A Celebration Of The Life Of Ramiro Albarran

Ramiro's Mom And Sister Patty, In From France

Beth, With Daughter Marisa, Mom, And Cousin Julia, In From Alexandria

It's 7:30, and I'm sitting in the Hampton Inn East's breakfast room, again, as travelers begin heading out. Evie's still sleeping, and we're in no hurry to get going this morning. Something interesting about being in a place where so many languages are spoken — English and Spanish, of course, but also Asian and Eastern European.

Yesterday was quite a day. It began with both of us getting up early, showering, and driving over to Beth's, where we met Tom, Jill, Mary, and Nick at 9:00 to put the finishing touches on the celebration before it kicked off at 10:00. Beth had ordered Rami's favorite breakfast sandwich for us — bacon on a biscuit — and they were amazing. I can see why he loved them. We finished setting up, laying out the breakfast sandwiches, donuts, an incredible cinnamon raisin bread made by Beth's new neighbor, and an array of Mexican delicacies: conchas, polvorones, and rebanadas de mantequilla. Then a coffee bar arrived — Rami's favorite — the barista pulling his van into the driveway and setting up an entire bar in the backyard.

Barista Arrives (with Lettie looking on)

Coffee Lovers

Beth's Colleagues from Alex Sanger Preparatory School

Guests began arriving just after 10:00, the first being four sixth-grade teachers who work with Beth. And that's how the morning went, right up until 1:00, when it was back to just family. We had worried that few would be able to attend, but we were pleasantly surprised by how many friends showed up — people who had worked with Rami over the years, many of whom had worked under him and looked up to him as a mentor. Beth was overwhelmed by the turnout. One of her good friends, Mary, even flew in from Darien, CT. 

Marisa And Med School Friends, In From Austin

Former Colleague of Rami

Colleagues, Sister Patty, And Mitch's Father-in-Law

Rami's Colleagues

Beth With Rami's Friends And Colleagues

Beth And Former Neighbors

And we all got a wonderful surprise when my niece Julia flew in from Alexandria just for the day — how cool. We met and spent time with so many of Beth and Rami's friends, most of whom we hadn't known before, and enjoyed every conversation. We had set up a Bloody Mary bar and stocked up on beer and wine, but none of it was needed — the coffee bar was the undisputed hit of the morning, and the barista kept busy straight through until 1:00, mostly making Rami's favorite: coffee with milk and honey. People spread out naturally — some by the coffee bar, some on the porch, some inside. We'd been worried about Beth, but she held up beautifully, and by the time everyone left, we were all exhausted and ready for a nap.

Beth With John, Rami's Best Friend And Colleague

Family With Rami's High School Roommate, In From Houston

The Gals

Family, Marisa's Med School Friends, And Niece, Julia

Patty with Mitch's father-in-law and daughter, Isabella

Patty, Rami's Sister, From France

The Newlyweds, Mitch and Milena

Julia, Nick, And Mary

After the last guest left around 1:00, we sat around going over the morning — sharing stories, laughing, reliving moments — until 4:30, when Tommy's family, Jill, and Julia left for the airport, followed shortly by Rami's sister Lettie. At 5:30, we said aloha to Rami's mom, Chelo, and sister Patty, who were flying back to Florida early Monday. Finally, Tyler drove Renee to the airport and returned around 6:30.

What remained was a quiet, tired house. We tried to figure out dinner, which was no small task for the six of us. We finally landed on pho and sandwiches, though Mitch made a run to Cava and came back with salads. We enjoyed the meal together, and by 8:00, Evie and I were done — exhausted — and drove back to the hotel. I watched the Cavs dismantle a good Detroit Pistons team by 25 points, punching their ticket to the Eastern Finals. I only watched for about an hour, but I watched it wishing Rami were there with me — the way it was just a couple of weeks ago, the two of us ending the night in the living room, half asleep, an NBA game on in the background.

Getting Ready

Davis And Albarran Families

Beth And Her Children: Mitch, Beth, Marisa, Tyler

It's 7:00, and the Hampton Inn's breakfast bar just opened. Both Evie and I were awake at 6:30. She stayed in bed, and I'll be taking her coffee up at 7:15. We leave for Beth's at 8:45 to help set up for the Celebration of Rami's Life, running from 10:00 to 1:00.

