After the funeral Mass we headed over to the reception hall at the church... the Knights of Columbus had an unbelievable food spread going... including beer and Harveys Bristol Cream LOL... they paid for it all... wouldnt let us pay for anything! Tina's SIL made all these fabulous cookies! Italians always make great food for whatever event! I don't think they can attend anything without bringing food... its in the birth contract or something! I took a bunch home, plus the Knights of Columbus gave me a vegetable tray that was never opened! There was a bunch of sandwiches left over too... So we took them in the limo, with a bunch of water also...
We then headed into the limo, with Sam's two sisters and their spouses...
My brother in law Ciro [Bruce Springstein] gave us a couple of huge compliments he said "I sure missed you guys at World Mini after we had so much fun in Texas!" then later he said "I am amazed at how good Kameron and Kieffer get along, it is so cool they are that close. I really liked watching them cheer each other on in Texas" Wow... that was pretty nice to hear!
Now remember we are in the limo crawling along in Friday traffic... [which is horrible] I guess the guy driving the hearse forgot his 'fast trak' thing...
[Fast Trak is an area you can go into if you want to pass up traffic but you have to pay every time you do it.. Sometimes its cheap, sometimes it can go as high as $9 but you have to have this clicker thing on your car] I was thinking... why can't we go in the car pool lane anyway? Does Grampa count as a second person? or do you have to be alive for the carpool lane? No one seemed to know...
Anyway, so we got stuck intraffic and we were late 20 minutes for the burial, but hey we were following the hearse and you can't have a burial without a body...
When we pull up to the cemetery there is black lady with a walkie talkie going... she says "You missed your window of opportunity" we were thinking WTH does that mean... we have to take Grampa back or something? Then she says "We have to hurry!"
O-Kay?
So we pull up to this 'area' they do the burial ceremony at... [at a government cemetery they do not do graveside services, they do them in a certain area, then they go bury the body]
so we are rushed by this black lady like you wouldnt believe...
They take the casket out, do the 21 gun salute, hand Sam the flag, then boom the color guard is gone! 
We are thinking they had another burial to do... Ok whatever we are thinking... Then this Catholic priest came to do the services and I swear I was tripping on this man... Have you ever been around someone who's words don't flow? example If I said "Happy Birthday to you" this priest would have said "Happy - Birthday to- you" and that is how he was doing the reading for Grampa... except he lost his way once and said the same thing over again! Meanwhile, on the side area we have the impatient black lady pacing back and forth looking at her watch, checking her radio... I finally looked around... is anyone else tripping on this scene or is it just me? I caught Candice's eye... her eyebrows went up... as if to say "What the hell is going on?" I swear I was waiting for this woman to yell "Time's up, you have to move along now"
Finally Pam's sister Mary Ann said "Excuse me, you need to take your fidgeting to the back" and the lady said "But" and Mary Ann cut her off "Right Now, go to the back" and we never saw the lady ever again... Next thing we know... the priest can't find his holy water [even tho it was in his front left pocket] finally he found it and starts sprinkling it on Grampa's casket... then Becky turns to me and says the casket is not closed... I said "What?" she pointed... I looked and little bit of the bedding was sticking out.....the next thing we know, a vase with flowers falls off a table by the casket.. oooo eee oooo..... I swear to you... This had to be the STRANGEST burial I have ever been too!
After the priest was done... they whisked Grampa away in a special van... and pointed to where he was going to be buried! Uh... Ok... by now... the people who got stuck in traffic were showing up, so we visited for awhile...
Sam and the absentminded priest
Next thing ya know we drive over to where he was supposed to be buried... Sure enough, his name was there on a paper plaque thing... but we couldnt figure out if he was in the ground or not... I kid you not! As we are trying to figure it out, someone broke out the left over sandwiches and beer! I was trippin out, you don't even know! Catering graveside! The whole scene was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen! We finally gave up, wondering if Grampa was in the ground or not... and one by one headed to our cars to leave... the cemetery was closed by then and we couldn't ask anyone anyway...
