My bro and I never ever took a normal Easter Sunday photo growing up. Here is one from ye olden days.

Happy Easter!

March 23rd is my Dad's birthday. Every year, this date freaks me out more than I ever plan for it to. Especially the days leading up for it, for some reason. I always want to honor the day for what it is, but that usually means I try to not plan anything for it, and the day of, all I do is pout and cry. But not this year.

Today I am going to Ohio to visit Rebecca Rine-Stone for the night. It's a 5 hour drive, and I am coming back in the morning on the 23rd. Here's why this is great:

1) I love Rebecca, and I rarely get to see her since she moved to Ohio. I am so excited to see her, I could cry--in a good way--and I probably will.

2) I love roadtrips, and we've been under so much stress and sadness in the Gerdes house lately, that I am looking forward to clearing my head on the road blasting my tunes.

3) This is an excellent way to honor the memory of my father.

Dad had to travel a lot for his work, so he was always on the road in MS in his big work van. He would get a bag of David Sunflower seeds--the man loved sunflower seeds and that brand specifically--and would spit the shells into the floorboards of his van. In the driveway of the house we grew up in, there were mounds of seed shells from where he kicked them out of the van. And he ate so many of them, he cashed in the UPC symbols for free frisbees. They were good frisbees, and he got a lot of them. My dad was a sucker for any kind of frisbee game or frisbee golf. He also used to puff on cigars to keep him awake. When we were older, in college and on after I moved to Chicago, Dad would call us from his cell phone while he was driving, because it kept him company, it kept him awake, and it was a nice way to talk to him without any distractions. I cherished those phone calls.

When I talked to Christopher this week, and told him that I was roadtripping on dad's bday, the first thing he said was "you should get some sunflower seeds and a cigar." I love that.

The other nice thing is that I am coming home to a staged reading for a musical I am choreographing. I promised my dad that I was going to keep doing weird and wacky comedy, so I am glad that I am coming home to an artistic project on his bday.

And for the first time in the 5 years since he's been gone, I am not scared about the day.

David Reid Senior Portrait, 1972

Remember this post?

And this photo?

A few months ago, I had to take Parker in for some x-rays. She had recently lost a bunch of weight and the doc was trying to figure out why. Thankfully, no tumors were found. The BEST part about it, though, was seeing this:

WHAT?! LOOK AT THOSE CHICKEN ARMS!!!!!

What a dumb little cat skeleton! But it also brought home the first picture here. Look at that "extra cat" that is happening there:

SO MUCH FATNESS! What a dream come true!

Marathon write-up, continued.

In the marathon info booklet, we had learned that there was going to be letter markers at the post-race party to meet up with your family and friends. I said early on that we would meet at Q. So all weekend we talked about meeting at Q. When Fuzzy finished, it wasn't hard to find him, cause I was right there, and so was he. So when we were walking around to get our free beer, etc etc, Fuzzy suddenly said "Oh! There is Q!"

So we looked for each other at Q.

But couldn't find the other.

Turns out, we were on opposite sides. We eventually found each other.

Marathon Super Hero!

After a shower, we met up with Chad and Elizabeth, who met us down there for the day! Happy fun times! They are the ultimate foodies and drinkies, so they introduced us to some amazing new restaurants and bars.

Oh! But first, I saw this cat IN a table at a cafe!

Floating kitty!

Elizabeth models the classy "I'm what happened on Bourbon Street in New Orleans" baby onesie.

C&E at the Wine Institute of New Orleans.

True Love!

We had an amazing dinner at Domenica, then hopped over to the amazing Sazerac Bar  for a nightcap.

The next day, we packed and checked out of our hotel and ventured on our last day in the great Crescent City.

"Yes, I DID run the marathon. How did you guess?"

Breakfast!

SNAKED!

Handsome!

Fuzzy had a drink with Chris Owens!

Watch for "ARRRRS"

Good food! Great Friends!

We ate outside in the rain!

Pretty Signs

Then we said goodbye to C&E, and did a bit more exploring.

And had more beignets!

Oh, New Orleans, I love you so. I can't wait til the next time!

My sweet Memaw Reid passed away last night.

I bet my daddy is happy to see her.

(check out that sweet temporary tattoo on her arm. such a good sport.)

In the past 5 years (in no particular order):

I've performed on the Comedy Central stage in Los Angeles.
I've performed 7 wedding ceremonies.
Christopher and Katie moved to Africa.
I have completed 4 triathlons.
I had a major accident and recovered.
I've choreographed a number of shows.
I created a fun drinking podcast.
I started going back to church.
I've done a number of Blewt! projects.
One of my cats died.
We cleaned out the house in Vicksburg in a week and found home/places for all the animals. This is one of the hardest things I've ever lived through.
My grandmother died.
All of Mom's medical issues.
Christopher got his masters degree.
I got visable tattoos.
I worked through my issues about The Nutcracker, through a show, no less.
I started dancing again.
And so much more.

And Dad has been gone for all of them. I really miss him and wish I could talk to him and share these things with him. People always say that it gets easier the more time has past, but I don't know if I agree with them. I mean, we've made it work and we've kept moving forward, but it just makes the absence even more pronounced. And I get weepy every time I talk about him.

My dad was so cool.
He was so funny.
He was so positive.
He found the joy in everything.

I hope I can keep that memory alive.