With Marisa And Jill

Kaia Loves Milena

Saturday was busy — depending on who you were. Everyone wanted to help set up for the celebration, and everything more or less got done. I was up early, of course, had my coffee, wrote the blog, took coffee up to Evie, and showered. By 9:30, all seven of us were on our way to Beth's.

Urn Thrown By Mitch

Nick And Renee Arrange Flowers

Enjoying Guacamole and Salsa

Beth, Marisa, And A Sleeping Pup

A Sad Tin Tin As We Uber Off

Even though Hampton offers breakfast, we had another round — or at least some of it — once we arrived. After breakfast, Beth divvied up the jobs for both Saturday and Sunday morning. Four of us drove twenty minutes to Central Market and picked up wine, fruit for a salad, the makings for a Bloody Mary bar, and a few other condiments for guacamole. When we returned, most everyone was busy doing something inside or out. Evie and Beth's mother-in-law, Chelo, were making their specialties — guacamole and salsa — for lunch. Once they finished, and it was quite a production, all of us feasted. Some of the best we've ever had. Nothing like a grandma in the kitchen to make something truly good.

We relaxed for a bit after that, got a few things done, went for a walk, and then five of us headed back to the Hampton to nap or unwind, returning at 5:00. Evie stayed behind to help out if needed. I felt like an old grandpa for most of the day — everyone buzzing around doing something while I sat there watching.

Beth had arranged dinner for fifteen of us at a nearby spot called McRae's American Bistro. They gave us their covered patio all to ourselves, and we stood around enjoying various libations until it was time for appetizers — deviled eggs, bacon rounds stuffed with jalapeños and cheese, and roasted artichoke hearts. All delicious.

Cocktails At Mc Rae's

Granny With Family

Renee And Tyler

 For the main course, we chose from salmon, a pork chop, or steak with frites and a salad. To celebrate my grandson Mitch's twenty-eighth birthday, Beth had brought two cakes, and we were each served a slice of both — a perfect finish to an amazing family evening. We Ubered back to Beth's, and then the six of us, tired from the day, drove back to the Hampton around 9:00. Evie and I were in bed by 9:30, hoping for a good night.

Dinner

Cousins: Mitch And Nick

The Girls: Evie, Lettie, Patty, Chelo, Renee, And Milena

A Gathering Of Family (Happy 28th Birthday Mitch)

Most Of The Gang

Well, as expected, with thirteen of us, Evie and I are staying with family at a Hampton Inn in East Dallas, ten minutes from Beth's home. I've been sitting in the breakfast room since 7:00. This is the only Hampton Inn we've ever stayed in that starts breakfast at 7:00 instead of 6:00. That's Texas for you.

In a nutshell, Friday got us to Dallas by 9:30 — 8:30 Dallas time — but it was not fun. We were up at 4:30 at our Comfort Inn in Buffalo, took a shuttle to the airport at 5:30, and checked in at the American Airlines desk without a hitch. Then came the TSA line, which sandwiched around the airport for what felt like forever. I guess early morning is rush hour for flights out of Buffalo. We finally made it through, then waited maybe 20 minutes to board our Airbus to Dallas. I had forgotten how claustrophobic a plane cabin can be — stuffed three across, narrow aisle, packed flight. Fortunately, it was a decent ride with just a few bumpy minutes, nothing severe, and we landed at Dallas/Fort Worth a half hour early. It's a massive airport, made even crazier by construction, but we found our bags easily enough. Then the fun began trying to get an Uber. We weren't sure where we were in the airport, what level, nothing — and we had all kinds of trouble getting the app to cooperate. We even flagged down a couple of bystanders for help. Finally snagged a ride, and it took about 40 minutes to reach Beth's house. Yippee.