Can you believe that! Wow... I still think about it and laugh... did that really happen? Ya it did...
I came home, stripped off the good clothes and got drunk with Pam on Amaretto shots [we were out of Orange Juice] I made a toast "Here's to those we bury well, and all the rest can go to hell!" that was a play on our famous toast "Here's to those who know us well, and all the rest can go to hell"
and that is all I have to say about that!
Pam and her sister Mary Ann
My kids Kris and Candice
Pam and her grandson Blake
Sam and his cousin Pam
Me and Sam
Collin is in the back ground to the right
everyone looking for Grampa?
Is he in or not?
Tina looks like a reporter
We can't figure it out?
Maybe he is over there? hmmm?
oh well break out the sandwiches and beer
We are still looking
Kieffer gives up and starts to take off his 'good' clothes
throws on his athletic shorts... nice look Kieffer
Kameron and Uncle Chris [a family friend]
"Your a Lion in the jungle, work it work it"
My hunk a hunk o burning love who looked so damn sexy in that suit I gotta tell ya!
Tina and Ciro... someone broke out the beers... I never got one...
Its okay I was waiting for Pam to have Ameretto...
10 comments:
I'm sorry I had to laugh at this entry just because it sounds like something outta my crazy family... has to be a Catholic thing.
Oh and I forgot to comment before I had a few priests that I partied with in my late teens that were hotties. We went drinking and dancing. My aunt pretty much run the Catholic church in Mom's hometown and all those young ones they knew from childhood. Does that mean I'm going to Hell too? LOL
Glad someone said something to the lady that would have got on my last nerve.
I love how everyone just broke out the food and drinks at the grave.. now that's a new one on me, but IF my family had food close they'd probably do the same thing.
Loved all the pictures.
Take care and Hugs, Chrissie
I don't believe that I have seen so many pictures from a funeral. You sure were busy. I'm sure it was pretty hot out there too and everyone wearing dark clothes. Hope you have a good week. Take care.
Phil
OK, I cannot stop LAUGHING!! I can just imagine this whole scene....I could definitely see it happening in my family!! I LOVED the pictures of everyone outside looking at the ground....and the sandwiches....and the beer.....my dad would be SOOOOO proud!!!!
I bet grandpa loved every single minute of it.
Wherever he was....(lol)
((hugs))
Jeanne
You forgot to mention about the lecture about "our own impending deaths" and how there was a man who thought he would conquer death and the priest read about him in the obituary??? (really that kinda joke at a funeral?) Then about how our own deaths are as certain as breathing and eating.... and how it is normal to think about how we will die... and then repeat the top of this paragraph again - and start going on and on about how we will all will die over and over and over again... forgetting all about Granpa... for a good fifteen minutes. Aunt Tina said that it was the oddest thing ever - and he probably had issues about how he was old and going to pass soon and was projecting it onto us??? I dunno - He was a monk back in the day and you could tell he for sure did NOT have people skills.
Love YOU
I hope people drink beer and eat sandwiches when I die !!!
Enjoy every sandwich.....Warren Zevon
Emma
Wait, am I supposed to laugh about a funeral? Cause I couldn't stop laughing. Grandpa is laughing too. May he rest in peace. Love, Shelly
Your descriptions were so funny!! I'm glad it all worked out. I really enjoyed all of your pictures.
Pam
ONLY YOU and your family would have sandwiches and beer at the gravesite...i think Grandpa was there in spirit screwing up the priest, knocking over the flowers, pissing off the black woman and trying to peek out of the casket. Sam looked awesome!
LOVE YOU
What a story. We really are related, cause we would have done the same thing (eating) - Ok, now I get the Springsteen reference. He does look like him!
How funny that you never saw him put in the ground, you know that will be a running joke now for a long time !
love ya
E.
that was the greatest yet Kendra! who else would break out the coctails and food at the cemetary?? i always love to be the star of the show thats for sure..........thanks again Kendra for the memories girl..............your the greatest!! and I love you so much.......
Pam
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