Kicking Back(sort of) in Dallas

Yum, A Pork Chop Dinner

It's 7:50 at Beth's, and I've been up since 7:00. When I wandered into the living room, Beth was already up, and Mitch came in about 15 minutes ago, leaving Evie and Tyler still sleeping. Around 10:00, Beth, Tyler, and the dogs will take Mitch to the airport, leaving Evie and me behind to deal with the chimney guy. He sounded like a good old boy on the phone, so that should be entertaining.

Yesterday started at 6:00 for me, down in the Hampton Inn's breakfast room. By 9:30, we were packed and ready to say goodbye to our Hampton and move into Beth's house. When we arrived, she was just getting back from Central Market — she likes to go early before the crowds. Along with groceries, she brought home a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, Evie's favorite. Since I had to return the rental car by 11:30, Tyler followed me over in Beth's car once we got settled. The drop-off was next to Love Field, about a half hour away off of Mockingbird Road — easy enough, but plenty of lights and traffic. We took a different route home and ran into the same thing. Dallas roads are always crowded.

Krispy Kremes

Back at the house, Mitch was busy mounting a TV on Beth's bedroom wall, Tyler and Beth were working through some financial matters, and Evie was tending to the flower arrangements from Sunday's celebration, pulling out anything that had started to fade. My back has been bothering me, so I mostly sat around watching, offering advice where I could, with a heating pad in place. I did manage a short bike ride around the neighborhood, and I'm hoping to get out to the lake once I'm feeling better. Lunch was at 1:00 — Beth had made a big pot of chicken and vegetable soup, and I had a couple of bowls with rice, then finished off the leftover salsa from the weekend. By 2:00, I was down for a nap, wiped out from the drive and a busy morning of doing nothing.

Beth And Her Helpers

The afternoon rolled along much like the morning — a few things accomplished, helping Mitch finish up with the TV, and a fair amount of lounging with phones and laptops. For dinner, Beth decided to do pork chops sous vide, vacuum-sealing them first, then dropping them into the immersion circulator and letting them go until they hit 140°. We set up the outdoor umbrella because Evie wanted to sit outside despite the drizzle, but the wind had other ideas, and we had to take it back down. 

Dusk

Wine at 5:00, and Beth made the boys Old Fashioneds — their dad's drink. We sat down to eat around 6:00: the chops finished in a cast iron skillet, broccolini, Caesar salad, and mashed potatoes courtesy of Bob Evans. After dinner, we put on another Taylor Sheridan series, 1923, until everyone started drifting toward bed. I stayed up on my computer just long enough to watch the Cavs blow a 21-point lead and lose to the Knicks in overtime.

Hanging Out With Beth And Our Grandsons

Family

It's an overcast, warm, and humid morning here in Dallas. As usual, I was down at the Hampton Inn's breakfast bar at 7:00. Tuesday mornings feel noticeably quieter than the past four days. We check out this morning, head to Beth's, and late morning I'll return the car to Love Airport. There are five of us — Beth, Tyler, Mitch, Evie, and me. Unfortunately, Mitch returns this evening to LA.

Sunday's Coffee Bar

We took our time getting over to Beth's, arriving around 10:15. The boys were already up, and Milena was showing signs of winding down, as she was flying back to Los Angeles that day, with her husband Mitch following on Wednesday. We're here to support Beth, though it's hard to know exactly how to help — so we settle for being present, and step in when something comes up. Tyler spent most of the morning helping her sort through Social Security and banking questions. Mitch, the handy one, was out cleaning gutters and making a run to Home Depot for hardware to fix a sliding door. Beth only moved in about six weeks ago, and we're already finding a few things that need attention. After yesterday's celebration, it takes a while to adjust to a nearly empty house, a handful of family members, and no guests.

Porching It

Friday Night Libartions

Before I knew it, lunch crept up on us. I'd woken with a stiff back — Advil hadn't done much — so I spent the morning parked on the couch with a heating pad, offering moral support while others did the work, the dogs keeping me company. Lunch was something to look forward to: leftover bacon and biscuit sandwiches from Sunday. Everyone was hungry, and Beth kept pulling out frozen finds from Trader Joe's, mostly Asian. They were so good we wrote the names down — Pork Shu Mai and Steamed Pork and Ginger Soup Dumplings. Worth picking up; they heat up beautifully in the microwave.

Moms, Daughters, Granddaughter, And Niece

Cousins, Not Sibs

The five of us drifted through the afternoon in the best possible way — sprawled around the living room, phones in hand, a nap here and there, SpongeBob reruns on in the background, and the ongoing debate about what to order for dinner. Tyler, Evie, and I never agree. Beth will occasionally weigh in. Mitch doesn't seem to care either way. We finally landed on three pizzas and a quart of margaritas from the highly rated Cane Rosso, passing on Asian and burgers. Tyler picked it up — a hundred bucks, which felt like a rip-off, but this is Texas. The pizzas were decent, nothing to rave about. The margaritas, at least, didn't taste like lemonade. We watched a couple of episodes of Colbert, and by 7:45 Evie and I decided to call it — tired and ready to be home. We lingered a bit longer than planned, both ending up in bed with our devices. I caught the Spurs/Thunder game through the first overtime before finally putting it down. The Spurs won it, 122–115.

Milena, the dog whisperer, Trimming Tin Tin

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, Elizabeth, 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.