Family, friends, and loved ones – simple concepts with great
expectations and foundations in life.
This weekend was full of them.
Robert had a small family emergency that taught me what I thought I
already knew – he relies on me for the big and the small. When things like that come up people are not
themselves, combined with my sickness all weekend it was a very off weekend for
us. We didn’t get to talk as much and we
learned a valuable lesson – text doesn’t convey emotion. But, our small talks ended up being each
other’s salve.
Thursday I got to go with my niece for her first time
bowling. The lady at the lanes said in
her 12 years of working there they had never seen a bowler so young (she is
only about 18 months). She totally kicked
her brother’s butt getting two strikes in a row! I watched the two of them battle it out and
enjoy the new experience. Of course, the
tall ladder that drops the ball for kids did help them out quite a bit.
Friday I interviewed for a job working banquets. I got
it! Not after my new boss opened the
interview saying, “You’re interviewing me.
I already know where I would put you,” and “if you can succeed here, you
can succeed anywhere because the politics and crap that happens here is ridiculous
and unprecedented.” He apparently hates
the facility, though loves the job. I
start this Friday. Hopefully, this job
with the two proofreading jobs (I am still in testing stages with both but here
is to crossing my fingers) I can begin to relax a bit.
My brother-in-law’s birthday was Friday. Actually, almost all my in-laws birthdays
were last week. A birthday every day for
most of the week, but he is in the same town so I went over to celebrate with
him. We did cake first with my kid sister
and her daughter and then headed to Chilies.
I have not eaten there in years, but it was great food – though our
server was less than great.
Saturday was my mom’s birthday and the first one I was home
for in ten years. Two of my nieces and
nephews came over to bake with her in the morning. They got the good stuff – chocolate chip
cookies. The adults got the equivalent
of a healthy coffee cake…not bad but not my first go to either. But the fellowship with my kid sis and her
husband was fun.
After baking we all headed to lunch with one of my older
sisters and her family joined. My dad
taught me the basics to shooting both a revolver and an automatic while we
tried to keep sane through the chaos.
Both he and myself work from home so we spend a great deal of time
alone. That large grew of people (11)
and the restaurant scene was much more than we are used to. I at least get some time with my sister and
her family every day (I have to keep sane somehow), but my dad spends most his
time working in his office on his own.
So, the lesson was great.
My dad is a world champion marksman. Really, he is top notch and has that exact
award. He used to put the newspaper
clipping with his picture of him shooting some kind of gun up at the front door
so our dates could see it. Here is a picture of him aiming for the small silhouette on the target:
And aiming for the head at 20 feet away:
Well, having
him teach you to shoot a gun is not a bad thing. After lunch my parents took me
to shoot with them for the first time.
As I am shooting my mom’s automatic (yep she is quite good with a gun
too), I can barely hear her through my ear protection that “She is a good shot.”
My dad had me shoot the revolver (I like that one) from
about 10 feet away.
Then he had me shoot from about 20 feet away (what you are
trained to do in the military…ok they do about 25 feet but this was an indoor
range).
Not bad for only my second time ever and first time in
years. Ryan S. you should be proud! When we left my dad
said, “You are a good shot” (not bad coming from a world champion marksman) and
my mom said, “You are your father’s daughter.”
Ok, not going to lie, that made me swell with pride a bit.
We closed off the night celebrating my mom with her favorite
card game – Canasta. Kim and I played
partners. Though she was also taking
care of her babies, so she gave away our 100 point lead in the last hand to
have my parent’s beat us by 2000 points.
My comment to my mom, “She has
been ruining my life…” fell into a laugh.
Probably a good thing that my mom won, but really, she always wins that
game. But it was so much fun to play
with her and my dad.
Robert sent me a package of a really cute fedora (doesn’t he
have great taste?) and a workout band for my iphone. I told him perhaps over a month ago I was
looking for one, and he surprised me with it.
He is a great listener. How did I
get so lucky? Then he sent me an actual
post card!!! It is of the Old Place Plantation
in Gautier, MS. I love the little note
on it!
Sunday, I worked for the first time in the nursery at
church. Thank you for the subbing positions
to still get paid. I then spent the day
chatting with Robert and ended up going to dinner with my sister and her
family. Living in an orchard and
surrounded by no sound (especially when my parents are both gone) really can
get
to your head. I had to escape my
brain. So, it was a nice feeling when
Robert called and helped me to do that.
We have officially survived a month together officially and separated. We realized that he comes home on our
anniversary in October. That is a gift I
am looking forward to getting.
For now, it is back to the grind and frustration of job
hunting. Here is hoping something
pops.
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