Come to Jesus moments???

Well... things seem to be looking up for me and my family. YAY!! :)

My mom loves her job, well.. the job itself, but hates her boss (she's a total backstabbing bitch, who messes up then blames my mom to the higher ups when the shit hits the fan.. anyway..). So things have been going down hill fast on that front. My dad and I keep urging her to look for something else b/c she has so much experience, especially as a manager. Well... she.. like everyone else right now, is comfortable and was afraid to find something else in case it didn't work out and she became jobless. However.. I found the perfect solution! The main company she works for has other branches in the same field and I found 1 that needs to fill a position that she's totally qualified for! Since it's with the same company and they seem stable right now, stable enough to be opening up brand new locations, I figured she should go for it.

She was still reluctant even though she wants SOOOO BADLY to be out of the situation she's in now. SO! Being the most awesome daughter of all time.. I found the job posting, re-did her resume, wrote an outstanding cover letter and applied for the position, unknown to her. (hahah) Within 24 hrs, they called her for her 1st interview.

Of course, they called the house while my mom was at work, so I recieved the call. I immediately called her on her cell, told her to go in her office and shut the door and sit down. She thought I had had an accident or something cus she starts freaking out like "omg! Are you OK? Is the car OK? What happened??" (See.. I never call and tell her to close her office door hahahaha). After I FINALLY got her to close the door and have a seat.. I explained everything.. from the job posting, to the resume, to applying for the job. Then I finally told her that they just called and want to interview her ASAP. She screamed like someone lit her on fire. I laughed my ass off. It's been a LOOONNNGGG time since she was that happy. I gave her the info and told her to call them, then call me right back. A few minutes later, we're back on the phone. The lady wants to interview the next day. (sounds promising, right?!? I thought so, too!) :)

The following morning, we had a viewing, funeral and burial to go to so after that she was gonna scoot to the interview while I went to the burial. We didn't even make it as far as the funeral. We got to the viewing and just couldn't stop crying so after we spoke to the family members, we sat for a few and decided to leave. We weren't going to be able to sit through that, then the actual funeral and then finally the burial as well. Plus, the burial was scheduled for 2pm and her interview was at 2:30, so she wouldn't be able to go anyway. We decided to try to collect ourselves over lunch and then we'd go out separate ways. I off to the burial and her off to her interview. While we're eating, she realizes that we used to work for my brother a few years ago, and they might call him for a reference. You know.. the same brother that refuses to speak to any of us since last June. She thinks she should call him.. I say its a bad idea. I instead think a text would be much better.

After that debate was finished.. the texting won, and she had me do it since I text faster. I simply said:
"hey.. I have a favor. I'm applying for a new job with (insert her current company here), and they might call you for a job reference. I know you're not speaking to me, but please give me a good reference, I'd really appreciate it, thanks, mom".

We sat there a few minutes waiting to see if he'd text back.. but he didn't so we left. The burial was only about 5 minutes down the road, so it didn't take me long at all to get there. Her interview was about 20 minutes away and sometime during that time he finally texted back:

OB: "sure, np! I think we all need to have a 'come to Jesus' moment.. everyone"

Mom.. poor mom.. had no idea what that meant. Hell.. when she called me.. and relayed the message.. I wasn't sure what that meant either. So I told her to text back and ask what he was talking about. Basically, he was saying he wanted a family meeting and clear the air with all of us and the 2 of them (him and bitch-in-law).

She texted back "sure.. just tell me when and where".

That was Thursday.. this is Saturday.. still no word. Ohhhhhhh weellllllllllll... (but it's still nice that he's finally trying to make an effort since we've been trying for the last 8 months with no response.)

Ok... back to mom's interview. The lady originally said that she would call mom the following Friday and let her know either way if they were interested. By the end of the interview, she changed it and said she'd call Monday. Mom's really bad about checking her vmails on her cell... so today I see on her cell that little symbol telling her she had a new msg. I finally get her to check it.. and it's the lady.. she called around noon on Friday asking if mom was available for a 2nd interview on Tuesday. Guess she was pretty impressed with mom. :) :) :) :)

Mom's been doing the happy dance around the house since then. I swear.. she's acting like a teenage girl getting ready to go on her first date! hahah.. it's all.. "what am I going to wear!??" "What's she going to ask me that she hasn't already asked??" It's pretty funny really. She's cracking me up. My mom has probably had 3 jobs in the last 24 years. Once she gets a job.. she stays thru the good, bad and ugly. She's really loyal, which in most cases is a great thing.. but sometimes it isn't. Sometimes, b/c she is THAT loyal.. she gets shit on alot. Anyway.. topic for another day......

So mom is soooo excited and I'm soooo happy for her! I think I'm just as excited as she is, tho I'm not doing any happy dances. :) I would probably be doing 1 if I had some good news about a job for me. :)

The burial:
The burial was supposed to start about 2pm. or shortly after pending on how long it took to drive there from the funeral. However..... since so many people wanted to say something at the funeral.. it didn't get started until 3:30pm! But it was totally worth the wait.

Let me say.. I have been to a few burials, but none have been like this. For lack of a better word.. it was soooooo freakin' AWESOME!! I know that's probably a bad thing to say about a burial.. but OMG! It completely floored me!

