Sorry it's been so long, but it's hard to follow a post like the one before this. And so it's strange to follow that with one like this, but just had to share - as I know at least two of my aunts read this blog.

Grandpa died in March 2004, at age 90. I think about him a lot, but rarely anymore do I feel like he's with me. Very strange yesterday, then, when I'm sitting in an Enterprise rental van headed back to the United concourse at the Denver airport, when the older gentlemen sitting next to me suddenly folded his hands JUST LIKE Grandpa used to.

The guy didn't look like Grandpa, but the way he was sitting took me back almost instantly. I glanced over, and saw these hands held a little ways out on the knees, fingers together, thumbs overlapping, and it was like Grandpa hit me over the head. Was all I could do to not burst into tears on the spot.

Then I couldn't stop thinking about it - even with 3 more hours at the airport - then all but ran to my car at 11:15pm when we landed in SIoux Falls, and cried the whole way home.

Isn't that DUMB? Grandma must've thought it was silly at least. I can just hear him, "Geez I was just trying to say hello why are you getting all weepy?"

Keep in mind this was a day trip to Denver - I'd been up since 4am - and was headed home after a really important (and really awesome) meeting with one of our largest clients. I was thinking about that. And then all of a sudden, I wasn't. Very strange.

Miss you Grandpa, thanks for the tap yesterday.

IMAGE: Grandpa in the fir belt he planted at his farm. I think my Aunt Irene took this? Miss you too, Auntie I

Sorry it's been so long, but it's hard to follow a post like the one before this. And so it's strange to follow that with one like this, but just had to share - as I know at least two of my aunts read this blog.

Grandpa died in March 2004, at age 90. I think about him a lot, but rarely anymore do I feel like he's with me. Very strange yesterday, then, when I'm sitting in an Enterprise rental van headed back to the United concourse at the Denver airport, when the older gentlemen sitting next to me suddenly folded his hands JUST LIKE Grandpa used to.

The guy didn't look like Grandpa, but the way he was sitting took me back almost instantly. I glanced over, and saw these hands held a little ways out on the knees, fingers together, thumbs overlapping, and it was like Grandpa hit me over the head. Was all I could do to not burst into tears on the spot.

Then I couldn't stop thinking about it - even with 3 more hours at the airport - then all but ran to my car at 11:15pm when we landed in SIoux Falls, and cried the whole way home.

Isn't that DUMB? Grandma must've thought it was silly at least. I can just hear him, "Geez I was just trying to say hello why are you getting all weepy?"

Keep in mind this was a day trip to Denver - I'd been up since 4am - and was headed home after a really important (and really awesome) meeting with one of our largest clients. I was thinking about that. And then all of a sudden, I wasn't. Very strange.

Miss you Grandpa, thanks for the tap yesterday.

IMAGE: Grandpa in the fir belt he planted at his farm. I think my Aunt Irene took this? Miss you too, Auntie I

I remember when I was a teenager. I'm still working on the 30s ... although more on the back end these days.

But my 20s? GONE.

So much stuff - college and graduation and parties and bars and all kinds of pointless social stuff and 3 jobs and dating and marrying and kids and moving and moving again and job loss and job gain and job loss and job gain again oh and then more moving.

So I guess I'm wondering ... anybody else feel the same way? Because I honestly still feel like I'm in my 20s. But the mirror says different.

The older I get the more I realize (a) I'm stupid, (b) the things that seem important really aren't and the truly important things always get taken for granted, and (c) I really like vintage stuff that doesn't seem vintage somehow.

Here's some cool vintage stuff to look at, via colourlovers.com.

WHO IS IT: My mother, me (blue butt) and my sister (pointing like she's never seen the ocean before) in North Carolina, circa 1973.

Thanks to my Uncle Kurt for scanning it, my cousin Ben for uploading it to Facebook, and my cousin Maria for reminding me what year it was.

BURNING QUESTION: Can you believe they had color photography back then?

MORE FOR YOUR MONEY: This was our first and last family vacation. Ever. But it looks fun, huh?

SCENE 1:

(as the kids were petting baby chicks at the Apple Orchard south of town)

ME: "Awww. Aren't they cute? I wonder what their names are."

TIM: "I know. That one's Hotwing. And that one over there is McNugget..."

(I hit him with my purse - random people laugh - the kids ignore us)

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