Monday, March 12, 2007

Denmark v1.0

I'm here, in one piece, (halfway to not giving away my stuff - i.e. no fiery plane crash), and have managed to get my body adjusted to avoid as much jetlag as possible.

Interestingly enough, the passport folks here didnt ask me any questions, they looked at the passport and my picture and stamped it, and there were no customs officials on the nothing to declare side. I walked out looking very confused after expecting to answer a bunch of questions about who what when where and why.

Good stuff so far:

- Beer, GOOD beer.
- Fresh bread
- Shawarma (revisited after having the dutch version - Shoarma)
- Cheese...lots and lots of Gouda
- Leverpostej (Liver Pate' thats kinda like a Pate/LiverMush hybrid)
- Danish lunch (lots of open faced sandwiches and tons of stuff to put on them - see fresh bread)
- Fresh Pastries unlike anything I have seen previously

Not so great stuff:

- Nothing, it's all been overshadowed by good stuff
- Ok, so I havent had a cigarette in 3 days. I'm trying to quit and I could eat one. It will be good for me to quit though, I just...I like smoking. Period. I'm only quitting for the health reasons.

Having fun, not too much grumpiness (although it hasnt been grump-free on anybody's part), and trying to figure out how to get a bunch of stuff back into the US to munch on for few weeks.

Cool Stuff I have seen:

- Little Mermaid Statue
- Tons of cool statues on the water front, including an Angel that will make its way into my good photography stuff.
- Queens Castle
- AWESOME old churches and crypts of the kings and queens of Denmark in the original capitol Roskilde
- Way too much water I wont get to fish

Disjointed blog post, sorry. Maybe things will get more coherent in the next post.

N.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Takeoffs and landings...

In a little less than 8 hours I will be boarding a plane headed to Denmark. I don't like flying, at all, but I am excited nonetheless. If I die in a fiery plane crash, the folks get my stuff lol. Patrick gets the silver sparkly G&L ASAT. All jokes about me meeting my maker as a result of the unnatural event of humans flying aside, cross yer fingers I have a good trip. After the news I received today, as well as it's delivery method, I deserve it.

Apparently, Monday of this week, my grandmother Rodgers made a takeoff and landing of her own, and departed this mortal coil. I vastly prefer that phrase to any of the other "nice" ways of saying someone died...niceties tend to annoy me anyway. I was given this news today at about 12:30 pm by my girlfriend who had left work to come find me. She was contacted by my mother who had received an EMAIL from my father telling her, myself, and the rest of his children this news, ONE DAY AFTER THE FUNERAL. Phones of my friends were ringing off the hook because my mother had the good sense to realize this was not news I needed to read in an email, but news that should be delivered by a real person.

Her death was not a tragic accident or unexpected - she had been in ill health for years, although she maintained her sharp mind and wit, even 5 months ago on my last visit down to Florida. I'm not terribly upset at *my* loss for her dying, I am honestly happy that she doesn't have to fight to breath anymore.

I am however, incredibly angry at my father. This was the final nail in the coffin of me changing my name. I will continue to carry Noel, as my grandmothers name was Noelita, in order to honor her memory. I will not, on the other hand, continue to carry my fathers surname, and will be changing it to Krish as soon as possible.

Jen and I had both made certain to set aside enough time to go to Florida for a funeral, even with the Denmark trip, because we knew she wouldn't last long. I wanted the opportunity to pay my respects at her funeral and send off one of the strongest women I have ever known. That opportunity was taken from me.

They didn't even mention the grandchildren in her obituary, and she lived for her grand kids. With this in mind, I am writing my own obituary, in this little corner of the Internet, in hopes she reads it and smiles or gets a good laugh.

Noelita H. Rodgers (more commonly known as Mom, Grandma, or Tadpole), 74 years old and of Trenton Florida, died March 5, 2007.


She lived a long life, touched many lives, and left a legacy of memories behind her. Her life was not easy, and she worked hard for everything she had. Her home was a testament to her devotion to family, with pictures all over the place, names and places written into the still wet concrete of her favorite gazebo and stepping stones in her garden, filled photo albums and still more photos in piles next to her favorite chair.


Her chair was the center of her universe. Within easy reach were books, (especially a well worn copy of the Bible), photographs, notepads chock full of family history or thoughts or pondering, a telephone used to dispense advice (needed or not) to those who called her, tissues, a plethora of bird identification books, a notebook dedicated to the birds she watched, and one window to her left with several bird feeders in easy view.


Her window looked out upon the birdfeeders, her garden, and her gazebo; pleasures she was removed from for the last years of her life, but that no matter what she still enjoyed watching, even if she could only look without actually feeling a summer storm building in the humid Florida air or hearing the hummingbirds wings beating on their way to the feeder.


She worked many hard jobs; from field worker in her youth to convenience store management before retirement, all in order to provide a better life for her children and grandchildren. Even after retirement and into her 60's, she volunteered to help take care of the elderly as they prepared for their own landings outside of this world we know.


She is survived by her husband Eugene, and 3 sons, Joel, Randall, and Michael. She is primarily survived by 2 grandchildren, Brandy Elizabeth and Noel Charles (who were only ever called by both names when they were in trouble or when they made her laugh) who knew her to be a wise woman in all aspects of life and one of the most phenomenal human beings they had ever known.


Funeral services will be held tonight as I lay down to sleep and say a few prayers in her memory.

N.