This is the best way to describe my weekend. Fasten your safety belt - it's a long ride. No pun intended.
I absolutely love going to the Indy 500 in Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend. It is thrilling to watch. The speed is incredible - the only way to appreciate it is by attending in person. And believe it or not, watching cars go around a track hundreds of times never gets boring. I have to admit that the wrecks keep it entertaining. When wrecks happen, the yellow flag is waived until the track is clear.
I thought my trip to Indiana would be typical - family reunion - we do it every year. Just like the 500, I love to go. I get to hang out with family that I only see once a year. But there were a few wrecks and thus yellow flags that made it a little more interesting.
I am taking awhile to get to the meat of this post. I am trying to build suspense. Is it working? Good, because now you are getting the feel of what the Indy 500 is like before the race starts; I am setting the mood.
-- Side Note: I am giggling to myself right now because I can envision you shaking your head and thinking "Get on with it...I need to fold my clothes in the dryer! - OR - This better be good!"
The green flag was waived Tuesday night when my Uncle Kevin (my mom's brother) arrived in Nashville from Atlanta. The plan was for him to drive up Tuesday night, spend the night at our place, and take my car (his is becoming unreliable) up to Indiana Wednesday morning. Over the weekend, my car had a small billow of smoke coming out of the hood. We thought it was the air conditioner - but long story short - we couldn't take it to get fixed until Tuesday and it actually needed a new compressor - yep, the kind that costs a grand - NO BIG DEAL!
Anyways, we were promised it would be ready by Tuesday evening, so we could still take it to Indiana. Nope. Then, we were promised it would be ready by Wednesday morning by 8 am. Perfect. My uncle Kevin and I would go get it before we left for Indiana. We showed up at 8 am to find that the mechanic just started on it and it wouldn't be ready until 11:30 or 12.
Yellow Flag #1.
Shortly after, we called my mom to tell her of the delay to find out that my granddad was taken to the emergency room Tuesday night. He couldn't lift his leg to get into bed (their bed is way too high for their age - my grandma-Doris has to use a step stool - "Here's your sign!"), so he sat on the floor because he didn't know what else to do - and then couldn't get up. My grandmother decided to call 911 because she is incapable of helping him.
Another Yellow Flag.
When EMS arrived, they had to wait 20 minutes for my grandma-Doris to put on her clothes. My parents were already in Indiana and met up with them at the hospital. By the time they got to the hospital, my granddad was able to walk out of the EMS truck into the Emergency Room. They ran tests and could find nothing wrong with him - other than his blood sugar was a little high. He was sent home but told he needed to see his primary care physician the next morning.
Back to Green.
After picking up my car and grabbing lunch in Nashville, we headed north for Indiana. While we were driving - my dad was taking my granddad to the doctor. Unfortunately as the day progressed, my granddad was getting worse and worse. Thus, my dad's mission was to get him admitted in the hospital. After completing different scans, my granddad could hardly walk - and when he was admitted - he had to be taken in a wheelchair.
Yellow Flag #3.
My dad called me as we were getting closer to Bloomington to let me know that they admitted him and he wanted me to stop by to see him that night.
When we arrived, my granddad was very weak and unable to hold a conversation (even about farming or the weather - crazy!). There were a lot of personnel in the room trying to draw his blood, so we kept the visit short and sweet. I hugged and kissed him goodbye thinking that could be the last time I saw him. This was really unbelievable because less than 48 hours earlier my granddad was on the farm driving an 18 wheeler truck. He is in great shape for an 80 year old man.
HUGE crash on the track, Yellow Flag #4.
My parents have a house out in the country very near where my Uncle Doug (my dad's brother), Dad, and Granddad own land and farm. We call it the "Farm House" - that is where we all stay when we come in town. Because we are there so little I am always a little apprehensive at first. I think there will be spiders in the bed when I lift the sheets, its very dark at night, different smells... With those thoughts in my head in addition to my granddad in the hospital (Did I mention I hate hospitals?) and Stephen not there - I tossed and turned in bed for hours the first night - my mind and heart racing. I have never had a sleeping problem like that before, but I was legitimately freaked out. At one point, something motioned one of the landscape lights on outside my window, I was convinced someone was coming in and they were going to kill me. By the way, I was sweating in bed because I had to be under the covers (safer). I would have gone across the hall to where my Uncle Kevin was sleeping - but was too scared to walk 10 steps. It was the weirdest thing in the world.