Jill And Marisa

Tom, Mary, And Son Nick

Beth And Marisa

It was wonderful to see Beth, her two sons Mitchell and Tyler — who'd spent the week there helping — and her mother-in-law Chelo, along with Chelo's daughter Patty, whom I taught English to back in 1979. They'd had a hectic week but seemed to have Sunday's Celebration of Life for Rami fairly well organized. Around 11:00, my son Tom arrived from Kansas City with his wife Mary and son Nick. An hour later, our daughter Jill flew in from Virginia — everyone gathering for Rami's Celebration of Life on Sunday. Right around the same time as Jill, our granddaughter Marisa, a med school student at UT Austin, drove in. Wh Despite the heat, we were able to sit out on Beth's porch, thanks to a newly bought umbrella. It's always wonderful to have family together, even on a sad occasion. Lots of laughs and tears. We had Jimmy John's sandwiches for lunch — or leftovers — while we mapped out the next two days. Tyler's girlfriend Renee arrived from Atlanta around 2:30, and unfortunately, Mitch's wife Milena, flying in from LA, had her flight delayed and wouldn't make it until evening.

Tyler, Renne, And Tin Tin

Birthday Boy Mitch And Family

Evie, Jill, Tom, and family and I,  headed out around 3:30 to check into the Hampton Inn, relaxed for a bit, then made our way back to Beth's at 4:30. Tom got on his phone and ordered Terry Black's barbecue for dinner at 6:00 — delivered right to the door. Before that, we enjoyed cocktails, wine, and beer out on the porch as it began to cool off a little. Then we feasted on ribs, brisket, various barbecue sauces, beans, and an enormous container of coleslaw. By 7:30, Evie and I were running on fumes, so Nick volunteered to drop us off at the Hampton Inn and head back to Beth's. We didn't linger — lights out by 9:00.

On To Dallas

Dallas, Thanksgiving, 2024

Good morning, and it's 5:AM and our shuttle to the airport arrives in half an hour. We were both in bed by 9:00, and neither of us slept well. Just 'good enough'.

It's 7:30 in the evening and I am sitting in a Comfort Inn, just across the street from the Buffalo Airport. We can leave the car in the Comfort Inn parking lot — free for ten days, then ten dollars a day after that. I will try to get this published tomorrow early morning, since we will be up at 5:00, catch a shuttle to the airport at 5:30, and board our flight at 7:00, arriving in Dallas around 9:30.

It's ugly outside right now in Buffalo — a drizzle and gray skies. This morning was the same, and I never got in a paddle because of it. I did make it to breakfast at 8:00, which was a good way to start what turned out to be a taxing day. I was home around 9:15, and Evie was up enjoying her coffee, gearing up to finish packing. We relaxed and got ourselves ready, and by 10:00, we were hard at it. We were planning to take just one bag, so we really had to scrimp and save on what we brought. Later, when checking in, we found out we each had a free bag, so around 2:00, we repacked and spread everything into two bags. During the week, Evie had been getting packages from Amazon — usually something she might wear in Dallas. By Thursday, we had four packages to send back, so I drove to Lakewood, dropped them off at Michaels, and headed home.  For Claire, I received a pair of black flats that fit, are comfortable, and Cute.  BINGO1

By the time I returned, I was ready for lunch. I finished up the veggie soup and made a turkey sandwich, just like the day before. I tried to nap afterward since I'd had a bad night, but it was no use. I came back downstairs, checked in on our flight, downloaded the boarding passes to our phones, and made a paper copy just in case. We were packed and ready by 3:30 but hung around until 4:30, when we closed up the house and began our drive to Buffalo. Midway, we ran into an accident, traffic backed up, and we got off at Exit 58, drove eight miles on Route 20, and got back on. I'm not sure we saved any time, but at least we were moving.

We arrived at the Comfort Inn around 6:30, checked in, and were exhausted — not entirely sure why, but there it was. We were ready to hang out and watch some TV. Around 7:00, I drove over to McDonald's and picked up a couple of quarter-pounder meals. When I got back, a parking attendant directed me to the lot, I parked the Kia, and got a ride back to the Inn. I joined Evie, we enjoyed our food, flipped over to CNN, and hoped to stay awake until at least 9:00.

And that was our day.

A Dreary Morning Of Gray

6:06

9:11

It's 7:00, and after a rough night, I finally dragged myself out of bed at 6:00. I've been reading the newspapers ever since and decided to get the blog written before heading out to breakfast at 8:00 at the Ashville General Store. Today's mission: finish organizing and packing for our flight to Dallas tomorrow. We're staying at the airport Comfort Inn tonight and leaving the car there — a nice little perk.

