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Okay, this rocked so much I just hafta brag.

My direct supervisor and the other member of the graphics department was out of the office for a week (visiting her daughter in Spain). Therefore, all graphics responsibilities fell on my shoulders, and upper management hoped I’d just hold the fort down all right until she returned.

It was a hectic week. At one point 5 different people were standing around me, waiting for me to address their problem. I missed at least half of my breaks, and my lunches were just sort of fit in when I could steal away. Not to say I was totally stressed out, though – I was very busy every day, but I think I handled it with my usual good attitude and happy-go-lucky manner.

Things really went my way; 2 of the potential customers I did mockups for had responded with their chosen label, a third nailed down her label and began choosing products to order, and I kept a small step ahead of all of the rest of the projects our department needed to finish.

At the end of the week, everyone was really impressed and pleased with my performance. The head sales representative, the CEO, and the plant manager all stopped by to mention what a great job I did, and they told my supervisor the same thing!

I’m a nerd; this isn’t news. Most people at work just put up with my random spouts about nerdery, and I try to gloss the details enough to keep them mildly interested. But the new guy (Robert) is a nerd too. Its great! He’s into computer hardware and Magic: The Gathering (MTG), though he plays online and has never sat down face to face with actual cards and played.

If anyone I thought maybe he might have heard of MTG, but to be actively involved and currently playing! You should’ve seen my eyes light up with glee. He’s been pretty sick this week, but next week I’m gonna take a couple of our decks and play over lunch with him. I’m so excited!

As I mentioned last post, I went to my Gram’s funeral last weekend. Although it was sad and somber, it was also a happy time as I got to meet my cousin and her family.

On Friday we had the Catholic mass dedicated to Gram. The church, Holy Name of Mary in San Dimas, was gorgeous yet simple. Stone steps to the altar, stained glass windows, a beautiful altar. First they dedicated the rosary to her, and I even counted correctly and knew most of the words! They added a few prayers, as is the custom per church. Father Tom – isn’t that funny, Mom? – said a beautiful piece about death and how it affects us…he even made us chuckle a bit. It was really awkward at first for me, sitting between my dad and Marlene, to participate in the church ceremony, but I decided the hell with them, I’d do as I and Gram would please. When it came to the “Peace be with you” part, I turned to hug my dad and had to explain to him (and Marlene) what to do. I believe I was the only one to accept communion in 15 or so people…maybe one or two other people did. Dad commented afterward on my knowledge of the Catholic ways, but let it go for the most part (I’m relieved). He seemed not to know where I’d pick such a thing up, but isn’t it obvious?

Anyways, after the mass my cousin, Darlene, and her family – husband Bubba, son Jacob (16), daughter Sarah (11), and son Nathan (9) – came over to my dad’s house and we bbqed and looked through countless photo albums and divvied up the few heirlooms from Gram. The kids and I played ping-pong and fished stray balls out of the pool and generally just did “kid stuff” for awhile. Then we ate and pieced together a family tree as best we could from the pictures and our knowledge. I don’t think we did too badly, but there’s a lady in New Jersey who could help and I hope to get ahold of her before all is lost to time. Overall, it was really fun – my new-found family is from Texas and Nathan has the cutest southern accent, Jacob is pretty mature for an 8th grade boy, and Sarah’s just sweet. Its funny, having second cousins closer in age than first cousins – Darlene and I are almost 20 years apart – but I hope to keep in contact with them as they are good, decent, caring people.

Saturday was the actual burial. Father Santos presided over that ceremony, and it was also wonderful. He equated death to coming home; the way at the end of a vacation you crave to be home. It was very nice, and a beautifully sunny day in the desert (Victorville, California). As the plot is on a hill, the flowers fell over (but didn’t break) about 1/2way through the ceremony, and my dad’s chair sank into the ground, nearly toppling him into the kids. We think it was Gram’s final hurrah. I also got to “meet” Grandpa, that is to say view his grave, which is right next to Gram’s now. After the piece, we thanked Father Santos and allowed the gravediggers to put her box in the ground. We didn’t stay to watch. We went to lunch instead, and then parted company with my cousin as they were headed back home.

Things I should’ve asked my Gram about before she died:

• About her traveling. She and her husband traveled all over the US and Columbia, the Dutch Antilles, Venezuela, and Nicaragua and I had no idea.
• About our family tree. Very few who know are around to tell who is in all these pictures from the 1920s and 30s.
• About her youth. We were unclear about many things – where she lived, how she met grandpa, etc.

Gram died (and was cremated, thankfully) in early December, and we’re finally holding her funeral this weekend. So, I’m headed out of town to Victorville, California, to put her next to Grandpa.

This will be the first (and I suspect only) time my dad and I attend Catholic church together, and I’m just not sure how its gonna go. It oughtta be interesting.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I root for a good game, but favor the Colts a little.

Who do you want to win?