What a whirlwind month. I just sent off the most important email of my life…the rough draft of my book to my publisher www.inknbeans.com (check them out for other wonderful authors). So now you know why I have not been on here as much entertaining you with my wit…because I was busy writing, editing and in the middle of it all grieving. Yup. Grieving. Last week, in the middle of this crazy month, my BFF’s cousin died suddenly and it hit us hard. Val was so excited for the book to come out and swore to me she was gonna be first in line to get a copy. I will never forget her jumping up and down when she heard the news and hugging me repeatedly, wanting to hear every detail. You are missed Val…greatly missed. It has been a hard year. Between BFF and I we have lost 6 people in the last 5 months in our two families alone. Pretty sure God needs to pick on two other families now. So sending off the book tonight was really a bright spot in the last year.
In memory of Val, I want to share with you one of my favorite stories about her. I couldn’t share it at the rosary because the grief was too raw. She was more than a friend. My BFF’s family is my other family and Val was like a cousin to me as well. To understand this story, you have to know that Val was a dispatcher for the Flagstaff PD for like ever. This occurred one Thanksgiving morning. I had worked all night and it was a rough night. I just wanted to get home and get a quick nap before going over to BFF’s house for family dinner. Of course it had snowed. Damn snow. So there I am, in my sleep deprived state, driving home through downtown Flag when all of a sudden there are lights in my rear view. Am I being pulled over or is this cop trying to get somewhere? It too a few moments for my sleepy brain to figure out I was being pulled over….ok it took him putting on his siren briefly. Ugh. Just what I needed. A freaking ticket. And I wasn’t even speeding. Ok…maybe I was a little…but not too much I swear it. Oh ok…I have no idea how fast I was going. I was freaking tired and not really present in my body. And of course I would have to get pulled over on the street that most everyone going home from the hospital goes down to get home AND did I mention my name is on the back of my car as advertisement for my Avon business. Yup. No denying it is me getting pulled over and I was sure my phone was about to blow up with everyone asking what happened. The cop politely came over and told me I was speeding…uh thanks? And took all my info asking me why I was going so fast. Um….I am tired and need to get home before I fall asleep behind the wheel? The po-po proceeded to give me a lecture about driving fast under the weather conditions…pretty sure I took a slight nap during it. Then he went back to his car to run my plates to see if I am a felon and write my ticket. Upon returning and waking me from my other short little nap where I was dreaming of lounging in an orange jumpsuit while some other girl braids my hair and calls me her bitch, he leans in and hands me my info back and my ticket……wait. This isn’t a ticket. It’s a warning. Huh? He smiles and says to me “Oh yeah…Val says to quit speeding and get home and take a nap before you come over and have turkey.” We laughed, he walked away and I drove home assured I would not have to wear orange and be someone’s bitch in jail. Thanks Val.
Hug those you love tightly my friends. You never know when they will be gone. And tell them you love them…every day. Val…I miss you. Thanks for loving everyone so much. Thanks for being my friend, my family….thanks for being my BFF’s cousin. Watch over us all now…and be the first in line in Heaven to read the book. Love you friend.
Oh yeah. I didn’t die today. I did have a bright spot in a terrible month but I didn’t die. I am Fat Girl who got out of a ticket and sent a life changing email running. The experiment continues…