07.21.10

My grandpa has been sick for the past couple of years. Though, most of the time, he seemed well. It was coming unto this past year that he really started to experience enough pain that kept him (sometimes) from doing the things he loved.
Unfortunately, it wasnt long after we left Ohio that I got news that he was admitted to the hospital for an infection. I worried, but kept in contact, and assumed he would pull through, as always.
Rather quickly, his health declined. My family brought him home, and admitted him to hospice. The infection had spread and was causing him a lot of pain in his lower abdomen and hips, so the hardest part was pain management. Too much medicie and his vitals would become non-existent, too little and he was in so much pain, he could barely eat. Luckily, my mom, my aunt, my sister, and my cousin are all nurses. My other cousin works as a surgery tech, and was able to help out tons as well, and my youngest sister is an STNA, so with everyones help, they were able to take care of him in the comfort of his home.
My mom and I have been keeping close contact through emails. She updates me constantly on his health and their daily activities. It was at this point though that I started to consider possibly going home.
After talking with my mom and sisters, I decided it would be best if I came home sooner then later, and booked a plan ticket to land in Ohio on July 21st. However, the next day, my mom said things had gotten worse and that I needed to come home right away. In a panic, I booked my flight to leave the next day. My new ticket meant that I would arrive in Cleveland on Tuesday, July 12th....my grandpas birthday (78 Years old!). Though expensive, John totally understood. The last thing he or I wanted was to be in Australia while my family was going through something like this. I felt like I at least needed to be there to help out. If it weren't for John's sister, I never would have made it back. Thank you Lisa!
I told work, and Terry totally understood. He let me know I had my job still when I came back, even though at the time, John and I had no idea when that would be, if I came back at all.
John isnt able to fly back. We cant afford it, and it is best if he stays in Port Douglas to work so he stayed. It was hard saying good bye, but I know I will be back soon. It just sucks that I have to go through such a tough time in my life with out him. We have never spent more then a week apart since we started dating, so it will be hard, needless to say.
When I landed, Jessi picked me up. She barely recognized me with my light hair. She took me straight to my grandparents house. Taylor and Heather was there along with my mom and Keith, Amber and Adam, and my cousin Amanda.
I went to my grandpa and gave him a kiss. I let him know it was me, and that I came home to be with him. At this point, his medication kept him from being too verbal, even though he understood everything that was going on around him. I sat next to him and held his hand, and he squeezed me, two times, letting me know he understood I was there. I choked back a few tears, and started to converse with my family about Australia and our time away from home so far. It was good to be home.
I really didnt want to leave Australia, or John, but the moment I was with my family; there was no where else on the earth I had rather be then right there with them. I spent the night, except for Saturdays when my aunt would stay. Two people would be with him always, and because I didnt have an agenda, offered to stay as much as possible. It took me a good week to finally get over jet lag, but it was convenient for everyone since I would sleep during the day and be awake all night long.
Today, I had run back to my moms to take a shower and get refreshed. I had gone grocery shopping for my grandma to help make dinner, and just got home when I got a phone call from my sister. She said that grandpa wasnt doing well so that we should all head over there. It wasnt but a few minutes later that my mom called back in tears...he had taken his last breath.
The family all drove to my grandmas, and we just cried in each others arms. It was a strange grief we were all experiencing. We were all so sad that our grandpa had left us, but all so relieved that he was no longer in pain.
He past away peacefully, with my mom holding one hand, and my grandma, his loving wife, holding the other.
He died on the same day that my original plane ticket was to arrive, so I knew immediately, I made the right choice in arriving earlier. I got to spend a week with him, helping out as much as a could, and I will be able to be there for my family, and honor my grandpas memory at his funeral.
We love you very much grandpa. -In loving memory of Melvin Schuering.