G. David Reid
March 23, 1954- December 2, 2007
We miss you, Daddy.

This one's for you:

I just wanted to take a moment to tell the world about my amazing husband. I am SO proud of Fuzzy, for so many reasons. Here are just a few.  

I've been watching a LOT of the Olympics this week, and one thing they've been showing a lot of, both in the coverage and in the commercials, is the parents. I can imagine competing in the Olympics is an amazing feeling, much less winning a medal. What I can't imagine, however, is how it must feel for these parents. To see your child achieve such greatness.  To see them be national heroes.  And I know that a lot of athletes and Olympians come from hard times and have overcome bad family situations and upbringings, but many others have been encouraged their whole lives by their parents, who have made sacrifices and spent countless funds (and many sleepless nights) to see them get the training and support that they need.

I was fortunate that I was raised in one of these supportive households. Sure, I wasn't sent across the country for training, and we didn't move to where there were more opportunities. But my mom and dad encouraged my brother and I to follow our dreams and be the people we wanted to be. They carted me to and from dance class and choir rehearsals and play practice, and paid for God knows how many costumes over the years. They tried to not deny us anything, but were forceful when they needed to be (in 6th grade, when people joined band, and I wanted to play the clarinet, they told me "Band or dancing." My choice was a no-brainer.) Now, I haven't won any medals, but I've achieved many a great thing, and I am happy in my life and where I am in it. That is worth its weight in gold. Their support and our upbringing is what gave me the confidence to move to Chicago at 21 to be a comedian, and what gave my brother the courage to uproot his life and move to Africa.

Fuzzy and I have chosen to not have children, so we aren't able to give back this support into the world. I am seeing it, however, in the lives of our friends and families who are having children. So to all the parents out there, keep being great. Support and encourage your children (but don't forget about you!). You are doing an amazing job, and I can't wait to see what your kids accomplish in the future.

And to my dear little Mom in Mississippi and sweet little Daddy in Heaven, Thank You.

1) Impress These Apes! got 3 stars in the Chicago Tribune today! The review is from Nina Metz, who had this particularly awesome pull quote about me:

"...and the only one to give actual (and needed) critiques, Erica Reid as April May (in her turban and ball gown, she has the look of Tallulah Bankhead and the kvetching voice of Joan Rivers)."

Yeah! Thanks, Nina! April May may be harsh, but she loves all the contestants.

2) Today is the one year anniversary of my bike crash, and I celebrated it today by running almost 3 miles WITHOUT MY KNEE BRACES. YEAH! My knees are doing ok with this week, so I might take a risk and go without them for the triathlon the weekend!

3) The what? Oh yeah, we have another triathlon this weekend. The South Shore Tri. I am less trained than before, but whatevs, it'll be fun and I'll be fine. I just hope it isn't one of our many 100 degree days we've been having.

4) Also this weekend is my 6 year wedding anniversary with the love of my life, the wonderful and amazing Fuzzy Gerdes! I am going to shut out the rest of the world this weekend, so good luck with everything, world.

5) This is really random, but lately, when I hear an awesome song while I'm driving, I've started taking after my dad and banging on the steering wheel in time with the music, which then makes me think about how my mom used to hate it when Dad did that and would always tell him to stop. So this happens in my head each time--I do it, then I tell myself to stop, then I keep doing it anyway. I got a little of both my parents in me.

6) My Bester Rebecca has been WAY better about blogging our fun summer adventures than I have. Read about them here: Tubing, Wilco/ Andrew Bird and Phish! Takk, Rebecca!

7) And on a more serious note, my brother and sister-in-law are having tough times this week in Tanzania. Their house was burglarized and all their computers/phones/wallety things, etc. were stolen. Their dog was poisoned (she is doing ok--slowly getting better) and they've been put into a difficult situation with their night guard. Katie blogged some about it here. I've been lucky to be able to talk with them and skype with them to check in on them this week, but it's also hard and emotional, and they are struggling a bit. Please send some good thoughts and prayers and vibes their way if you can.

Not to be cavlier, but the thing is, Christopher and Katie are amazing. They chose this difficult life to live where they live and get completely out of their comfort zone. I admire that SO MUCH. No way could I ever do it. We knew that this sort of thing was a risk, and it is really unfortunate that it happened, that it happened when it did and has rattled them in the way that it has. C&K just had a life-changing trip in the African bush (read about it on that link to Katie's blog above) and this came on the heels of that trip. But they are Missioners--they can handle this. It's just a test and a bump along in their journey--and they will be fine. They've been through harder things, and they will again. And they will get through this set-back. Yeah, it sucks, but they are safe, thank God.  They are just starting their journey and their mission in Africa, and this is one of those real life moments where you learn and strengthen,  harden a bit, and keep going. They have a long and amazing road ahead of them. And if anyone can do it and can not only persevere but also rise above it, it is Christopher and Katie. They are the strongest people I know, and I am damn sure honored and blessed to be related to them.

Hang in there, Christopher and Katie. You can do it. And you are doing great. Keep going, and don't ever question your strength or capacity to handle things. You'll be back on your feet soon, I know it. I am your biggest fan and supporter, and I wouldn't be who I am or as strong as I am without you. You're my biggest motivator to keep going, to take risks, to help others, and to embrace my full potential, because I see you doing it each and every day. I love you. 

This is an email that I got from Fuzzy yesterday:

I thought maybe Parker had snuck outside, because I couldn't find her in any of her usual spots in the house. Until I looked real close.