Yellow Flag #5 - more for the people around me.
The following day (Thursday), I went with my dad to the hospital to check on my granddad. He was a new man - even though they still had no clue what was wrong with him - other than he probably had an infection (he had a temperature). He was talkative, ready to go home, lifting his legs in the air... He remembered I came by the night before with my Uncle Kevin - which surprised me because I thought for sure he had no clue. The nurse came in with his lunch and suggested that he try and get up and sit in his chair to eat. The nurse was ready to assist, but my granddad popped right up and walked over and sat in his chair without help - the nurse was shocked.
Back to a Green Flag.
We stopped by my Grandma-Doris' house to see if she was okay and then back to the Farm House to visit with my Great Aunt Doris (my mom and Uncle Kevin's aunt on my grandmother's side). We had Mexican for dinner and Dairy Queen for dessert. Then we headed over to the grocery store to get food for the reunion. While checking out we found out there was "pig wrestlin'" at the Owen County Fair that night. Just to make it clear - this town is old, country, and hick/red-neck. My dad who is an old, country, red-neck at heart had to go! We walked through the 4-H barns and saw all the entries for just about everything. I found out that my mom won Reserve Grand Champion for her Angel Food Cake that she made from a box - Seriously? Way to go, Mom. And another surprise, I thought when they said "pig wrestlin'" - they meant putting two pigs in a pen and watching them wrestle. Boy, was I wrong! "Pig wrestlin'" is when they put a kid in a pen with a pig and they go at it. All these kids of all ages were walking around covered in mud from head to toe. Some girls had shirts that said "Hot Mama Pig Wrestlers." Stepping foot into the fair was like stepping into a whole different world. It really is kind of like some of the people you see when you go to the Indy 500.
Green Flag remains.
Jocelyn, my sister, and Adam, my brother-in-law, came in town late Thursday night. My granddad was predicted to be released from the hospital Friday afternoon. Since Joce wasn't there yet to object, we delegated her to go to the hospital on Friday for those duties - my mom went with her. After waiting for a few hours, my granddad was released. Kevin and I were already in the area because he wanted to stop by my grandparents' graves (his and my mom's parents). Where they are buried is the same place as my great-grandparents (my grandpa's parents) and great uncle. Kevin explained when they died and stories like this one... my great-grandfather died when Joce was only about 1 or 2 and when they got to the funeral home, my sister said "he's aseepin' in da bed" referring to my deceased great-grandfather in his coffin. It was really interesting to be there and hear stories - I even have some possible names for children.
Green Flag continues.
I got the call shortly after we left the cemetery that it was official - my granddad could go home even though he wasn't feeling quite as good as the day before. Kevin and I were to meet Joce, my mom, granddad at his house to help get him in the house. When they arrived, my granddad was very weak. He was unable to move his legs out of the car. My uncle basically lifted him out of the car - my grandfather was dead weight. Once he was standing, we put a walker in front of him. He was able to move, but it was like his brain was having to tell his legs to move. It was really weird. By the time we got him to his chair, he was completely out of breath. He had to turn to sit down - but his legs wouldn't move. My uncle basically had to move him himself. So basically what I am trying to say is ... THANK GOODNESS my uncle was there. There is no way my mom, sister, and I could have ever got him in the house. Needless to say, we were all thinking "how can he stay here alone?" I was just shocked (not sure why because his body has been so unpredictable thus far) that he could hardly walk since we was walking fine in the hospital the day before.
Yellow Flag #6. Bummer.
Thirty minutes later, my granddad pipes up and says, "I need to go to the bathroom." We all shrugged a little based on thirty minutes before. My uncle helped him out of his chair, but he insisted on us not helping him to the bathroom. He got their on his own, went, and came back in 5 minutes. It was amazing. He zipped down the hallway with no problems. We all looked at each other and laughed because we couldn't believe the turn around. It became evident that we never knew what was going to happen to him from one moment to the next. Before we left for dinner, he was getting out of his chair on his own and not even using the walker around the house.
