Well, this last month wasn’t the best.  My Uncle Laird passed away.  It’s sad because he was my godfather and an all around cool guy:  a former marine, a security guard turn manager at Northrup Grumman, and an avid football/baseball fan.  I saw him this last April when he and my Aunt Pat visited us (they’re from Maryland).  A coworker had given me two tickets to the Cardinals game against Houston, and I decided to take him.  We shot the breeze, talked about the Orioles, and updated curious fans nearby about who the Rams had picked during the NFL draft:  my iPhone’s battery really worked hard that day!  The game was one to remember, too.  Schumaker hit the game winning run in the bottom of the 9th!  I was reminded of this game today as I watched the Fox Midwest Sports channel while I worked out:  Schumaker’s hit was the 4th or 5th best play of the season.  After the ballgame, we met up with the rest of the family who had went to the zoo, and ate at Cunnetto’s House of Pasta.  Every time they come out, we would go there.  Uncle Laird and I got the Bistecca Soto (which is awesome btw), and it was nice to have the whole family there enjoying a good meal.

A little over a month later,  Uncle Ron (my grandmother’s nephew) died at 51, and then a week later, I learned that Uncle Laird had a heart attack and a triple bypass, but it seemed he might pull out.  My cousin Brian, Ron’s son and the same age as I am, not only lost his father, but lost Uncle Laird three weeks later:  he even noted that Uncle Laird was coughing a lot and didn’t seem alright.  Brian’s a great guy, and I’ve been thinking about him a lot because these events really wore down his spirit.  It’s sad that it took my Uncle’s passing to reconnect with that part of the family, and it’s a sad coincidence because I had planned on seeing them this summer anyway.  I think I will anyway!  So, to finish this rambling blog post, I just want to say farewell to Uncle Laird, and I’ll always remember you.