07. 07.10

HAPPY FORTH OF JULY AMERICA! (even though I am a few days late.)
Well to start the week, on Monday, Dougies had a huge Canada Day celebration. There are a good handful of Canadians backpacking through Australia, and staying at Dougies so why not! Lisa had the day off, which I know she was excited about. I had to work, but John and I celebrated after.
It was our first official Canada Day celebration. Everyone was dressed up, somehow or another, like a Canadian, or representing Canada. Lisa had a Canada shirt on and a took or a beanie. It was maybe 11pm when we got back to Dougies and Lisa was pleasantly drunk. Adam, and Dave were also around, handing us beers. John and I bought Lisa a shot and we all sipped on some Mercury Cider. We got a chance to hang out with the other Irish and Scottish boys. They had us dyeing in laughter all night long with their jokes and sweet accents. John hung out with the boys, and me and Lisa kept sipping our drinks on the other side of the circle.
At one point me and Dave got chatting and started taking pictures. He was loving the camera and told me that you always have to capture times like these. He got everyone together, and started posing us. By the end of the night, he started falling asleep at the table. His head was bobbed down, his eyes closed and his arms folded on the table. At one point, he smacked his head on the table!.I got a picture of the moment. It wasnt until 20 minutes later that he came to me, with his hand on his forehead and said 'Gee Autumn, that really hurt!.'
It was a great Canada Day!
The following week I worked every night and did three split shifts. They have me scheduled for a certain time, but wont let me leave until everything is finished. The stuff to be finished isnt crucial to the running of the restaurant though, and isnt stuff that requires more then one person to complete. So they keep me till 4:30 or 5, when I should have gotten off at 3:30. its a 20 minute walk to Dougies, one way, so by the time I get there I just have to go back again. It sucks.
I have been working really hard, and my feet have been killing me. If I even so much as gently touch my toes to something, like the tent, I am dyeing in pain. At night, when I lay down, my feet are tingling with pain and throb, therefore, I sleep awful. I mean it when I say it.it would feel better if I just cut my feet off! I decided to just buy a more expensive pair of shoes though, and hope that it will help a little.
The good news is that we got an air mattress! We are still so excited about our large 4 person tent, and dont even know how to contain ourselves with our double air mattress now. Its been wonderful, and I still cant thank Sonja enough for the tent!
Unfortunately, I had to work a split shift on the Forth, but John and I, Lisa, Andy and Lucia all stayed after work to splurge on the amazing cocktails at Zinc. We each ordered two, all different, and passed them around so everyone could taste. It was a short lived celebration but it was wonderful.
Andy is a newbie at Zinc. Such a pleasant man from England, and he is also a waiter. His waist is literally the size of my thigh, and he just cracks me up with his accent. He is backpacking with his boyfriend, whom I met one day, when they came into Zinc during the day for some cakes.
Anyways, on the Forth, my left eye was slightly red, and felt irritated, like there was sand in there or something. The next day though, it was full blown red, puffy, and gummy. It wouldnt stop watering and was bothersome to blink. After my day shift, I ran to the pharmacist who told me I had conjunctivitis of the eye, which is just fancy for pink eye. He prescribed me some eye drops and told me to come back in a day if it wasnt getting better.
The pharmacys out here are able to give prescriptions for certain things which is so nice. Im so thankful that I didnt have to spend the money for a Dr!
I told work, but they kept me on anyways. Not like America, where they would most likely wrap you in saran-wrap, lock you in a room and tell you to stay for 72 hours, until you werent contagious anymore. Olivia said that as long as no one licks my eyeball they should be alright. Funny.
The past few weeks at work has been hard work, but gotten much better. Rads and Olivia have both been really nice and really appreciative of my hard work. I have been kicking ass as a waitress, and really appreciate the smiles from Rads-ivia.
I noticed that with Andy, and the most recent addition, Jasmine, that they really yell at everyone for the same thing. Its like they put you through a grinder to make sure your tough enough to work there. I heard Rads say the same thing about being quite, and holding plates properly to Jasmine and Andy. I just laughed. It makes me realize that they are really sweet people, just trying to run a successful business. I am sure it is really hard for them, considering their staff turns over so much. With employing most backpackers; I would get sick of training people over and over again as well. I still dont want to get on their bad sides, but they have good intentions, and really are nice girls.
Today I had a day off, thank goodness! I am soo bumbed that my eye is hurting so badly, but tried to enjoy the break.
John and I had lunch at his work and then took a nap in our nice 4 man tent and on top of our lovely air mattress. He left for work when we woke and I have been spending the rest of the evening on the blogs. I am happy to have them updated finally!
Thanks for being so patient with the updates and so forth. We have been receiving such a large number of hits that we had to expand our bandwidth, and make some other changes. It is such good news, and love knowing you look forward to our posts. Thanks for your support!
We are working on 3 months in Australia, this July, and its crazy that we have been here for so long. The best part is the wildlife, and even though we have been camping, have been seeing plenty of it.
Bandicoots run around everywhere, like rats, even though they are much cuter. Tree frogs are everywhere, and we have been spotting giant, St. Andrew Cross spiders, and run into brush hens almost every day. We found a blue-bottom jelly fish on the beach, hear loons crying at night, and are still perplexed by the variety of cone-shaped, cocoons everywhere. Today, we even saw a cone crawling on the ground at the top was a caterpillar, crawling itself to some point where it could lodge, and eventually turn into a butterfly. When I picked it up, to place it on some plant, I could feel something like a heartbeat, coming from the inside.
The friends and the wildlife have made our extended stay, here in Port Douglas, well worth it.