You know, Dawn and I had been trying to all our out-of-town friends into Huntsville for YEARS. We've been telling people we know how to have a good time, and that our entertainment for this area is much more interesting that most people will give credit for. Remind me to kick all of your asses for waiting till NOW to agree with us!

Dawn's funeral was held on Saturday, the 28th of July. Some friends came in to join us on Friday night and we got a few drinks. I had to work, so I missed out on some quality time with her parents, but others got to talk with them and share. They have done nothing but express to me how valuable these times were to them. Denny and Georgia are great people, and their strength in this time of loss is nothing apart from herculean. I tried to join them after I left work, but the decided to call it a night, so we all went to Humphries to catch up with one another...

Here are some pics from Friday Night:

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with carrying my luggage with me in a bar!".


The bar was packed. Getting a drink wasn't an easy task.


Avengers Assemble!
Carrie didn't get to stay with us for the next night, but her presence was appreciated.

The history here spans a dozen years... people from all parts of Dawn's life gathered to remember her.

And as the liquor flowed, so did the joy... She had gathered together some great people in her time.

The Service

The service was a strange affair. People with colored hair sat next to one another... hoping that the tiny leopard print lapel ribbons would remind us of the creative nature of our friend during such austere and sometimes dry surroundings. The one thing that couldn't be contained was our emotions. Some of the strongest among us felt the weight of the event bearing down on them, and couldn't hold back once they felt the gravity. That beautiful but piercing portrait of her seemed to drill into us all, and none of us really knew how to respond... we mostly just sat and listened... and clumped into tiny groups on our way out the door. There were many hugs... lots of tears... and a few laughs when we saw some of the delightful people who were able to come. In my mind, the lobby of the church is where the real magic happened that day. I can't help but marvel at all the wonderful people who came to share their loss. I can't help but respect the emotional outreach of all involved... it was an honest and very touching time. So touching, that at times it seems like a dream... and at the time, I just seemed to be sleepwalking through it.

The Reception

Dawn's family opened their home for the close friends and family that they had invited to the service. It was a tight squeeze, especially considering all the food that the well wishers had stuffed into Georgia and Denny's house. It was a much more intimate and kind environment than the church, so we all started to loosen up a bit. I heard a lot of good stories that afternoon, and really loved that everyone tried to bridge their differences by talking about the loss. Most of it involved laughing, only rarely were there tears. I wish I had been more actively conscious during the event, because I am even now spotty on the individual details. I had gone into some kind of auto pilot, simply acting from moment to moment in the only method I knew how... playing host to all the wonderful people who surrounded me. It wasn't my house, but I really felt it important to interact with all the people from Dawn's past and let them know I appreciated them coming. There were people there who hadn't known Dawn for quite a few years... people who were once the center of her "circle". As one of the few people who had actually known her long enough to recognise those time travelers in our midst, I thought it was important for me to bridge the gap between the past and the present and let these people know that their presence was appreciated. Maybe it was my own way of grieving, but I wasn't sure anyone else was there who could offer what I was trying to offer.

The Wake

 What can I say about the Wake? Well, it was everything that I didn't want it to be: hot, loud, and extremely impersonal. But we couldn't think of another venue that might hold all the people who had mentioned they might be coming to Dawn's wake, so we were optimistic. We did have plenty of food left over from the reception, and the crowd that showed up was supportive and ready to toast our memories. Again, the cross section of people from Dawn's past was impressive... I just wish the environment had been better.

"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!"


One of the few moments I got to hang with Steph... I should have made more.

Jarvis digs into the spread.

Shannon flashes us a smile.

Drag Queens in Effect!

Holly hugs on our imported hussies. She was very popular that night.

I'll wait till you read my DragonCon review before you figure out what's funny about this pic.