Trip for my dads wake .......

Ok, so I mentioned that my dad died 1-2-2007. So me, hubs and kids packed up and head back to East Texas for the wake. He was cremated, and we didn't have a tradional funeral.

Now I pull in to Shreveport, and pull into what from the front looks like an OK hotel. I grab my purse to go in and get a room ...... oh ....... nice ....... I have no ID. I had driven all the way from Corpus Christi, Texas to Shreveport, LA. with no driver license. More good news .... hubs didn't have his with him either. So I call my moms brother, who lives in Shreveport, to bring his ID so we can get a room. He drives over, we go and get a room. Hes a little unsure of the room, but we take it anyway. He drives off, and we drive behind the hotel to our room. Hmmmmmmmmm. There we are sitting in the car wondering WTF have we done. I look at the windows back there, and some have curtains, some not so much. The ones that have curtains are hanging down off the curtain rod. Still being the brave one, saying we can stay one night, we get our stuff, and head up stairs. We get to our room, and I just push the door open ..... no key needed. I walk into a room in which the front is off the AC, there are holes in the wall, no cable, and dirty. I was really expecting to find a dead hooker under the bed. Kel says call the front desk, I say well I would, but the phone has no buttons on it. SO I call my brother! James to the rescue! He meets us at another hotel, with his ID in hand, and we luckily end up having a nice stay the rest of the time!

The next day is time for the wake. Now mind you, I have not seen almost anyone, except my brother from this side of the family since I was about 2. I had seen my dad, and grandma, and maybe my Uncle Thomas, but that was it. So I pull up to the house where this is talking place. A man walks up to my car window and says "Hi Chrissy", I just smile and say HI, then he says I'm your Uncle Robert. We all get out, we hug, and he says lets go in the back. As I am walking I hear people asking "is that her?", "whos that?" , "is that Juniors daughter?" Feeling a little awkward at this point! I was the highlight of the show! People would call on the phone, and whoever answered would inevidibly say ........ "Juniors daughter is here". At some point me and Kel and the kids were standing by a tree with everyone taking pictures of us! Kinda felt like I was on display, like a zoo animal! But it was all so awesome! They all just wanted to get to know us better. Everyone was extremely nice to us, and we heard all kinds of stories about what an asshole my dad was. They all loved him, but as I have found out ... he could be quite the ass. One guy there, my dad actually beat up 3 times in the same night at a bar! I got to meet some of my cousins, which was awesome for me! I have developed relationships with some of them. I now talk to 4 of my uncles and their wives, and kids. I love it. And I love them. It certainly wasn't their fault that I didn't see them. I don't really think it was anyones "fault", it just was what it was, ya know. Just the way it was supposed to happen I guess. And everything happens for a reason. I never had to see the mean, out of control side of my dad the way my brother, and the others did. Our relationship came about after I was grown. But I will admit, I look like my dad, have some of his personality traits (included gettin mah drink on LOL) , and have my dads temper to a degree, although I learned for the most part to keep it under control.

All for now ....... smooches~