funeral procession road rage

I got back from MA on Sunday night. The funeral went as well as to be expected. Everyone liked my speech, even though I felt a little bad that I ended up swearing in front of the pastor. I was quoting my grandmother, however, and the woman tended to be salty with her language.

Of course, that wasn't the only time I swore that day. When we were in the funeral procession on the way to the cemetery, the kid in the front of the traffic line decided to flip us off. Seems he was pissed he'd have to wait for us to go through. I proceeded to yell, "FUCK YOU, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" at the window while flipping HIM off. Of course, I was in a car with my mother, father, grandfather and husband. Grief manifests itself in strange ways. With me, apparently, it seems to be in anger and road rage. My dad said that he was glad that I was in the middle of the back seat, because he fears that I would have jumped out of the car at pummeled the guy. The best part was at the luncheon afterwards when my grandfather told everyone what I did. My mom's cousin laughed when I said, "People just don't have manners these days." And then she agreed with me. Everyone also concurred that my grandmother would have appreciated it.

This week has been -- how you say? -- oh yes, "the suck." My beloved grandmother passed away on Monday, while I was at the Phillies/Yankees matchup. I got to learn of her passing on my cell phone walking from the subway to the bar. I drank a few whiskey shots in her memory as my favorite bartender regaled me with tales of his late, dear grandmother. They both were salty broads, apparently. I'm still pretty numb to the whole thing, and I'm the one "keeping it together" while the rest of the family is falling apart. I'm giving the eulogy tomorrow, which might be the hardest public speaking engagement I've ever done. But it's worth it. I am this woman's namesake (I was born on her birthday) and she raised me just as much as my parents did.

Also, we almost lost the house we thought we had, but that seems to be cleared up now. I cannot wait for this week to be over.

TV Roundup

So, it's summertime and the pickins are slim for the televisually obsessed, but I've been watching a few shows with some interest. First and foremost is my beloved Rescue Me. I'm a suck for that Denis Leary and his drunkass schtick. (And don't get me started on the brilliance of Charles Durning as Tommy's Dad.) It will be interesting to see where they take this season. Some characters are less loathesome (Sheila), while some are moreso (Johnny, Lou). I just want Uncle Teddy out of jail and joking around with Tommy's Dad, which is where he truly belongs.

Saved premiered last night on TNT (not to be confused with that horrible Mandy Moore movie from a few years back), and it is totally the product of a hack writer who has spent too much time watching Rescue Me and Grey's Anatomy. Seriously, that's the whole show. It's RM with paramedics, and GA with a son and father instead of daughter and mother. And the music montages -- good freakin' lord, are they awful! Now you know I love the mixture of pop music and television, but it has become hacktastic. Probably the fact that they used a Doors song didn't help. Anyone who knows me well knows my absolute disdain for that band.

And finally, Mike and I saw the best episode of Wife Swap ever last night. You have to love it when a hootchie mom is yelling at her fake, churchgoing son, "Put on your wifebeater! Those are the rules!" I may have a new catchphrase in the house...