Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Family Reunion

Well I'm back and in one piece! YAY!

I got up at 1am Saturday morning. Packed and all that good stuff to get ready to go. Left about 3. About a half hour on the hwy I noticed a sleepy driver driving a burgundy 300 with SC plates. The car slowly drifted left and right. I don't know what woke them up but all of a sudden they sped off. Great, get away from me!

At approximately 7:30 I was parked in a space at the restaurant in B-more where the prayer breakfast was. So it took me about 4 1/2 hours to go from my front door to a restaurant in B-more! That DAMN good time. When my fam finally showed up (we was supposed to be there by 8:45) most asked when I got there. When I told them I left at 3 and got there at 7:30 they all pretty much said "you were rollin' weren't you?" To be honest, I never went over 10 mph plus me and VA cops don't get along like me and Durham Co. cops don't get along so I wasn't flying or anything. The lack of traffic really helped.

We eat, fellowship and all that good stuff then make our way to the hotel that was "down the street" about 20 minutes and 2 hwys later we make it to where I'm staying the night. Very nice room. I shared it with Pooka, my mom, Grand Diva, grandmoms sister, and my first cousin. Since there were 2 beds, a pull out bed and a sofa I got a bed to myself! YAY! Anyways I am tired but not sleepy so I pass time talking with my mom. After awhile Pooka wanted to get in the pool so I got up and we did the pool thing. It was cool at first. Just me, a few cousins and our kids splashing around and having doggy peddling races. Then "that" side of the family came down for a splash. You know "that" side of the family...the very city, very loud, too outspoken, ghetto fabulous side of the fam that happens to be from Philly. Why they come down in street clothes and clear shower caps? Why they get in the pool with said attire? Why they scare the white people out the pool? Why they MY cuzzins? *sigh* So after awhile we're ready to go back upstairs. Pooka and I shower and throw our pj's on. We didn't have to go decorate for the banquet till 6 and it was only 3:30. I thought I'd catch a quick nap but I ended up talking to my mom until it was time to get our banquet clothes on and leave.

We get to the place, set up and the banquet starts. We eat and fellowship some more. We were blessed with 2 praise dances from a church I'm not familiar with. They were not family, so I guess they were hired *shrug* Their performances were wonderful and everyone enjoyed them. What wasn't really enjoyed was the pastor (at least I think he was the pastor) who came with the young ladies who felt the need to speak after the 2nd routine. Now when he first stood up and grabbed the mic the fam thought he was just gonna thank the family reunion committee for having them and sit down. No, this guy gets to talking, and talking, and talking, then hits preacher man on Sunda morning mode. Not that the word is bad or anything but that wasn't really part of the program and we were already behind schedule. To top it off when he got into preacher mode he started talking about homosexuality. Now the only reason I feel he had to say something about homosexuality is because I had cousins in attendance who are out of the closet and even tho' they are not flaming, they will send a signal to your gaydar when they enter a room. So I guess Mr. Pastor felt he needed to speak on it. He went on to say some pretty not so nice things about how they can't raise kids in God, they can't do this, that, and the other and my fam was just quiet. I didn't even look behind me to see how my cousins reacted, just looked at Aunt Diva who was 2 seats away like OMG! I guess the pastor got the drift that he should end is homosexuality spill, said thanks for the invite, grabbed his dancers and left. I think everyone has a right to think what they want to think and believe what they are comfortable believing in, but I am sure nobody came to this reunion to get verbally pounced on. That wasn't right. If my cousins went to church knowing that the topic of the hour may offend that's one thing. But you at a banquet ready to eat and do the electric slide with your family you don't expect to get hit with that there! Come on now. It like if he would have got on the soap box about large people or a womans place in the world. *sigh*

Why when Mary J's just fine came on one of my cousins broke out the Mary J dance routine. I never knew it existed! It has a lot of steps to it so I wasn't able to pick up the routine as quickly as I normally do with dances, but best believe I will know it by the years end! Many of my cousins studied my cousin on the floor working it out but none of us could get it down before the song ended.

Why oh why when "we are family" came on, which was the last song of the evening, one of my ghetto cousins from Philly grabs the mic and started rapping? ROFL! And before anyone asked I can't tell you if she was good cuz you could only understand a word here and there. Kinda like lil Wayne! LOL!

