friday

did some stuff during the day, can't remember too well, while i sit here filling in the blanks on monday morning.

at 4pm, di and i headed out of our house and onto the highway to try to get down to sugar grove, IL, for the wake of joe kovalich, an old uncle-figure for di and her brothers. joe and his wife ann have been close friends of di's parents since before diana was born, and di's childhood memories often include visits to the farm, where ann still lives.

joe died last week at age 89, of lung cancer. he was strong up unitl about a week before he died, and went quickly.

in a rainstorm, we arrived just before 7pm, as the visitation was ending, moments before the memorial service began. we sat with di's parents and younger brother, doug. everyone lost it when joe's grandson patrick, now an active marine, presented the colors to ann, while in his formal blues. great service, though.

afterwards, we all went back to the farm, were i met a number of relatives, including patrick, who is going to iraq this week. age 22. married.

diana and i left before long, due to our long drive, then decided to call midwest greyhound adoption, the group from whom we got seth, who's kennel is just down the road from the farm. around 9:30 we stopped by there, and helped carrie bandage the broken legs of three dogs who have just come in from the track. goddam, these guys are beautiful.

drove home in the rain, arriving home just before 1am.