Family Emergency Trip

[notme]

my best friend i've known since kindergarten had the most awesome husband she could ever have. we went all over together, experienced triumph and tragedy, grew up, had kids, grandkids, etc. he had a heart attack 2 weeks ago and died. my girl called and i had to get there fast. so, i packed the dumbest suitcase ever and my sister got me a plane ticket. i packed 2 peanut butter and jelly on udi's and i knew i could get "something else" and a beverage at the airports. and i did and it was ok. then i got up there (northern nj) my sis got me some boar's head lunchmeat, udi's, chex,, blah etc., (survival stuff lolz) and everybody was bringing food to the house, which is customary. so, when my husband got there, we went to a(n awesome restaurant in hackettstown nj) and ordered, like 4 dinners and other gluten free stuff "to go" - it kept me from freaking out about cooking/cc everything and i was able to concentrate on the situation without starving or having to shop/cook/THINK about food. lasted the whole trip and i didn't have to worry about what i was eating and help my bestie. i just wanted to share because it was a great fear for me. made a terrible time a little less stressful to order out. when i flew home the other day, i noticed a whole lot of people waiting at the airport gates who had packed their own food, fyi, and didn't feel a bit strange eating my ham and swiss sandwich. oh, and, hahaha (not funny just 'funny') i had my pb&j sandwiches approved by airport security, yet they wouldn't serve the peanuts, just crackers and pretzels, on the airplane. because a person on the flight had a peanut allergy........ i resisted anarchy....... lolz

i hope this evening finds you all well, making the best you can, and professing your love to those who mean so much to you. God bless you all

[julissa]

I am so sorry about your friend's husband. I also think this post is fantastic, you and your dh really handled it well, what a great guy!

[ButterflyChaser]

My condolences as well. That must have been very shocking for her, and for you as well.

[Celiac Mindwarp]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

It does sound fantastically freeing to know that you can just get up and go and survive just fine. Your friend must have appreciated you so much too.

I wish you well in the coming weeks.

[notme]

thank you - it was shocking and so heartbreaking. he was only 51. he and my husband were so close (and billy hates everybody lolz) when my poor girl called, all i said was "i'll be right there" and i got there so fast thank God. everyone was sort of hanging around waiting and when i got there, she was able to function. i even got her to eat. there were so many things to do in a short amount of time and i hope i helped to keep peace and do things gracefully. translated: i can piss off the family/whoever to have things done the way she wanted them done, and the way he would have wanted. because, sooner or later, i am going home

anyways, i always dreaded That Sort of phone call since i have been diagnosed it seems like even a vacation is a pain to plan to eat. but it can be done 'on the fly' - maybe gives me hope that my Spontaneous Good Days are not over yet. larry would like that.

so i will leave you with a larry story: (you might have heard me talk about him before - when he could not bear not to include me in the grilled meal (because he messed it up so bad!), i wrapped up some frozen udi's in tinfoil and put it on the grill so he could 'cook' for me lolz)

he was a contractor in the northeast, so in the winter work would slow. his grandparents had left the brothers a place in florida. he and my friend would go down in the late winter/early spring (once the kids were grown) for a few weeks until things warmed up/thawed out in nj. one year they returned home on a sunday night and overnight it turned frigid cold. monday morning he told melanie "pack back up" and they were headed south again for the rest of the month. just like that. i sure am going to miss that guy....