All right, I need to yell. I feel bad because I should have been there for you. If I had come up to spend time with you while you were in long term care I might have been able to stop you from pulling on your tube. I know that is not true, I just feel I should have been a better son. I feel I should have done more with you. We never went bowling, but it was because of you I got into it. We went golfing a couple of times, but I could have learned from you. I just wish I had more time with you!
On the lighter side: The Spartans b-ball team won as well as the Pistons, and the Wings. The Patriots managed to have a perfect season 16 and 0. I love ya guy.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Spartans
Today is an easy conversation...The Spartans blew it in the bowl game last night. They hung in there against Boston College. With less than three minutes left MSU got the ball on their own 4 yard line. The next play was an interception, and that was the end of it. They lost 24 to 21. Well they weren't supposed to even be in the game. The basketball team is doing well. I can't really find out much about the hockey team, you were my source for that info.
We are going up to visit mom for Christmas Sunday. You did luck out, you are missing a Kleinhans Christmas today. Cheri is doing all right with the shop, but I fear if she is in the hospital too much longer it could prove detrimental to the business.
Last night I got to play mister fix it. Kellie bought a docking radio for her I-Pod that mounts under a cabinet, so I mounted that in the kitchen. Then she purchased a metal bar to mount in the basement for ballet. We are working out together. She is doing some ballet exercises, and that is why she needed the bar. We both are doing weight lifting on the gym. This week I also fixed our front door bell, by mounting the ringer she bought at the Comic convention last year. I think you would like it, it is a brass dragon. Love ya guy
We are going up to visit mom for Christmas Sunday. You did luck out, you are missing a Kleinhans Christmas today. Cheri is doing all right with the shop, but I fear if she is in the hospital too much longer it could prove detrimental to the business.
Last night I got to play mister fix it. Kellie bought a docking radio for her I-Pod that mounts under a cabinet, so I mounted that in the kitchen. Then she purchased a metal bar to mount in the basement for ballet. We are working out together. She is doing some ballet exercises, and that is why she needed the bar. We both are doing weight lifting on the gym. This week I also fixed our front door bell, by mounting the ringer she bought at the Comic convention last year. I think you would like it, it is a brass dragon. Love ya guy
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Funeral Home
Sometimes you are going to have to listen to me yell at you, and sometimes I am going to have to tell you things you don't want to hear. Today I want to talk about the experience of having you cremated. Okay, first of all whomever decided they should be called cremains is an idiot. That is morbid and wrong. Secondly the whole experience sucked. We spent way too much time at the funeral home. I had to come and verify it was you, and that was really hard to do. You had bruises from when they took all the tubes and lines out of you. Also there was this brace that held your arms in place. I wanted to wake you up, and tell you it was time to come home, but you were gone. We decided to get memorial urns to remember you by, mine is a miniature version of yours, and there are some "cremains" inside of it. When we picked all of those up mine leaked some. At first i thought it was a little trapped in the seal, but when I shook it you came out like pepper. Tanis came up and drew in you, he didn't know what it was, but when Kellie called I told her he was playing with grandpa. I miss you.
I think today I would call you to find out about the baseball that has all of the Tiger signatures on it. I found out it was called a park ball, which is a ball mass-produced, not actually signed by the players. I figure it had to be some field trip, but I don't know for what. Also I would like to know about the high school letters, and what you did to earn them. You really weren't that prideful, and never displayed a lot of your awards, but I would like to know about the Oldsmobile award, and others. I knew you for 35 years, but never really got to know you. For that I will always have regret.
Cheri is still in the hospital, and there is talk of sending her to long term care for the infection, either that or ship her home. Mom is doing all right, but she misses you dearly. Kellie and I have hit a very bad rough spot in our lives, but we are working through it, and are better now than ever.
Kellie worked out on our gym for the first time last night, it was good. We both are committed to shedding excess weight, I don't think either of us can be skinny, but we can be healthy. I am going after the record weight loss in a month in January at PWLC. I don't know what the record is yet, but I am taking it down!
On a final note the Wings beat st. Louis last night 5 to nothing, and the Pistons won as well. Love ya guy.
I think today I would call you to find out about the baseball that has all of the Tiger signatures on it. I found out it was called a park ball, which is a ball mass-produced, not actually signed by the players. I figure it had to be some field trip, but I don't know for what. Also I would like to know about the high school letters, and what you did to earn them. You really weren't that prideful, and never displayed a lot of your awards, but I would like to know about the Oldsmobile award, and others. I knew you for 35 years, but never really got to know you. For that I will always have regret.
Cheri is still in the hospital, and there is talk of sending her to long term care for the infection, either that or ship her home. Mom is doing all right, but she misses you dearly. Kellie and I have hit a very bad rough spot in our lives, but we are working through it, and are better now than ever.
Kellie worked out on our gym for the first time last night, it was good. We both are committed to shedding excess weight, I don't think either of us can be skinny, but we can be healthy. I am going after the record weight loss in a month in January at PWLC. I don't know what the record is yet, but I am taking it down!
