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Published: April 8th 2008
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I arrived in Pittsburgh exactly one week ago. My aunt Kelly picked me up from the airport, she was a big part of the idea to surprise grandpa Otis. Kelly lives just over an hour from Pittsburgh, however she is about that much closer to the airport than my grandparents. I was lucky to have made it again on standby, departed from Ft Lauderdale, so the plan could all go through. My mom called my pa that ay and let him know she sent him a package, it should arrive that day. The whole family was in on the big package that was being delivered and my pa never figured anything out.
Because I arrived in the evening, it made a bit more sense to go up the following day, so Kelly took me to Black Bear in Morgantown, a hippy like restaurant with a very yummy and creative menu. The Bear sits near the big University and therefore offers its goods to a large college population and a line full of other locals and Bear lovers.
The next morning, Kelly called my grandpa to let him know that my mom had sent the package to the wrong place,
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inside the bus, a quick peek she had received it and would drive it up to him. On our drive we discussed just how should we complete this surprise. Should I pop out of the trunk? No, he would have a heart attack for sure. Should I lay in the back seat? Should I try to sneak in the backdoor as she goes in the front? Well, we got to the bottom of the drive, I laid my seat all the way back and lay down. Kelly parked and my grandpa was already outside, so she let him know she needed help with the big package, it was in the front seat. My pa came walking up while talking to her, I looked right at him through the window and waved, his reaction... "Asshole!" lol I got out and he laughed, his heart was racing, his knees got weak and he gave me a great big bear hug while I think his eyes may have teared a bit. He called my mom to let her know the package arrived and when the voicemail recording came on and he heard his cue, he replied with " You're and Asshole!" haha. That is pure love for ya. Grandpa
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look like Into the Wild a bit? was weak and nervous and surprised for the rest of the day. He could not get his fishing line to go through the eye, he was shaking and sweating and just in sheer surprise. He also told me not to do that again and let me know I was lucky he was not standing with his shotgun because who knows what the reaction would have been. I let him know I will be sure to bring a 2nd surprise for him next time. 😊
When I come to town my super family really goes out of their way to all be together. We have dinners and everyone just hangs out at the house quite a bit. I meet new family members nearly each time I visit. There is still a large number of family I did not get to see this time, but perhaps next time. My grandpa live down a rural route, where you pass cows and horses alongside the one lane road and an old abandoned one room school house is at the entry of the run (now it is a hay house for the cows). Grandpa lives on a hill at the end where the road
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up to Dolly Sods takes a sharp right turn, on the same land is great grandma Goldie and uncle Richard. There are many acres of land behind them, up in the holler, where my pa has his trailer for deer hunting and an old run down family grave with fallen tombstones belonging to the Robinsons. I love just being there, they always worry about how to entertain me or what to do, I really just like to sit with my family and gaze out the window or walk around and stare into the distance.
On Saturday grandpa and I took a last minute trip to the cabin, 2 hours away, near Blackwater Falls and Dolly Sods. We just really hung out. He drove me around a bit to see the surroundings and let me take some photographs. My favorite abandoned place I saw was the turquoise bus house that supposedly was destroyed by a flood in the late 80's, however it still sits destroyed and abandoned and when I peeked in the door way, the tea kettle still sat on the stove and the dishes were in the sink. Pa collected water with a bucket from the running water outside for us to
wash our hands and to fill the toilet so it could flush. We watched TV and continued some of our wilderness talks we had been sharing for a couple of days. Thanks to me finally finishing "Into the Wild" and my obscure new obsession for nature, grandpa was more than willing to talk about how he could survive in the wild and if I am ever lost in the hills to find water and follow it, it eventually ends up somewhere. We stayed thee the night and it rained the whole while we slept, bringing a new rich color to the trees and the land, raising the water around us for our drive home in the morning. Pa loves the cabin, he feels like he gets to get away. The funny thing to me is that where he lives is much more rural feeling than the cabin but I understand it is a whole other feeling for him. For me, I am in the boons in both places. They say I have to see the cabin in the fall, the colors of the leaves and the crispy air, sounds good to me.
Sunday afternoon my cousin Ashley had her
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the open road after the rain last of 4 large band performances. She is a part of her high school band, the East Fairmont High School Busy Bee Band and Honey bees. 😊 The honey bees are a group of dancers not given the opportunity to be an individual, they look like clones. Ashley plays the clarinet and her school has won great awards and has had wonderful performance opportunities, like Rockefeller Center, a Carnival cruise to the Bahamas, fairs and parades and next year the Rose Parade. The Follies were great and I am proud of her for being a part of something so grand, she will never have those experiences again. Following the show, the family went to a place renowned for its chicken wings, bones or boneless and its large selection of sauces from very sweet to Blazin spicy. I chose 3 sauces from the spicy end and I enjoyed it.
Last night was our last night all together, we all came up to Kelly's house (the only place I get phone reception and internet). We had a lovely dinner with many of my family members: Grandpa Otis, Grandma Inafae, Great Grandma Goldie, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Doug, Aunt Leslie, Aunt Theresa, cousins
Tyler (and his girlfriend), Trey, Olivia, Samuel, Gabe and Jamie. Of course there were still some missing but we had a pretty big group. The whole visit I had been getting great hilarious photos of my family on my crazy photo booth and so last night we topped it off.
I am leaving here in a couple of hours and of course I know it will be awhile before I return, but like each time, I hope not as long as the last. I miss my family here and I enjoy spending time with them. It is a different world out here, one I am glad I get to experience. I do not know many people that get to see the open roads and wilderness of good ol West Virginia. 😊
xo
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