Side note(s)

• I hate, hate, HATE traffic. I left my apartment at 5:30 last Thursday for my 8:50 flight. JFK is 45 minutes away. I got to my gate at 8:20, right as boarding was underway. It was stressful. I don't want to elaborate more than this for fear of the anxiety coming back, but it was not a fun trip. I'm lucky I made it to Utah.
• Issue #2 with airports/traveling: Why are there NEVER enough gate agents to check people in line? After the check in kiosk failed to work (of course) after I was already running late, I had to wait in a huge "customer service" line. So frustrating.
• The husband of Mike's former boss passed away last Saturday morning. We were lucky enough to make it back for the funeral that was yesterday. We are close to Joan, and had met her husband a few months ago. He was supposed to die 5 years ago and fought a long, hard battle with his disease. The funeral was... well, not what I would want. I wore pink lipstick in quiet protest of the black dress, tights and shoes I felt obliged to wear.
• In relation to the above: I have always wanted to be cremated. It is a Hudson thing I suppose, as it is clearly not common in our LDS culture. Everyone in my family who has died (including our sweet dog Katie) has been cremated. I see no point in burial or $5,000 coffins (or the $25,000 mausoleum fee that our friend had to pay yesterday). To each his own, but in my case... cremation.
• We saw a lot of family and friends last weekend. In Mike's case... a lot of his family. Both of his parents have pioneer heritage going all the way back. His great-great-maybe another great-Granfather designed the Tabernacle. The Whiting's have been in Mapleton, Utah for years. This being said: The extended family is HUGE. We saw probably 20+ of his relatives at one dinner alone. He has dozens and dozens of cousins. My family: My parents are both converts. They both come from small families. I have 9 cousins. I couldn't tell you their specific ages or where they currently live. We have never been especially close, thanks to living on opposite sides of the country. This being said... I appreciate my heritage just as much as I'm sure Mike does his. It's just different. (I still wish though that I had some more cousins, or aunts & uncles who were a bit more involved in my life. Oh well. No serious loss I suppose.)
• Today is Tuesday (morning). I'm happy that week is well under way. Monday was rough (Red eye + funeral = not so much fun). It will be 74 degrees in New York today. I'm happy for the sunshine.