So I went home last weekend.  I was not wanting to go home.  This was a very short and unexpected trip.  On Wednesday I found out one of my friends had died and I decided to go home for the funeral.  I flew home on Friday.  The trip across country was long and tiresome.  I was up around 330 Pacific, and didn't land in Saint Louis until about 830.  After finally getting on the road to Springfield I got lost.  I thought that I knew how to navigate around there pretty well but I guess not.  After ariving around 10 I met a few friends for some dinner, we decided to get some sleep after dinner but that didn't work.  I didn't get any sleep and drove over 3 hours to the funeral.  The funeral helped.  I'm not sure that I would have been able to really come to grasp with what had happened with out being there.  After the funeral it was back to Springfield for and Irish Wake of sorts. 

After a little to much drinking and not enough sleep I went home to visit my family.  I had not been so sure if I wanted to go home but I felt that I was in Illinois that it would be a good idea.  Swimming, dinner at the Chapman's, and a few drinks at the bar seemed to be in order.  A good time was had by all involved, but no it couldn't stay that way.  Matthew, Dad and I were having a night cap at the house after the bar, and an arguement ensued.  Matthew got pretty pissed because I wasn't going to let him drive home drunk, and Dad picked on him a little bit.  He made a comment about him not being able to lift so much weight so he can't become a cop.  It was a harmless joke but MattBob decided to make a big deal out of it.  They then got to fighting because Matthew hasn't paid his phone bill but he went out and bought a new moped.  Dad's and my point was to make sure that he got his money staight because it wasn't good if he got behind on his, bills.  Sure he was called irresponsible, and this only made him even more mad, he got even more pissed at me because I was agreeing with Dad.  Matthew hasn't been home in a few days, soing how responisble and resonalbe that he is.

The good that I had this weekend was that I was able to see John and Melissa's baby girl, Nicole.  You can already tell they are going to be teriffic parents.  Nicole is a very cute baby and I'm going to love being her Uncle Christopher.  Plus I was able to hold her and she didn't cry for me, same can't be said for John. 

So while I was expecting to go camping over Labor Day it didn't happen, and the trip home to and emotional and physical toll on me.  I swear I aged a few years in that short trip home, but this is how life works out.  I may have lost a friend last week, but I gained a niece.  It just shows that you never show what life is going to throw at you, treasure each and every moment that you have with your friends, because it is never enough time, no matter how much you have with them.