hey kids--
sorry to leave you all hanging with the travel journal and the pictures for a week. Things have been bizzy bizzy in catering/restaurant land, and when I'm not at work I've been spending a lot of time in Dormont with my dad.
Completely out of the blue, his fiance passed away last week. He's still not sure what happened---since he was not yet "official" family the hospital/coroner can't tell him anything. Even though she has practically lived at his house for the past three years, and even though she was more or less out of touch with her sons and ex husband. It was just all very sudden and the layers of ugliness keep getting deeper.
For example, my father also RETIRED last week. So now he has plenty of time to sit alone and think about what he might have been doing with her. It's just an awful situation.
All us kids have been doing our best to visit and call regularly, and I am giving up a wedding job (thanks to my awesome co workers!) to go with him on a trip to Cleveland he had planned to do with her. My sister and her wife flew down last weekend for a visit, and our aunt and her friend came up this weekend from North Carolina.
Late last night I was having a talk with my aunt and she said "I always think maybe this year I'll feel like an adult, but then something happens and I feel like a kid again." This is one of those instances. I just feel so powerless to do or say anything really helpful. I guess the best I can do is try to keep in touch and visit more and see if I can get him out of the house now and again. Sigh.
Anyway, I am staying home tonight from the New York Dolls show free at the Arts Festival to have a little time alone to do dishes and laundry and internet. Hopefully I'll at least get some more pictures up tonight.
Thanks for your patience, interweb!