So we’re trying to set up a domain name for Melissa so she can start blogging. I went looking for a domain name for her to buy and of course Melissa.com was taken (but I had to check) and they offered suggestions for us. Suggestions like BestMelissa.com and SuperMelissa.com (my first choice) and then I noticed an odd one, so I’m “Hey, Melissa, They’ve got RayLovesMelissa.com, it’s the only one I see with ”love“ in it, how weird is that?!?” Harry was Melissa’s husband that died last year and Ray was what everyone his family called him. So that was pretty bizarre (but wait!), “Oh Melissa, I was wrong here’s another one DannyLovesMelissa.com so it’s not so strange”. But it turns out that was the name of her first husband! We looked harder and that was the only one with “love” in it, how strange is that?

I always like the idea of having your own domain name. Then you can switch hosts and take your name with you. We’re hosting her at BlogSpot and just frame the page in it (or maybe we’ll redirect). I can’t believe that they’re not set up to use your own name and charge you for it (or make you buy it from them).

So we didn’t pick SuperMelissa so it’s still available if you want it. I’ll tell you her address once she gets settled in.

Harry loved the Harrison Roadhouse so after the funeral (see my earlier post) we went to the Roadhouse to eat and drink (and be merry) and they had changed the sign out in front of the restaurant to read “We Luv Ya Harry”.

The funeral was at the MSU Alumni Chapel and it was packed to capacity (standing room only). Harry seemed to know everyone and everyone seemded to really care about him. The service was great and Darren gave an excellent speech on Harry meeting Melissa (Mom) and becoming part of their family and Harry becoming his and Rebekah’s Dad. A few others had things to say up on the podium but we weren’t really sure if we should applaud but when Darren was done we knew we should…

Harry Carswell passed away last week… I’ve restarted this a few times and I guess I don’t really know what to put here… I’ll start with a story: About three or four years ago I was visiting Harry in the hospital, I don’t remember exactly what he said the doctors told him, something like “six months to live” and I laughed and then he joined in so I felt a little better about it because I knew he knew why I laughed. We laughed because ten or fifteen years before that after some major heat surgery they had given him three to five years (or some other deadline he was way past). I’m sure a few other times (not even related to those issues) they had given him some other timelines and they all passed but then he’d have some other problems every so often. He knew it was time this time and moved back into his home last month because that’s where he wanted to be.

Harry worked at Michigan State University with Student Services, the Homecomming Committee, Student Life and I’m not sure what else; it seemed like he knew everyone there. It’s funny, I never had any direct connection to him when I went there or (kinda) worked there. I met him through one of my best friends and he eventually married her (and her kids). They got married at the president’s house at the university (I told you he knew everyone) and remember videotaping the wedding. He was only forty-nine and in addition to squeezing a hospital visits into his time he sure managed to squeeze a lot of life into it too.