Yesterday was a blur, as many days tend to be, since my routine doesn't vary much. I was up early and lucky enough to get in a good paddle before the rain and wind moved in. After paddling and breakfast, we published the blog, and then we both dove into the great packing debate. We know we always overpack, and we're trying — not very successfully, I suspect — to break that habit. I have it easier than Evie, as most men do. Throw a few things in a bag, and I'm done. I actually read something yesterday about happiness, and the takeaway was to stop agonizing over decisions and just go with "good enough." That's my motto now. What I've packed so far is good enough for Dallas. Evie has not yet embraced this philosophy and is still going back and forth about what to bring.

So that's how the morning went — packing, deliberations and some cleaning. I tackled both porches, sweeping and vacuuming, while Evie ran a couple of loads of laundry. I also called our dock guy and boat guy to let them know we'd be away for a couple of weeks.

Earlier in the morning, Evie had pulled a serving of pastitsio from the freezer for my lunch, so it was warming up while I finished the porch. I had to hustle — dark clouds were rolling in — and I got it done just as the sky opened up, a torrential downpour that lasted about half an hour. I had my lunch, watched a little TV, and then took a decent nap, having been up so early. Around 2:30, a message came in that a couple of prescriptions were ready, so I drove to Wegmans, picked those up, and did a little shopping. I also stopped at the bank and swung by Sherwin-Williams to get a couple of paint cans shaken up on their handy-dandy machine.

I was home by 4:00 and spent the next fifteen minutes organizing my pills for the next three weeks. It's one of those things I used to laugh about watching my parents do, and here I am doing the exact same thing — and I'm pretty sure I'm taking far more than they ever did.

I jumped in the shower around 4:30, and by 5:00, we were settled in with sushi, potato chips, and a glass of wine or two, talking through everything we still need to do before driving to Buffalo on Thursday. For dinner, we were lucky to have leftover Kentucky Fried Chicken — heated up in the oven, it was surprisingly good, and I managed three pieces — along with coleslaw and broccoli. We watched our usual shows until Evie headed up to bed, and I caught the first three quarters of the Cavs game. I found out this morning they won in overtime. I should have stayed up — or at least saved it.

Wet And Windy

Granny's Kindergarten Class

6:33

8:44

As you can see, Evie returned to her kindergarten class for the last time yesterday — a day of laughs, fun, and tears. It started early for me, too. I was up before the house, waiting until 8:00 to kayak because Evie wanted to be awake by then to get ready for school. I was out forty-five minutes, came back, wrote the blog, and Evie read it before we published. Then I helped her fill goodie bags for her eighteen kids, and by 10:00 she was off.

Kayak Morning

The Sun

Clouds And A Touch Of Blue

Northern Sky

For some reason, I haven't felt like doing yoga or pickleball, and I'm not entirely sure why. Flying to Dallas on Friday probably has something to do with it — I wanted to get things ready before we leave. Around 10:30, the sun came out and started drying the lawn, so I pulled out the battery-powered mower and got the grass cut. I was pleased to find I made it through most of the lawn on a single charge, barely needing the second battery to finish.

It's always a little strange to be alone in the house when Evie's gone. I'm not used to it. By 12:30, I was ready for lunch — I heated up the veggie soup, made a turkey and cheese sandwich, added some chips, and watched my show. Then I went upstairs to read Live by Night by Dennis Lehane, one of the few of his books I hadn't gotten to yet.

Around 3:00, I was in the garage pulling out gardening tools when Evie drove in — happy, but carrying the sadness of a last day. We saved her stories for happy hour. She grabbed something to eat and watched her show while I took the tools out back and spent a good half hour weeding around our two fairly new trees. The mulch, for whatever reason, loves weeds, and it took longer than I expected.

I wrapped up around 5:00. Evie had her Zoom call with her sisters for forty-five minutes, and I read until she was done. Then we talked about her day. The kids had been all over her, of course — she'd been gone a couple of weeks, and they couldn't understand why she hadn't come back sooner. A painful afternoon in some ways.

We'd both been looking forward to dinner: Kentucky Fried Chicken. We loved it, especially the coleslaw. We watched some news, then a great Colbert — he had four fellow late-night hosts on together, which made for a wonderful hour. After Evie went up to bed, I watched the Spurs–Timberwolves game through the third quarter, then headed up myself, confident the Spurs had it.