When I was very young, seven or so, my Grandma and I were playing Yahtzee. She was kicking my @ss like she usually did which made it kind of normal. During our set my Grandmother had to get up and go to the restroom. While she was gone I mysteriously rolled a Yahtzee! When my Grandmother returned she noticed the 50 points on my scorecard and asked me about it. More like interrogated me about it. I eventually fessed up to cheating. She was very disappointed in me and let me know it. But here’s the kicker, she hung that scorecard on her refrigerator next to various star wars pictures I had drawn. For the next month every time someone came over she would ask them if they saw the Yahtzee card her grandson cheated on. It was humiliating. To this day you will not catch me cheating at any board games. I still feel guilty putting in cheat codes on video games and rarely use them. Thank you Grandma, lesson learned!

Well this morning I received the call from my Mother that my Grandmother had finally passed. West Nile? Who the h3ll gets West Nile? It’s unbelievable. We lost my Papa about six months ago and I guess they are both in a better place together.

My Grandmother bought me my first G.I. Joe figure. Breaker. It’s funny, the little things you remember. Cheese toast and Big Trouble in Little China on a Friday night. Nutter Butters and The Wiz on Saturday. Remember when Jamz where popular in the 80’s, my Grandmother made me a ton. I can remember her buying me my first pair of Bugle Boys, they were green.

My grandmother made these cookies that my Father and I fought over. She usually shipped them to my Dad in Louisiana but sometimes I transported them when I was going to visit. I would try not to eat all of them on the way. I guess that is why she started shipping them. My Father would always send back ribs from TJ Ribs in Baton Rouge. My Grandparents loved those things. I was running an interstate cookie/ribs ring. I would call my Grandparents on my way back and tell them I was passing by San Jacinto Mall and I would be there in a few minutes. When I would arrive they would be waiting on the front porch, smiling, and my Papa’s arm around my Grandmother… That’s what I choose to remember…