Holy carp. Lots to catch up on. I think I will just write little blurbs for each day - either what I was up to that day, or a quote, or something. Here goes...
3/16 - This day was fun, with lots of old and new friend interaction. I ate lunch with a group of Foundation female coworkers that I don't know too well, but seem interested in letting me join in on their little group of friends. Then after work, I hung out with my old roomie, Jessica! It was super fun. We actually did nothing, and just bought food at HyVee to make at her apartment, but it was just what I needed - a night to just hang out and catch up and relax.
3/17 - St. Patrick's Day - We went out that night in Ames for St. Paddy's Day and to celebrate my coworker Tara's birthday. We started at Old Chicago and ended at a bar in downtown Ames called DG's Taphouse, which had a really good band playing. Fun!
3/18 - Got a good run in - loving the awesome spring weather. Chill day of doing homework and watching TV.
3/19 - This Monday, the bomb dropped on the Foundation - the new university president requested the resignation of our Foundation president, which was effective on Monday. No one wanted to see him go, and it was pretty sad and shocking all around. The retiring dean of the College of Business is now the interim Foundation president, and one of our associate deans is now the interim dean. Lots of movement and craziness.
3/20 - Gave blood today, did my good deed.
3/21 - Chili Cook-Off Day! The Gobble Gals did well, winning best dessert with our pumpkin pie cupcakes. It was really fun with lots of good food.
The Gobble Gals and our chili table.
3/22 - This day sucked. I got a call in the afternoon from my sister, telling me I should come home immediately, as our Grandpa Willie was deteriorating rapidly. I was thankful for my boss, who was completely understanding and encouraged me to leave immediately. Caleb and I drove down, and were able to see Grandpa for a few hours before he peacefully passed away around 9:00 PM. That night I also left hospice for a while to go to the visitation of my friend's great-grandmother. Just a sad, sad day.
3/23 - Still hurting from the loss of my grandpa, I went into work that morning and hid in my coworker's office while I worked to distract myself. I got an amazing amount of work done, and appreciated the quiet time my coworkers afforded me. We went home that afternoon, and actually had a fun night with my family, who had all come into town the day before to see Grandpa. We had pizza in downtown Creston, and then went to the late show of the Hunger Games, which was great. It was a really nice time with my family that I don't get to see very often, and a nice reprieve from feeling sad for a while.
3/24 - Went for a run in the morning, which was cathartic. I thought a lot about Grandpa, my family, and all of my feelings while it was just me and my breathing. Four miles felt great as I pushed through some emotions.
3/25 - Another run today, even after staying up late doing homework for class on Monday and Wednesday. Visitation was in the evening, with seeing the body being the hardest part. So glad Caleb was there, and my family around me.
Kim, Grandpa Willie, and me in Grandma and Grandpa's garden
3/26 - Day of the funeral. About cried out after a breakdown the night before, when it all kind of hit me as I was studying alone until past midnight. The funeral and burial did seem to bring some more closure, and after the burial service, we all went to visit my Uncle Craig's grave as well, which isn't far from Grandpa. Lots of other family members or people we knew were buried close to Grandpa and Craig, which was comforting for some reason.
Grandma Phyllis, me, Caleb and Grandpa Willie at our wedding
3/27 - First day back and work, and again, my boss was very understanding when I asked to leave a couple of hours early to work on my paper, which was due the next day and I wasn't able to work on over the weekend. Felt better to get back into a routine, and was able to hammer out my paper before midnight.
3/28 - This was the first day I felt a lot more normal. My paper was done, I was back at work, and I didn't have a million people asking me how I was or looking at me with sad faces. I appreciate their concern, but I'm really glad to be getting back to normal. One thing that really made my day was when my professor for my really hard class this semester emailed me, telling me that I received the highest grade in the class (96%) on our very difficult 15-page midterm paper. I often feel unsure of myself in this class, which is very heavy on politics, policies, the Constitution, government, etc., which I don't have much experience with. So it was great to know that I was doing much better than I gave myself credit for!
3/29 - Today I feel good. I'm done with class for the week, and tonight I have plans to run, eat a real meal at home, go shopping, and watch some much-missed TV. I'm also looking forward to this weekend, which will be busy, but fun. I have a wedding shower on Friday night, a wedding reception on Saturday night, and a baby shower on Sunday. Looking forward to seeing lots of good friends and having fun. :)
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