A long and tough day

I was up at 5 AM this morning, which would be 2 AM AZ time, to get on the road for a funeral in Virginia. I have not visited Virginia since my dad and I made a trip one summer for his class reunion about fifteen years ago. I am so used to the flat land of the desert valley that I was pleasantly surprised by all the rolling hills and ups and downs near the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

I was a key player in the form of driver support for this trip. I drove my girlfriend and her brother to the funeral home. I was also one of the cars in the funeral procession. I forgot that we get to break all the traffic rules and have the right of way with a police escort.

The service was attended by a small group of family members. While I steeled myself to be a strong and supportive boyfriend, I ended up breaking down during the ceremony when memories of my mother's funeral flooded in. I also blame that damn instrumental Titanic theme song that was playing while folks were gathering.

Southern hospitality is alive and well. Everyone was very nice and accommodating. The service went off without a hitch, and I'm glad I could be here for support.