fossil! Plant fossil, some kind of fern, probably.
And then we played card games until I practically crashed.
After that, dad had to leave, and while we were driving him back to the airport, we somehow got on the topic of long-lost siblings (as a joke), and...And I found out I actually do have one o_O I have a half-brother on my dad's side. I never really knew, mostly 'cause apparently the last time I saw him, I was 2 or 3, and my parents never realized they hadn't spoken of him since.
I would like to meet him...I realize he probably doesn't consider us family. After all, isn't family the people who raise you? The people who act like family?
...I hope I don't offend anyone (mostly him, but I don't know if he remembers me either), but the story my dad told...my half-brother's mother sounds like a slut (my words). She had other kids, to different fathers, lied about her age, and (while I don't know about her other kids) eventually left my half-brother to a foster family, because she...I don't know, actually. And this is where I'll stop speculating about 'what really happened.'
SO! I'm interested in finding him, even though it might not be the same the other way, so I'm gonna bug dad to get in touch.
Another day was spent cleaning out more of the storage unit that we hadn't gotten to. Also a hot day, leaving everyone feeling dirty, though this time there was no rain to cool off in.
The car was taken in for examination to try and get it fixed.
We then got the news that the entire engine would have to be replaced. That...wasn't possible in such a short time, since we were leaving in a couple days. So he just put some new stuff in that would (hopefully) prevent the car from breaking down on the way back. Took it back to our uncle's, packed it (ok, I did most of the packing. Tetris, you serve me well!), and left the next morning after a tearful (and nearly tantrum-like) farewell from my cousin. <3
Took another couple of days to get back. Stopped in Davenport on the way back for some EXCELLENT Japanese food. mmmm. Had swordfish for the first time. In love with it. Then stopped in Elk Horn to drop things off at the Danish Immigrant Museum, went up the windmill there, had a lovely meal at the all-you-can-eat smorgasbord there ^^
Continued on through the mid-west. Got delayed by a huge storm (remember that storm here in Phoenix earlier this year? The one that caused so much damage and practically flattened the city? Yeah, it was like that. Just as much lightning, too).
Made it back with no problems, though the router wasn't up by the time we got back D:!
Had to wait a couple days, and here I am!
...Sorry. That was a LONG post.