Time to write again.

The last two weeks have been a WHIRLWIND! We're talkin' marathon with no water, no breaks, no rest, no relief, give it all up until the end type of race here, and it's been interesting.

It all started with my birthday back on Cinco de Mayo, or "Cinco de Drupac," as it's been called the last three years. Since then I've gone through emotions ranging from all-out fun and happiness during the celebrations to the opposite with the loss of a loved one, and back AGAIN to celebrate her life with those around me.

The loved one I'm talking about is my grandma, Jamie Sykes. She passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer's a little after midnight on the 13. While we knew that her time was coming, it was still a tough experience, but we got to say our goodbyes (or "see you laters" as I like to call them) before she moved on. I know now that she is at peace and in a much better state than she was in her final months. There's a bittersweet relief that comes with that, because on one hand I already miss her like crazy, but on the other, she's not suffering anymore. I don't think there's any real way to describe how that feels in words, but it's something we'll all eventually go through. Whenever this happens, the best thing you can really do is look at the glass half full, raise it, and be thankful for the time you had together, because in the end, that's all that matters. I'll always hold on to the memories I have with her.

I've been constantly on the go through all of this, and it hasn't caught up with me yet. I decided that the way I cope with this kind of thing is to get out of the house and to DO things with the people I love. I kind of called myself out about this when I realized I did it during the loss of my two grandfathers as well. It's not that I don't want to be around, it's just that I feel like going out and having a good time helps take away the down side of it all. I guess everybody has their own way of dealing with these kinds of things.

It's looking like I'm going to keep running through the week ahead as well, but in a good way. I've got three days of work before I hit the road to head to Louisville, Kentucky for the largest Beatles festival in the US: Abbey Road on the River. I'm looking forward to being Amanda's groupie when she takes the stage, and I think it'll be a great experience overall. Kind of like a mini-Mayercraft perhaps, with lots of fun people, music, and good times. This will LITERALLY be here before I know it, so if any catching up is gonna happen, it's gotta take place over the next day or two. If it doesn't go down, I'll just keep going and let the exhaustion nip at my heels for a little longer. I have a feeling it'll be worth it.

The weeks ahead will definitely be full of good vibes, because summer is pretty much here, and everyone is feeling happy. The trees are green, the sun is shining, and everybody wants to dance. I like it, and I'm looking forward to whatever happens in the next month.

For now, though, I want to make a little blomise. That's right, a blomise. I just made it up. If you haven't figured it out, it's my version of a "blog promise." Catchy, right? My BLOMISE is to write more. I love it, I hope you love it, and I've gotten away from it for a while. It's time to get back into the game, so here I come. I've missed you guys.

So until next time, keep it half full, keep dancing, keep running, and enjoy the kickoff of SUMMERTIME.

Drew