On a final note the Wings beat st. Louis last night 5 to nothing, and the Pistons won as well. Love ya guy.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Hello
I decided to start this blog as a tribute to my father. My plan is to write each post as though I was having a conversation with him:
You died Friday November 2nd. The night before Kellie and I went to the Peanut Barrel to pay tribute to you, so when you passed I had one hell of a hangover. A lot has happened since then. Today is December 26th, you missed Thanksgiving (the Lions were humiliated), your Anniversary and Christmas. I have a lot to tell you so today will be a long conversation.
Your funeral: It was very hard to plan everything, to try and get it all to come together. We had the funeral and the visitation all at once. We filled Pilgrim Congregational. 40 past presidents (Lansing Jaycees) showed up, and 39 of them stayed. You should have seen the procession of them coming in. Some nice things were said, and Alex and I both spoke. I realized that I didn't even really know you. You touched so many lives, that chapel couldn't fit everybody who showed up, they had to set up several rows of folding chairs outside the chapel to accommodate everybody. I was there for mom, and think I helped her a bit. I took the gun collection, and it is in my basement, she wanted it out of the bedroom. I took your bow, and a friend of mine found someone who could use it, I don't think that person got a deer with it yet, but if they do I will let you know.
Your anniversary: You and mom were supposed to go on a trip, I had to cancel it. I had Smith Floral send her 40 petite red roses with a single white rose in the middle. This made her cry, but helped.
Thanksgiving: I know you weren't coming anyway, you should have been in Florida on vacation, but I missed you anyway. The turkey I smoked on the grill was probably the best turkey I've ever smoked, you would have loved it. I missed you a lot when I was outside checking on it.
Christmas: Was hard enough without you being here, but Cheri is in the hospital with several of the same symptoms you had. They say she may get out soon, but we will wait and see. I missed you a lot yesterday, you would have brought a tub of Schuyler's bar cheese, I would have given you a Chow Chow calendar. You were always so gruff about Christmas, but I found out that you were really a catalyst for Christmas. Tanis got a lot of presents, and had a lot of fun. I got a Star Wars book that you would have loved, it has all kind of notes and pull out sheets. I would have talked to you about the production of it and how hard it would be to print.
Sports: The Spartans blew it again against the Wolverines. (Next year could you talk to the big guy about giving them a little help?) They did make it to a bowl game, and play this Friday. The Lions were 6 and 2, and then lost 6 straight games, now this weekend they are playing for five hundred. The Wings are dominating the competition right now, but there is still a lot of hockey left to play. Same goes for the Pistons.
I wish that I had a chance to say goodbye, when you could have answered. I love you, and I miss you very much. I promise you that I will lose weight, and I will be healthy for myself and my family. I do not believe that when someone passes they leave people behind, I believe they go ahead to make a place for us, I know we will see each other again, and that when that happens we will have a long chat. I love ya guy.
You died Friday November 2nd. The night before Kellie and I went to the Peanut Barrel to pay tribute to you, so when you passed I had one hell of a hangover. A lot has happened since then. Today is December 26th, you missed Thanksgiving (the Lions were humiliated), your Anniversary and Christmas. I have a lot to tell you so today will be a long conversation.
Your funeral: It was very hard to plan everything, to try and get it all to come together. We had the funeral and the visitation all at once. We filled Pilgrim Congregational. 40 past presidents (Lansing Jaycees) showed up, and 39 of them stayed. You should have seen the procession of them coming in. Some nice things were said, and Alex and I both spoke. I realized that I didn't even really know you. You touched so many lives, that chapel couldn't fit everybody who showed up, they had to set up several rows of folding chairs outside the chapel to accommodate everybody. I was there for mom, and think I helped her a bit. I took the gun collection, and it is in my basement, she wanted it out of the bedroom. I took your bow, and a friend of mine found someone who could use it, I don't think that person got a deer with it yet, but if they do I will let you know.
Your anniversary: You and mom were supposed to go on a trip, I had to cancel it. I had Smith Floral send her 40 petite red roses with a single white rose in the middle. This made her cry, but helped.
Thanksgiving: I know you weren't coming anyway, you should have been in Florida on vacation, but I missed you anyway. The turkey I smoked on the grill was probably the best turkey I've ever smoked, you would have loved it. I missed you a lot when I was outside checking on it.
Christmas: Was hard enough without you being here, but Cheri is in the hospital with several of the same symptoms you had. They say she may get out soon, but we will wait and see. I missed you a lot yesterday, you would have brought a tub of Schuyler's bar cheese, I would have given you a Chow Chow calendar. You were always so gruff about Christmas, but I found out that you were really a catalyst for Christmas. Tanis got a lot of presents, and had a lot of fun. I got a Star Wars book that you would have loved, it has all kind of notes and pull out sheets. I would have talked to you about the production of it and how hard it would be to print.
Sports: The Spartans blew it again against the Wolverines. (Next year could you talk to the big guy about giving them a little help?) They did make it to a bowl game, and play this Friday. The Lions were 6 and 2, and then lost 6 straight games, now this weekend they are playing for five hundred. The Wings are dominating the competition right now, but there is still a lot of hockey left to play. Same goes for the Pistons.
I wish that I had a chance to say goodbye, when you could have answered. I love you, and I miss you very much. I promise you that I will lose weight, and I will be healthy for myself and my family. I do not believe that when someone passes they leave people behind, I believe they go ahead to make a place for us, I know we will see each other again, and that when that happens we will have a long chat. I love ya guy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)