We dance, we mingle, we leave. Get back to the hotel and see another cuz from Philly that wasn't at the banquet, and not affiliated with my ghetto Philly cousins, which meant my other grandmothers sister was there. We go tell my grandmother and her sister that the 3rd sister was here and in room such and such and that's when my down home country fam made me shake my head. They all up in the 3rd sisters room with one of their brothers and half the family spilled into the hallway laughing, talking, and carrying on like there is nobody else in that hotel but our family. Now in the country we can do stuff like that @ 2am cuz there's nobody to disturb but corn field and deer! You can't do that in a B-more hotel! LOL! My cousin said "you can take the people out the country, but you can't take the country out the people." I laughed and was like "they gonna kick us out of here!" I know we pissed more than a few rooms off with all that noise at 2 in the morning! My cousin agreed with my assessment and we took a stage left cuz we didn't want to be around if security came through. LOL!

We got to the room and I close my eyes to sleep at about 2:30ish. 25 plus hours after I woke up to drive to b-more. At 5:13 am I hear my great aunt running her bath water. I don't know when my aunt and grandmother came back in the room. It's takes a second, but I go back to sleep...till about 6:30...now I'm up. DAMMIT! I normally get up early, but I wasn't trying to be up early cuz I know I had a drive back to NC in a few hours. The grand diva and her siblings who hung out all night didn't have to drive, that's what they have kids and grandkids for *eyeroll* I laid in bed sorta ill. I get Pooka and I clean and we go downstairs to partake in the continental breakfast. After breakfast I am in the mood to start my drive back but I have no clue where I am and my other NC fam hit the road to avoid traffic. I should have followed them! So now I am waiting on Aunt Diva who is doing what I thought I would be doing that morning. Sleep! She and her man finally get up and just when I thought we were leaving she stops to talk more family. I am in my car with a big ole attitude, mommy and Aunt Diva's boyfriend/fiancee is in the truck buckled up and ready and her and my Grand Diva steady yappin.

Finally get on the hwy, once I hit 95 S I felt a tad better. Now I didn't have to rely on nobody to go where I wanted. Mom and 'em get off at their exit, I flash my lights and head to Babydaddys. The traffic once you got closer to DC was a pain which only made my attitude worse than before. I show up to his place and him, his girlfriend, and the married "friend" are outside. Pooka gets out and has her visit. I am asked to get out but I put on the best smile I could and informed them that I wasn't in the best of moods and it will be better for me to stay in the car to prevent me from spewing any misdirected attitude. They ladies left me alone, Babydaddy wanted to know what was wrong, which made me mad. I sternly told him that we were there so he could visit with Pooka and if he was going to waste time in my face when I am not feeling social, we were leaving. Message received and he moved away from the car. They visit for about an hour then we get back on the road. I hate driving in DC and I reallllllllllllllllly hate the metro traffic. I mean there is something to be said when you are happy about going 24 mph! UGH! I was about to lose my damn mind. Going so slow on the hwy with little sleep cause me to start drifting off to sleep. When I hit the rumble strips I snapped back up and told myself that I'd stop at the next rest area for a power nap. We stop, get some Wendy's and of course now I'm up again *smirk*. Once I got into some traffic going at least 60 I was okay. They had some good music going and I jammed all the way home :-) I left the hotel at about 11 and got home about 6:30. Subtract the hour for visit and 1/2 hour at Wendy's that's about 6 hours of hwy time. A whole lot longer than the 4 1/2 it took to get up there :-(

Next reunion in 2010 is in Raleigh! YAY! No drive for me *insert stir that soup dance*

15 comments:

blkbutterfly said...

slow traffic on the highway angers me to no end. it's at those times that i realize i'm not as patient as i'd like to believe. lol...

girl, i about died @ your cousins wearing street clothes and clear shower caps to the pool! a mess!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had fun, tired as hell, but fun.

Girl that pastor was a trip. That wasn't the place for that, for reals. My fam would of cut him short.

LOL at Babydaddy.

Glad you made it back w/o drifting.

Anonymous said...

Those would've been the next sermon/lectures if they didn't have a funeral to go protest. I'm sure he left a card with contact information so you can order the CD or DVD. LOL!

Praise dancers? You know being Agnostic I have little idea what that is. Off to Google. Just looked it up. Da hell?

Damn, that early bird gene is genetic? Eww! I hope it ain't contagious. *hisses*

You're not getting a second baby if you keep being mean to babydaddy.

