Settling Back In

So we're back from California. What a trip! I left here last Thursday with Quinn, and it was a long day. Jamel and Marla picked me up from the airport, and Alex, Nick, and Gabrielle met us there. We had to stay up way too late, of course, because of the time change and because of catching up with everyone. Jalal had a heck of a time getting out there, even though he left at 4:30 in the morning. He fought tooth and nail with U.S. Air to get on a flight that arrived in LA before 10:30 at night. They were complete jerks to him and didn't even try to help out. He eventually left Pittsburgh after buying a separate ticket on Southwest. Then he went to Chicago and Tucson before getting into LA at 2:00. It was still a tight squeeze getting to the funeral home by 5:00, but we just made it, literally right on time. It was actually nice to see all those people, and Louella had a lot of friends. Her coworkers were wonderful, and everyone had such nice things to say about her. Big surprise, she was an incredible woman. Mike and Crystal even made it, which was wonderful. I know Jalal appreciated the support, and it was nice for me to have friends of my own there, seeing as how I was the most "outsider" of any of the family. There were a lot of beautiful, big flower arrangements, too, which is appropriate, considering how much Louella loved flowers.

The funeral was tough. Marla wrote the eulogy, and even though I'd already read it a couple of times, it still got to me when she read it. The music was beautiful and so was the sermon, even though the priest didn't know Louella. Quinn decided to get cranky mid-service, so Marla's mom came up and took him. That was so sweet because Jalal and I just weren't up to focusing on him at the moment. After the eulogy, they played the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" from the CD we made Quinn when he was born. That meant so much because she listened to it all the time, right up until she died, and it always calmed her. And it's the first song we play for Quinn every night before he goes to sleep. We'll always think of her when we play it.

Well, there is a lot more to tell about the weekend, but it's midnight and I need to get some sleep. I'll try to finish tomorrow, just in time for my parents to come visit!!! (Cue Psycho music) Love, Us.