Yesterday was my grandpa’s 71st birthday. Some of the got together to celebrate it last night after I got off . We had a nighttime winter cookout complete with a bottle of Crown Royal, marijuana, and a birthday cake. Our family has never really been conventional. No one got intoxicated; we just had a couple shots and hits with to celebrate his birthday.

Those of us who bothered to show up (my uncles – Don and Brad, my Great-Aunt Nita, cousin Brad Jr, Brad’s girlfriend, Granny, and of course – Pawpa) ate, laughed, joked, talked, and had a good time together. A few of the no-shows had a good excuse: , , Carah, Kailyn, and Chase were sick and Ed had to work. Dena and her (Jacob, Taylor, and Tristan) didn’t go because Dena found out about it too late; she figured we would postpone it until this weekend and celebrate her birthday the same time. Everyone else ditched for either shitty or unknown reasons.

(more…)