Highlights of my Day... Friday, October 2

1. Woke up and literally was given a ten minute warning. I had anticipated a quiet weekend, a safe weekend free of any kind of Chusok celebrating and a weekend ticket out of having to do any kind of family-related things. No such luck.

2. Ten minutes later I was joined by Snickers. He ignored the doctor’s “you have to stay at the hospital for two weeks” words and had escaped with plans of heading up to his grandfather’s house for the night… and I had apparently been labeled the partner in his escape, great.

3. Met up with K-Gere, one of Snickers’ sisters, and together the four of us headed up to Grampa-K’s house. Upon arriving at the house, an hour later, we were greeted by other K-family members. It was my first time meeting Granny-K and so I was a bit nervous.

4. What made me even more nervous was having to see Grampa-K. I had seen him about two months ago but since then his health has greatly spiraled down. I entered his bedroom and there he laid on the floor, some 20lbs, if not more, smaller. Beside him sat Granny-K and so I joined her side. It was our first meeting but the sad state of Grampa-K definitely brought us instantly close. Her voice trembled as she talked to Grampa-K and then she wrapped her fingers in mine. I felt like I could burst out in tears, watching but not knowing what to say to someone who is losing the love of their life – their soul mate.

5. It was then that the strangest of feelings overtook me. Up until the recent incredible miracle my mother received, she too was in Grampa-K’s situation and so sitting there holding Granny-K’s hand made her situation all too real to me. Granny-K was my father and Grampa-K was my mother, except in my parents situation, instead of being in a house loaded with family members, they sat alone together. With one of my brothers super busy with his own family, my other brother being out of the country, and me being in Korea, it hit me then just how alone they must have felt. I felt terrible and so I got all choked up.

6. K-Gere’s brother and brother’s family were at the house, too. There was a total of 12 of us and so it was quite the packed house. On a different note, looks like apparently Cheonan's number of K-family members is going to change numbers. Snickers' mother and other sister will be moving to Cheonan next month, definitely sporting mixed emotions about that one! I think his sister is amazing but I have my doubts about him mom, and not just because I think she saw the whole punch-the-wall incident but because she hasn't come to visit Snickers in the hospital and she doesn't seem to be too in tune with what's going on in his life. Moreover, Korean mothers just down-right freak me out with their over-the-top controlling manner and the fact that I will never be that stay-at-home-cook-and-pop-me-out-a-grandson kind of daughter-in-law so many Korean mothers expect.

My boyfriend, the hospital escapee... hahaha.

I "heart" him ;)

7. We were way the heck out in the country and so our list of activities included moving from room to room, eating and chatting. Snickers parted from the rest for a bit and went for a beautiful scenic walk. Later on K-Gere took us into town and we picked out our meat for dinner.

8. Entertained myself for a bit by playing with the cutest of cute goats. I named him “Billy” (not really original for a goat, I know). There was also a dog. I named him “Stupid Dog” on account that he continually pooped in his water AND food dish… hahaha.

9. At 7pm it was like I had entered the twilight zone, seriously. Everyone got out floor mats and pillows, and got ready for bedtime. “Are we seriously going to bed now.. it’s only 7pm” I said to Snickers. “This is country style” was his response. I laid down on my floor mat but with it only being 7pm, the lights being on, and me having woken up this morning at 11am, I desperately had to burn off my energy. My attempts at making myself tired started off with playing outside with Billy and cleaning out Stupid Dog’s dishes. Snickers joined me for a bit and told me an old ghost story about one of the neighboring houses where seven people mysteriously died when they filled in the local well. When Snickers went back inside to sleep, I then went out to explore this so-called haunted house but in doing so I totally freaked myself out and returned with an excessively high energy level on account that I had spooked myself. So walking outside in the dark was no longer an option. My options were definitely limited on account that I was sleeping in Grampa-K’s room, not only beside Snickers but also beside Granny-K and Grampa-K. Granny-K and Grampa-K have been married for over 60 years and so I watched, somewhat amused, at how they slept. They slept identical; both with one leg crossed over the other and both snoring away.

10. Around midnight, when I was still wide awake, K-Gere’s sister arrived at the house and so Snickers and I switched rooms so that she could have some private time with her father. I could hear her crying and so I got up to take a late night walk; Snickers joined me.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who, being loved, is poor?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
-- Robert Heinlein