See.. it was for my best friend's dad (since we were.. hmm.. well.. lets just say 1986). The whole thing was surprising to say the least. I mean.. his dad was the most fit person I know! He was in the military for years, then went into the reserves and still was at the time he died. He worked for the gov't in many different ways. He worked in the local JAG office doing.. umm.. not sure what really, worked for the state doing accounting.. all kinds of things involving the military. Being so, he had to stay fit in order to pass his PT. 2 years ago, he had just finished another tour in Iraq.. 18 months long. Just a month ago, he had taken his most recent PT test. Perfect score is 300... he scored a 289. That's saying something since he was 54 yrs old. And his tests all came back fine.

Then he had a massive heart attack and died. Completely unexpected.

He had full military honors at his viewing and burial. (not sure about the actual funeral since I didn't go.. I wanted to.. I just couldn't. I couldn't stand it.. I couldn't collect myself.) It was so breath taking! They had all the armed forces there; Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force, all in their best dress uniforms. In case none of you have ever witnessed a military burial.. well... you just have to see it to fully grasp it. The Army men retrieved his casket from the hearse. They marched to it, stood at attention, saluted it, then brought it out. That started the waterworks for me all over again. The amount of respect they show, just brings tears to your eyes. They marched it to the actual burial site. A preacher said some words, then the military guys (and 1 girl) did their thing. There was probably about 30 military ppl there.. at least! They all stood at attention, all saluted the casket. Then the bugler started. Every time I hear "Taps" I tear up anyway, but I've never heard it played this slow before, or in person. I know it's played for lights out and such while in the service, and really I've only heard it in the movies and TV at a fast pace. However, this time.. it was sooooooooo slloooowwwwwww. It is a very sad song. Then off in the distance, at a rise in the funeral park, there was another bugle echoing the song. OMG! I lost it.. sobbing like a fool. I'm not sure what the significance is to having the echo bugle going, but God.. it was powerful.

Then the rifle party started. 5 men stood at attention, saluted the casket, the did the 3-volley salute. If you don't know what that is.. well.. they fire 3 shots from their rifles. Of course, they are blanks, but that doesn't make it any less loud. I felt like an idiot, I was crying-crying. Not just a few tears running down my face.. but a good ol' cry.

After that was the presenting of the flags for the next-of-kin. Since he had 4 sons and a wife, they decided to present each son with a flag and also to his wife. The folding of the flag that was on the casket was ceremonial as well. Thankfully the other 4 flags were already folded and ready to present.

It had rained for 2 days straight leading up to the funeral so the ground was soggy. My heels kept sinking in, but I didn't care. I was mesmerized. I couldn't take my eyes away from the events. After the last flag was presented, it was over and I (barely) made my way back to my car. I still didn't care about my shoes, but my feet were killing me and I was having a hell of a time walking in the soggy dirt and grass. I finally got back to my car, only to find that I was blocked in. Majorly blocked in. You couldn't even slip a piece of paper in between either of my bumpers and the cars on either side. So, I just got in my car, rolled down the window and smoked a cigarette. Good thing too, since I had been crying so much, I had mascara and all that crap in my eyes and could hardly see well anyway.

I finally was able to get out about 30 minutes later, thankfully. As I made the drive home, I couldn't help but think about him. I had known him for so long. Where did he go when he died? Heaven or Hell? I wouldn't say that he was like a father to me, because frankly.. he wasn't that great of a dad. But he was a good guy, I guess. Every time I ever saw him, he always had a smile on his face and was joking around. He reminded me of a mixture of George Jefferson and Richard Prior. Total goofball and always had jokes to make you laugh.

I'm really sorry that he's gone, but I can't help but think maybe my best friend's mom will be better off now. I know that's probably a horrible thing to say, but he wasn't a very good husband or father. At times, he was physically abusive to both his wife and kids. He also cheated on her many times, even giving her an STD once. He was so cheap in some ways, too. For instance.. we live in Florida. It's HOT in the summer. I mean.. some times, if you're wearing cheap-0 flip-flops, it can melt them right on your feet if you're not careful. But he said A/C was too expensive so he purposely disconnected it and refused to let anyone use it. I've been in that house during those months, and OMG! I don't know how they could stand it! It was about 93 degrees IN the house! UGH!! No way! Not me!

Then, they had a house with a pool, but it was completely green and it was being used as a breeding ground for frogs. He said using the pool pump to keep it clean was too expensive and so.. there it stayed. Green and gross. Why bother buying a house with a pool if you're just gonna keep it as a 'cement pond'?? ewww...

My best friend never really liked his father, for various and understanding reasons. At the viewing, my best friend's brother and mom were all dressed up. The men wore suits, his mom wearing a nice black and brown dress. However.. my best friend?? He and his wife wore jeans and t-shirts and sneakers. I honestly think it was his last 'fuck you' to his dad. I had talked to my best friend off and on all week, and every time I talked to him, I'd ask him how he was. Never did he seem all that upset, never once shed a tear. At the viewing, he was joking around and laughing. I don't know if it just hasn't hit yet.. or if he really isn't THAT sad that his dad is gone. Like I said.. he didn't get along with his dad and frankly.. I really don't think he liked his dad at all. Yes, he loved him BECAUSE it was his dad.. but that doesn't mean he had to like them, right?

So.. those were my 'come to Jesus' moments for the week, tho 1 hasn't actually happened yet.