It's been awhile since I've updated, so here goes. Last weekend I went home for Nevada Day. I had originally bought the ticket to go home to surprise mom, but instead we all went up to Door County to scatter/bury her ashes. Ever since the funeral over a month ago, I had been dreading this trip home. It was going to be the first trip where I haven't seen mom. It was also going to be my first trip up to Door County since I graduated from SNC. Door County has always been special for my family and I, and I was thinking that having mom's ashes buried up there would ruin Door County for me. It would be a sad place, and a place that I would mourn mom instead of having the good times we once had.
It ended up being a good trip. The whole family was there, including a couple of mom's cousins and my uncle came up for the little ceremony we had at the cemetery. Friday morning Sue and I got into Milwaukee at 5:30am, and dad and Jen were waiting for us right after security. We got our stuff, and headed to the car. Turns out dad bought a Santa Fe and didn't tell people he was going to be buying a car this soon. We knew he was looking at cars since he was going to sell the handicapped van, and the truck he has shouldn't be driven anywhere but a mile from home. Jen and I got into her car, and dad and Sue into the other. I was dozing the way up to Green Bay, but was awake enough to give Jen directions to campus. I had to go see campus with the new bridge and all. The new bridge surprised me! I was giving Jen directions on how to get across it, but I was wrong. I forgot they were going to be building it next to the old one, but further down the road. Then I got to campus and it was damn cold, and I found out that Res Life had moved out of the house!!!! WHAT?! The things I miss about being at home...being caught up on SNC gossip with Mary Kay. I got to see her while I was on campus. I had emailed her earlier in the week to see if it was ok to come see her in her new building. It was great to see her!!! After SNC, we went to the Perkins that my friends and I would always go to. It was awesome. I go to go to Perkins, and it was MY Perkins (at least up in GB). I also had to stop at a Hansen's to get my pumpkin pie ice cream. I had gotten some here at Baskin Robin's but it was really gross. Hansen's has the best. I ended up going to the Hansen's by Adam's apartment. It was kind of weird being up in Green Bay, but I didn't get to see everyone I would've normally seen.
After our wonderful trip through Green Bay, we headed up to Door County. I was still really tired, even though I slept for the duration of my flight, so I was dozing off and on. We finally got up to Peninsula State Park, and I was wide awake. I couldn't believe the color that was still there. We drove through, and headed to the hotel since Jen didn't get much sleep and she was really tired. While she stayed back to sleep, Sue and I went on a journey to take pictures of fall color since we don't really get that out in the desert. Sue realized she forgot her media card for her camera back in Vegas, so we didn't end up spending too much time taking pictures. That night we went out to dinner at one of the places we would go to when I was a kid since it was right near our cottage we would rent. It was good being there. Good conversation and such. Right after dinner, my brother, his wife, and their son got to the hotel. My brother, dad, and Sue went for a drive to scout out the hunting spots for my brother for the weekend, while Jen, my sister-in-law, nephew and I caught up in the common room at the hotel. Goober and I played checkers and cards (I was a good aunt, I let him win...everything but war.). Good times had.
Saturday morning rolled around, and we went to breakfast with a couple of my parents' friends at their house. Their house is mom's dream house. Set back in the woods, and right on the water...it was gorgeous. After that it was time to go back to the hotel to wait for my aunt and uncle to meet us to go bury mom. I was doing all right until dad started speaking, and he was breaking down. I was good as gone for the rest of the time we were there. It was even worse when I had to throw the dirt on mom's urn. We then took a drive, and I got some good pics of color and water. We stopped so I could scatter some of mom, and then all went to lunch. After lunch, dad, Sue, Jen and I went out together. We just drove around, stopped in some stores, and had a good time. That night we all went to dinner, and had more good times.
Sunday came quick, and I didn't want to really leave. Us girls went out to some places we still hadn't gone so we could scatter mom. It was good times, even if what we were doing was really sad. We had to leave early since we needed to get to Milwaukee for our afternoon flight. It felt like the longest car ride EVER. We got to the airport with about an hour and 15 minutes before we boarded, and there was a huge line at check in. We got checked in and headed for security. I hate security, that's the worst part about flying for me. I took out my laptop, and everything else so we could get to our gate and such with enough time to use the restroom and relax before getting on the plane. As I'm waiting for all of my stuff, I notice my bag isn't coming through. I'm freaking out! I hear one of the many people huddling near the x-ray machine say, "We can't let anyone with that on the plane." Shit, I forgot to take the plastic knife out of the fudge I put in my carry on for the people who were picking us up at the airport in Vegas. Someone asked me to step aside with them, and told me not to touch the bag as I was going for the fudge to show them the knife. I was FREAKING out. Turns out, my fudge was packed in front of my phone charger, so it looked like a brick of something with wires sticking out. Good times. Oh, and then we waited at the airport for an hour for my friends who were picking us up. Gotta love the Vegas traffic.