The rest of the Trip to Indiana
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Hi Roy,
I just wanted to be able to write about the rest of our trip as it has been a good one. (and it is not quite over, but darn close.) Yesterday was a full day with visiting with lots of Grandma’s and Mom and Dad’s friends. In the morning I tried to make some coffee at my parents house and it was terribly weak!! My mom only had 1% milk in the fridge (no creamer) so I asked if I could borrow the car to get some creamer. I took my dad’s car (Honda – same year as mine!) I finally got a chance to toke!! I pulled over in the nearby middle school’s parking lot, got out of the car and had a toke. I quickly put it out, wrapped it up, put it away and hurried to the store. There I visited the bathroom, washed up, used mouthwash, and eye drops!! I got my stuff and hurried back to the house. I heard the baby fussing as I returned so I quickly resumed my motherly duties by taking care of the babe. After that I got to shower up and go meet my Grandma for lunch. That time I got to take my mom’s Honda CR-V cuz it had Robert’s carseat in it already and it had room for the stroller in the back. This part you’ll probably sigh over, but that car is wonderful. It moves when I hit the gas, it’s a Honda (which I’m used to already) and it has lots of room inside!! I think I have changed my wanting of a PT Cruiser to a Honda CR-V!! I love her car!! (it has a sunroof too!)
When I got to Grandma’s we went into the lunch hall for lunch. She was so funny about parking the stroller. I parked it behind her cart, and thought we had to walk into the lunch area (She made it sound far from where we parked our cart and stroller.) It was about 5 feet away!! There were only about 2 or 3 tables with people having lunch. Everyone turned and tried to see the baby. I ended up taking him around to each table so people could meet Mr. Robert Joseph!! They all fawned all over him and everyone loved him. He was so good! he slept thru lunch and only woke up at the end. After our lunch (which was quite good) we went back to Grandma’s room. We were supposed to visit for about an hour with eachother and then she had plans to play bridge. Robert got to her place and then started to fuss and cry. Then he had one of those screaming bouts which he couldn’t stop. He cried and cried no matter what I did. Finally I put him on a rocking chair and put pillows next to him to keep him from slumping over and I rocked him to sleep. Grandma ended up calling in a sub for her bridge game and we stayed together for a while more. I fixed a couple necklaces of hers with some extenders and magnetic clasps she had bought. Then we took the baby to her bridge group so the women could all meet him. After that I had to hurry home as Mom and Dad had friends stopping by for the rest of the day. I was to pick Grandma up later for dinner. On my way to get her, again I stopped in the parking lot to toke. My stop only took about 5-6 minutes max and I hurried over to meet her. When I picked her up I noticed on my mom’s clock in the car that I was 10 min. late. My Grandma made (what I thought was sarcastic) the comment that I was real punctual. I winced, thinking that my 5 min. stop may have pissed her off…I appologized for being late, but maybe she didn’t hear me.
Then, guess what we had for dinner? KFC!!! Mom told me that she thinks that they resolved their chicken abuse issue as she had heard of it in the 90’s and stopped eating it then as well. I’d be interested to hear if they have changed their ways. I did partake in the meal and I had my first KFC in over a decade. The meal was really good and my parents friends were wonderful. Everyone loved the baby (of course!!) He got more presents (which means I have more thank you notes to make when I get home!)
Today started out with a breakfast at home, and then we gave the baby a bath with a tub mom had purchased for about $4. The tub wasn’t the greatest, but it did the trick. We placed it on the kitchen table and my dad filmed with his camera. After I washed the baby I let my mom pour water over him to rinse him while I filmed a little with my camera! then the bathtub started to leak water all over the kitchen floor so we quickly cleaned everything up. Then people started to arrive today to visit with the baby. Before anyone showed up, though, I snuck out the front door and toked right on the front porch!! No one noticed, and I came back in and ran upstairs to shower. I cleaned up and came down in time to visit with the first visitors. We sat on the back patio outside and the baby slept in a bassinet that my mom has had since we were kids. Then my Grandma called and wanted to be a part of our relaxing day. So I went to go pick her up. I didn’t stop for my little break on the way to get her this time, worrying that she would become wise to my stopping. So I rushed over and got there RIGHT when I said I’d be there. This time I waited for her. I waited and waited and then I parked the car and got out to see where she was. When I walked in she said OH You’re here!! and I said I had been there waiting. Well, she told me it was only 2:45 at that moment. Well, that meant that the day before I really HAD been punctual, because my mom’s car clock must be about 10 min fast!! *whew!* that means that Grandma hadn’t been sarcastic with me the day before, she had been serious! I had been on time!
OK. So then I got Grandma and on the way back she kept appologizing for ruining my relaxing day by having me come to get her. She was making these poor comments and putting me in a weird mood. She must have noticed cuz she said I wasn’t in a good mood today. I finally told her it was because she kept appologizing and that she did not ruin anything and she needed to quit saying that. So she quit!
We came back to the house and relaxed on the patio for a while chatting. After getting the baby ready we all headed out for Chinese food – my Grandma’s treat. It was pretty good, and on the way to take Grandma home we stopped at her house so I could see it. It was weird going thru the empty, newly painted and carpetted home. The basement was
so much more cleaned up than I had ever seen it. The creepiness from my childhood going into the basement was gone with new flooring going down the stairs. The smell in the house had changed and no longer smelled of my Grandparents. I’m glad I got to see it, cuz it made me feel the end of that era. I still wish I could own that home – or that someone in my family would buy it, but it has changed a bit. That will probably be the last time I get to go in that home. *sigh*
We took Grandma home and then she had to say her goodbyes to the baby. He slept thru the whole thing, but she kissed him and talked to him in Yiddish. She smooched him some more and then she got out of the car. I got out and hugged and kissed her goodbye a few times and then she went inside, got on her scooter and was gone.
We returned home and my dad asked if it would offend me if he went to play poker. I said no, and he showed me how to use the washer and dryer and then he split. I did my launddry and hung out with my mom for the rest of the night. We sat on the porch and talked and then we came inside. We had some pudding and some cherries while we talked in the kitchen and then came upstairs for bed. After I was packing for a short time I remembered my question for her about Haile Sallase I and why she had called him a killer. So I went to her bedroom and we ended up chatting for another hour!! She wants to look up Haile Sallase I because she was unaware that that was the name for the ruler in Ethiopia and thought that was the name of only one man. She told me of the Jews that had to be rescued from Ethiopia because of the horrible oppression and murder that they faced in Ethiopia.. It was in the 90’s that the Jews were rescued from there and taken to Israel. We both plan to research who was the leader in Ethiopia at that time. We then talked about the Jews and charity, and why I should be making Jewish friends and become part of the community. It was a really good talk. I just came back from that talk and finished packing. we are leaving early in the morning for Chicago and to hook up with Phillip and maybe a few other family members for breakfast. Then I fly out. My dad just returned from Poker (he said he won a little bit). He told me to get some rest, so I will shut this computer down now.
I’m looking forward to being back with you, my beautiful husband, and with Dylan. But there is a part of me that got real sad, cuz this is the nicest I’ve felt being home and leaving is a sweet sorrow.
I will see you tomorrow, love.
Love,
ps. Robert has been sleeping a LOT today!! Yesterday he didn’t sleep much cuz of all the visitors and excitement. I hope he hasn’t slept too much today and will get some sleep tomorrow on the trip home!!