Can I hire you out for some chauffeur work? You'll have to wear an outfit that entertains me though. ;o)

Ladynay said...

I think most of us realize some things is slow or stop and go traffic BB! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

My cousins choice of swimwear was horrible! Here I am thinking they gonna chill poolside and these crazies jump on in! Maybe they didn't know the hotel had a pool so they were not prepared, but still! People getting in the pool with more than a light tee shirt over there suit/swim shorts annoy me.

Kasandra, yeah it was fun while it lasted.

Girllll dude wasn't supposed to talk, I guess we were all shocked when he kept going and going and going then preaching. I wish someone did step up and stop him before he got started good.

He should know by now when to leave me alone.

Me too cuz there was a point where I didn't think my eyes would stay open! :-(

FD, he wasn't that extreme like the group of believers you reference but he was kinda close.

Praise dancers are just people who dance to gospel and or inspirational music so don't think what you pulled up on Google is the only type of praise dance.

It is! I am sending the early bird cooties to you via email! ROFL!

*crickets* No comment.

I don't drive in skimpy clothes or naked so I'll have to decline the offer! ROFL!

Anonymous said...

I would have expected the country side of fam going to the pool with street clothes and shower caps instead of the city fam. LOL

Kat said...

Sounds like an AMAZING time!!! I wish my family still had reunions. I think my in-laws are having one soon. But LORD knows it will be Ghetto fabulous. But hey, I haven't been back to DC in a few years....I could use the laugh.

P.S.....pictures????

AR Gal said...

Gotta love the fam right? lol Glad you had a good time!

jwilli said...

i got my first speeding ticket a couple of yrs ago in va. 80 in a 65. in a rental mini van. how you gonna pull a brotha driving a mini van?

ain't family funny? when we get together for funerals, weddings and reunions it can be too much! hell, just put some of us in a room together and well, you know...makes for good memories. tyler perry wa$ on to something....

i wished you had snapped a pic of the cousins in the shower caps in the pool. not that i don't believe you...but just for the pure comedy aspect. and had they had no clue they were a mess.

i thought southern pastors were the only ones that are long winded. next time, interject by saying.."let the church say amen!"lol

p.s. now that you know who is checking you out from this specific workplace, please don't tell my supervisor i read blogs while on my gov'ment job. its quiet around here now so i gotta do something to pass the time:-)

Ladynay said...

Southern, you right! That does sound like a country thing but it was my northern city folks that cut up...they always do! LOL

Kat, it was cool. I wouldn't say amazing. When you go home let the hubby drive cuz I swear DC folks will make you wanna hit them at top speed. Folks in and out of vehicles mind you! Ugh!

I forgot my camera at home (I packed 2 hours before I left, I was destined to forget something, :-D) but if my family emails me some worth sharing I may post them.

Argal, your site freezes my computer every time I visit! I am not iggin you just so you know.

There's nothing like family *smh*

Ummmm Jwilli, cuz you was going 15 over the limit! You gotta be careful in VA esp. on 95. The limit changes like 3 or 4 times.

Why you think TP makes so much money with his stuff? He know how family do and make movies about it! LOL

I am pretty sure there won't be a next time for Mr. Pastor man, his dancers maybe, but not him.

People who look a mess rarely know that they do and even tho' they my kinfolk I didn't feel the need to say nothing. :-)

I'll be riding down there in 15 minutes with my stat meter stuff printed in hand to show your boss so go 'head and start cleaning the desk out now b4 I get there! *wink* HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*Ms.B* said...

LMAO .. not you cant take the country folk out the country but cant take the country out the folks... Not street clothes and shower caps ... were they atleast shorts please dont tell me somebody got in the pool with jeans on. lol

LovelyBella73 said...

I'm glad you had a great time with your family and thank you for the early birthday love.

Ladynay said...

Heyyyyyyyyyyy Ms. B! Nah, nobody got in the pool with jean pants, jean shorts yes. LOL!

HAPPY OFFICIAL B-DAY BELLA-ella-ella-eh-eh! :-D

All-Mi-T [Thought Crime] Rawdawgbuffalo said...

dancing is good, no electric slide lol

Darius T. Williams said...

soup dance? too funny. I'm glad you made it back in one piece!

Ladynay said...

What? You to good to do the electric slide T? LOL!

D, I am too!