Short-lived Yellow Flag - thank goodness - And back to Green.
Saturday, we went to our family reunion on my mom's side - The Fleetwood's. My great-grandparents (the ones I mentioned earlier) had four kids (actually six - but two died at a young age). Only two of the four are still living - but we still get together each year. We eat lots of good food, play cards, sometimes swim, and just talk.
Green Flag.
- The Fleetwood Cousins -
These are the children of the four Fleetwood kids.
My Uncle Kevin is the guy in the pink shirt, in the middle, in the back.
And my mom has her eyes closed in the front.
After the reunion, we changed quickly and went straight to my dad's cousin's daughter's wedding. Her ceremony was in the same church where her parents were married - pretty neat. Then, the reception was at the Bloomington Convention Center. Emily, the bride, had cupcakes as her wedding cake. I knew this was always an option - but first time I have seen someone do it. She had a stretch-Excursion or Escalade take them, their wedding party, and her grandparents to the reception. It was awesome. It was a lot of fun seeing cousins and family we hadn't seen in awhile - and the food and dancing were great.
Green Flag.
My brother-in-law and sister at the wedding.
My dad and mom.
AND... Stephen and Me.
Well, me at the wedding with my imaginary husband.
Stephen couldn't make it to Indiana because of school.
My dad insisted that I post this picture because he thinks it's hilarious.
My granddad's brother and his wife. I didn't get a picture of my granddad but he looks very similar to his brother. They were the grandparents of the bride. They have been married for 59 years - they beat out another couple on the dance floor during the anniversary dance by one year.
All the wedding guests sang "Happy Birthday" to my great-aunt Marcela - she turned 89 that day. She is the widow to one of my granddad's brothers. There were eight brothers.
Sunday morning, we went to my Uncle Doug and Aunt Rhonda's (my dad's brother and his wife) church to support them as they were becoming deacons. Then, we headed to their house that afternoon for a cook out with family to see Chad and Sarah (my cousin and his wife) off to Arizona. They are moving because Chad got a new job down there. And my granddad felt able to come and join - so that was good news.
It was a great weekend, but their was definitely some suspense along the way with my grandfather's health - you never knew what to expect from day to day or hour to hour or even minute to minute - just like the 500. Unfortunately, they are still unknown about what really was wrong with him. He went back to the doctor last Tuesday and they told him to do whatever he feels like - well that was the green light for him to go to the farm. By last Wednesday, he was back out at the farm - he told my dad that he just had to get out there to set his coon traps around his crops and feed his catfish. I talked to him the other day and he was telling me that he caught three fish in his pond. These are all really good signs. His strength is not completely back but he is getting there.
There was other excitement throughout the weekend, which I have saved for last. My cousin Chad and his wife Sarah are having a baby! The Dyer family is very excited as this will be the first child from our generation and the first great-grandchild. And since Chad is the only boy cousin - he is the only one who can keep the Dyer name alive. My aunt Rhonda was probably the most excited as she was telling everyone the whole weekend - "I am going to be a grandma!" They told us all on Friday night when we went to Outback. Sarah gave Letha (Chad's sister) and Doug (Chad's dad) a present. It was a wrapped picture frame of the baby's first (and probably only because they don't want to know the sex of the child) ultrasound. Rhonda didn't get one because she had guessed that they were a while back. My Uncle Doug had no clue what it was and neither did my granddad. My grandma-Doris, on the other hand, noticed immediately and her jaw dropped. I was sitting inbetween Sarah and my grandmother. I was leaning forward and my grandma-Doris says, "Jill, can you move so I can see Sarah?" We now know who is the favorite!
A quick cousin shot before we left for Nashville.
Adam, Joce, Me, Sarah, Letha (in the back), and Chad.
And as far as I'm concerned - I only need to experience the Indy 500 once a year - not twice.
Checkered Flag is waived...
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