This post got to be really long, so I’m cutting it up over the next few days. In fact, I’m not even done with it yet, but am tired of sitting on it as if it’s time to move on.

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My trip to Utah to see my grandmother from Feb 20 - 23 was certainly an exercise in juxtaposition. I arrived Thursday afternoon to be greeted by my mother, my grandmother and my uncle. My Uncle Kevin is difficult to look at and say “Uncle Kevin”. He is a little less than two years older than me which is what you get when you’re the oldest grandchild. I have an uncle on my dad’s side who is only 1-1/2 years older than me. The way Kevin and I interact, we might as well just be siblings with all the fun-poking and put-downs being tossed around.

So there I was in the middle of Mormonland thinking I’m going to get a home-cooked meal from Grandma and Mom, right? Wrong. We ended up at Hometown Buffet with everyone grabbing those coupon books that schools sale trying to save 50% on every other meal. (That’s Mom in the picture on the right holding up some of the great cuisine.) All I could stomach there was a salad and a big ole pile of mashed potatoes. Even the fruit was tasteless which had nothing to do with being sick — the honeydew and the cantaloupe literally had no flavor.

The next day would be the last I spent with Grandma while she was lucid. It was Mom’s moving day, but she didn’t want me out in the cold with the crap-tastic cough I had, so I got to babysit Grandma, who was all for spending the day with me and even wanted to go to the grocery store (that’s her to the left. One of the last pictures taken of her.) to pick up some items for stew which was to be served when many, many members of the family came over (remember, we’re Mormon, so there is LOTS of family). I escorted her from and to the car, but otherwise she did quite well getting around on her own. When we got home, she started to chopping up vegetables and beef — something Mom said she hadn’t done in a long time.

Afterwards, she and I watched “The Price Is Right” and a bunch of The Food Channel together while she rested. I wish I felt better, but am glad for the time with her without anyone else around. She told me at least five times how excited she was to have me there and how much she loved me. I was embarrassed by this somewhat, but now wonder if she knew what was coming. That night I was reacquainted with several cousins, a couple who are ‘black sheep’ like me so we hit it off famously. Grandma even came downstairs to sit with us for a while telling stories yet it was evident that the day’s excursions were taking their toll on her and she soon wanted to go to bed.

The next morning (Saturday) she couldn’t get out of bed on her own. The hospice nurse was called. Grandma’s regular nurse was on vacation, so we got the on-call nurse. The woman was amazing and went well above her calling spending Saturday night with us until 4:30 in the morning on Sunday at the hospital, helping the family understand what the doctors were saying and even asking if she could come to the service, which was Saturday. Of course, the family emphatically said yes. I believe her name is Nicolle.

Anyway, Nicolle determined that Grandma had pneumonia in one lung and probably had had it for at least two days. She was X-rayed and started on antibiotics. She had one more burst of energy around lunch while Kevin and I were out getting supplies for Mom’s new apartment. Grandma wanted a shower, so Mom helped her and then she went back to her recliner. We never got another coherent thought out of her…

Listening to: “Can’t Help Falling In Love” - Elvis Presley