Easter Sunday & Artemis II

I slept in on Saturday. Hell, the house was fucking empty — why wouldn’t I? It was gloomy and quiet. I might have had a little bit of a hangover. It happens.

It was a busy day. I did a hell of a lot of laundry. I cleaned the floors. I did yard work. Tried to kill whatever demonic odor was living in the kids’ bathroom. I ran to Sam’s. I fucking did a lot before I had some fun.

When I finished, I met my cousins, aunt, and mother at the river — the Bosque. They had all sorts of vendors. It was a nice day, just a little windy. The girls really wanted to go fishing, but we had no fishing poles or anyone who could really help. At least they were able to see someone catch a bass. Close enough, right?

Yvette and Teegan made record time getting into town. I do mean that. I dared not ask how fast she was driving. I was just glad they were back home. I was happy to have a little life back in the house. I’m not used to that kind of quiet anymore, and honestly, I don’t think I like it.

That night, my aunt and cousin wanted to go to Fuentes downtown. It had been over twenty years since I’d stepped foot in that establishment. I was in high school the last time I went. I got sick. That was years and years ago and left a lasting memory. But damn, the place had changed. It was much fancier than it used to be, and the food was a hell of a lot better. I remember it being just your standard Tex-Mex. Not so much anymore. The cousins enjoyed it. The evening was full of drinks, laughter, and good times. I was so happy Yvette was finally able to meet my cousin and her two daughters.

Happy Easter Sunday!!

I got up and made everyone a little breakfast before Yvette and I went over to my mom’s to visit my cousins. It was a nice morning. Lillian was all over the place doing cartwheels — one-handed, no less. Oh, to be young. I’d probably break something if I even attempted a cartwheel again at my age. We chatted for a couple of hours about various bullshit and just enjoyed each other’s company. It was a good reunion.

We went our separate ways around one. They were having lunch with my aunt at The Club, and we were having lunch at Yvette’s parents’ house with the rest of the family. Roger and Emma went all out with brisket, ribs, sausage, potato salad, and beans. We even had a little egg hunt for baby Niles. He is such a cutie.

They also had some dirt cake, which is something magical. Just look it up for yourself. Google it. You will understand. Anyway, I decided to treat myself to that glorious dessert. I might like it, but boy howdy, it did not fucking like me. My blood sugar elevated to just shy of four hundred. Yikes. We stayed at her parents’ house for about four hours, and the entire time I was suffering — headache, lethargy, the works. I hate that about high blood sugar. It will efficiently kill a good time.

Easter was different this year. I guess because Chris wasn’t around. This was the first year he wasn’t with us for the holiday, and it was felt by me and, I’m sure, by my mother. It also felt a little empty without Alaya. Last year, we had her with us searching for eggs. Oh well, we made the most of it in their absence and still had a pretty good day. Sad that it had to end.

The work week kicked off quickly. We were short-handed at work, so I stayed very busy. I like that. It was my office week, so being able to get out of jail was a gift. It was also much cooler than it had been, which is typical and very much preferable. I spent a good chunk of my week working on an expense report. I had sixty-three fucking credit card entries. Oof.

Yvette had the week from hell. Work was relentless, and her grandfather was hospitalized again — all of this coming off a hard week before. One battle after another, the hits keep coming. She is a strong woman, but everyone reaches a limit at some point. I love her with all my heart and will always be there to support her in any way I can. It’s a shame the little girl isn’t around to make us both smile when we need it.

The highlight of the week has been the Artemis II mission. So damn exciting. That lunar flyby was just unreal. So many amazing things about this mission. So many things about this mission feel bigger than words. The crew has now gone farther from Earth than any human in history. Let that sink in for a second.

And yeah, it’s been emotional. Watching the liftoff last week with little Alaya. Sitting there knowing something massive was happening right in front of us. Then the silence on the dark side of the moon. And finally, splashdown. Watching that with Yvette and Teegan.

Safe. Home. Complete arc.

What a fucking rush!!

The first woman to reach the moon. The first Black man in deep space. So many firsts packed into one mission it almost feels unreal. But it’s not. And we are watching it happen.

Technology has allowed us to be there for most of the mission—to see the crew live on the screen in front of us, to feel like you’re up there with them. It’s been an incredible journey to watch from home, unlike anything before it in that regard. Live streaming from the moon—I mean, that’s some real science fiction shit right there, and we’re living it.

We are living in a moment that history will remember as a light in the darkness, especially with so much negativity and horror happening down here on Earth. We need more light, not more darkness. It’s been really amazing to be a part of, even if it’s just from my computer at home or at work. This has been something big. Something bigger than all the bullshit. This kind of thing should help unite us as humans. It should make us realize that all we have is each other—that we’re all in this together, floating in this vast void of space.

It should.

But it probably won’t.

Happy Friday!!!