Free music in the plaza between Orchestra Hall and Brit's Pub. Savage Aural Hotbed -- surprisingly very good percussion group.

Matt was late due to a flat tire and a road closure, so my cousin Deanna came by to keep my company in the meantime. As she's 16, she ordered a Arnold Palmer.

Jamie, who works there spent some time with us chatting after she welcomed me with a scratch on the back, a few pokes in the arm and a fake english accent. When she was off the clock she had a beer with us and joked around and flirted... we exchanged cards in our wallets: she got a Noodles and Company card of mine with 8 out of the 10 punches punched, while she gave me a Dunn Brothers card so my next coffee will be half off. She also got my Blockbuster Video card. Then before she leaves, in a backwards way tells me she just got engaged. That explains the new ring! I hope I never have a fiancee that flirts so much with guys like me. Heh.

Deanna's family ended up showing up later. Four pints of Guinness was good enough. A good night.

White Mitsubishi Diamante, MN Plate: "MEEOOWW."

Thursday night had a fire. Friday night had a fire. Saturday night had about 20 friends over and had a fire. Tonight, another fire. This time just 7 of us, though.

After I mowed the lawn, Amy and her friend Chrissy came over to help clean out the fridge, freezer and some cupboards. We gave the cats Simon and Porter some company as well. Watered plants, the garden, fixed the fire ring, and I am bringing home some european candies and some other foods and drinks.

The large majority of the food that was in the house Randy wouldn't eat, and Amy and I didn't want. Everything that was still good is being donated to a local food shelf.

While Randy is away with a friend this weekend, I went up to the house to mow the lawn and visit with the cats.

Life is returning to normal in true skholla.com style: Cans of Sparks. My sister Amy, her boyfriend Casey and Amy's friend Chrissy all having Sparks for the first time.

The amount of support I've received from everyone has been overwhelming. I haven't been able to reply to everyone who has sent me a note or a post, a card or a phone call... a visit or flowers...

...but it all has helped me a lot. Everyone.

Thank you.

Today was the funeral, and everything about it was beautiful. I was amazed with how many people showed to celebrate my Mother's life. All of the planning and thinking is now behind me.

Still not sure where I am at right now, but I am pulling together.

Thanks again to everyone.

Photo: The road at my mother's house, which is also the road I grew up on: Lynch Road, May Township, Washington County, Minnesota.

This weekend my mother died.

She was on the MS 150 Bike Tour from Duluth, MN to White Bear Lake, MN. She collided with a truck near Sandstone, MN at an intersection. My stepfather (of less than a year) called from the emergency room in Sandstone to let me know there was an accident. At the time, all he knew was what he told me: My mother was in an accident, it was serious, and that I should drive to Sandstone right away. Randy still had hope, but she died right away at the scene.

Most of my mother's extended family made it to the hospital within two hours, not knowing how serious things were until they got there.

The last 48 hours have been some of the longest in my life. I've gone through some of the most indescribable shock and confusion, and I haven't cried this much in my life by far. I don't even know how to describe my feelings other than that right now.

Yesterday morning I went to a service at my mother's church where I cried through much of it. My extended family cried through much of it as well. We spent time at my grandmother's house afterwards with family, trying to come to some kind of footing for what happened and how to deal. Went over to my mother's house last night with Randy.

Today has been the first day where I have been able to start putting things together, but at the same time I've been consumed by so much business with my extended family: funeral arrangements, writing an obituary, contacting people, dealing with everyone that shows up to give sympathy, compiling photos, preparing stuff for the reception, meeting with the mortuary, and working though everyone else's emotions and impressions on how things should go. More stuff I've forgotten about as well, I am sure.

So although I have been dealing with the loss of my mother, today I feel very removed from reality because of all the business surrounding things.

I could share some short stories, some memories, or some more thoughts on my mother but I wouldn't be able to complete this post. She was the most important part of my family by far.

What I will say is that she got to live some of her best years recently and I have not seen her happier in my entire life. Her smile in recent photos say it better than I can, but I can't post them now.

Funeral will be at Saint Mark's Lutheran in North Saint Paul at 11am Thursday. Visitation will be at Sandburg Funeral Home in North Saint Paul from 4pm until 8pm Wednesday.

Photo: Flowers I gave my mother for Mother's Day. I took the photo yesterday.