Where were you?!

Do you know where you were a year ago today?  I do.  I was in Midland for a soccer tournament.  I also got to spend a good part of the day with Carolynn.  I also remember where I was 8 hours from now a year ago.  I was in the car with Phil and Meg on our way home from the tourney.  Why do I remember?  Well, Alleysha called me first.  She had been on vacation and was in another state - although on her way home.  She said, "Have you talked to Carolynn?"  which honestly I thought was a pretty stupid question cuz I had just spent almost the entire day with Carolynn, but Alleysha didn't know that.  So, we chatted for a second and then I asked her why she asked me that.  She said rather nonchalantly that Chad had gotten into a motorcycle accident, but he just broke his leg or hip or something.  No big deal.

I didn't really think anything of it.  I remember getting off the phone and telling Phil what a moron Chad was for being a dip shit on his bike.  Right, then Carolynn - the one not prone to random hysterical outbursts - called me...hysterical.  She couldn't remember what road Sparrow hospital is on.  She was yelling and crying into the phone.  I finally got her to tell me what was wrong.  All she could manage to spit out was that they couldn't get him stablized. 

I remember hanging up the phone that time and gradually increasing my normal 80mph highway speed to 85.  I remember running through my head all the reasons why I had taken a hiatus from the family.  I remember thinking about everything I had missed.  I remember thinking my brother was going to die and I wasn't going to get there in time.

We all know I don't deal well with death.  I have never in my life felt so totally in control and in a complete state of sheer panic all at once.  I drove my car in silence crying.  I had no idea how I was going to push my way back into a family that I had pushed away 5(ish) years before, but I knew that I was going to try.  At that moment I needed them more than anything.

We got home at around 7.  At that point Carolynn had told me Chad was stable enough for them to airlift him to U of M.  We still didn't know what all was wrong with him, but we knew it wasn't good.  That may have been one of the longest nights of my life.  The multiple phone calls from sisters giving me updates or at least information or even just calling to cry.

Where the following 3(ish) weeks are a bit of a jumble, I still remember some of it.  I remember seeing him for the first time laying there with tubes sticking out everywhere and frickin metal bars poking out of his head.  I remember when he said "I love you" for the first time after the accident.  I have to tell you, nothing is more beautiful than those 3 words coming from someone you think you may never hear it from again.  I remember Jay - the most amazing nurse EVER - giving full information on what was wrong with Chad.  I remember the day they moved him to a different room - and crying my eyes out that he could actually look at and talk to us.  I remember the endless hours sitting in the waiting room with my sisters and knowing that even though I pushed them all away that they were still my sisters and that they loved me. 

I wish the accident had never happened - for all of our sakes but especially Chad's.  The thing is, that accident brought me back to some people that mean the world to me.  I don't want to think about how things would be if the end of the story was different.  All I know is my brother is alive and doing damn good and I have my family back.

The Three F's

I'm the kind of person who will give props to companies who I feel earn it.  That said, I am also the kind of person who will tear a business apart if they screw up.  So, let's talk.  The three F's for today are:  FANTASTIC FINDS FAIL.


Right, so I've been in a few weddings...*snicker* Let me first say, I have no idea why anyone would want me in their wedding.  I'm not the nicest person on the planet.  However, in these weddings, there have never been any major mishaps.  We might have had disagreements on the colors or styles of dresses or disagreements about other little things, but never anything that was potentially disastrous.


Please fast forward to the current wedding.  My little sister, Alley, is getting married on September 10, 2011.  I am blessed and honored to have been asked to be a bridesmaid in this wedding.  On May 1 we ordered and paid for our dresses.  There are only 3 of us - shouldn't be that difficult.  2 dresses are chocolate brown and 1 is an olive/minty greenish.  


One month ago, Alleysha found out that the chocolate brown dresses had been ordered in the wrong color.  MIND YOU - they told us that we were going to be pushing it to get the dresses in in enough time to have alterations done.  Fine, accidents happen.  Whatever.  The issue was taken care of and they corrected the problem, right?


Alleysha sent me a text today to let me know that my dress was in.  Scuse me? Why did they not notify me?  The best part - they didn't call her either.  They called my other sister.  They did not call the bride or the maid of honor.  They called the other bridesmaid. (please note the raised eyebrow)  Yeah, I was annoyed.  If my dress is in, you need to call me. I paid for the damn thing.  You charged MY credit card.  NOTIFY ME.  So, Alley gave them hell for being stupid as she was told that they had "sent out letters" to notify us.  You're kidding me, right?


The last wedding I was in, when the dress came in, I got an email AND a phone call.  So, I called the morons.  I am told that they do not make phone calls.  I asked if that is the case, why did you call one of the other bridesmaids??  The response??  Nervous titter "Ohhh, I just don't know."  Fine, whatever.  I will pick it up.


I drive to Fantastic Fuck Ups this evening to pick up my dress.  The woman brings me a dress.  It CLEARLY states on the label that it is "mocha" colored.  I don't know where these people learned their colors, but the dress is OBVIOUSLY NOT mocha.  It's no kind of brown whatsoever.  So, I fix her with the stupid stare and state, "that's the wrong color."  She gives me the deer in the headlights look and says, "it is?"  Because I obviously have no idea what I'm talking about.  She then rushes to her computer proceeds to hmmmm and ohhhh and mmmmhmmmm.  She informed me that she would contact them immediately but not before she does a little gasp and says, "Oh dear, this is an early September wedding."  


Well no shit, ya damn genius.  That is also clearly labeled on the stupid tag.  So where are we at now?  I have no idea.  The dress is the wrong color.  The wedding is in 6 weeks and I'm apparently just going to have to pray that my fat ass will fit into whatever I end up wearing.


Did I mention that my sister is a complete and utter basket case right now (and rightly so)?!?!?  *sigh*  Love you, Alleycat.  This will work out.