It meant we had to pretend it was just like getting up for Sunday school, and leaving at 8:30. This also included the added bonus of me getting up at 6:00 to start a big pot of chili for lunch--we were having soup-and-sammiches for the lunch break, so that had to be done.
And then the race was on to get everyone up and ready and downstairs and fed and a load of clothes thrown into the washing machine and all of us out the door.
Believe it or not, we actually managed to leave the house at 8:30, although not without several of my bolts blowing off like you see in those submarine movies when they dive too deep. After all, we only had a pot of chili with us, and no crackers or sandwiches or tea or stuff like that.
But, despite that, there was something even better than managing to leave on time.
Got to the building, and the parking lot was empty save for two cars. “Reba--was it supposed to start at nine or ten!?”
She looked defensive and perplexed, and said, “Well, I THOUGHT it was nine!”
Got up there, and in one of those marvelous happy things that never happen, we found out we were THIRTY MINUTES EARLY! It didn’t start until 9:30, meaning that WE WERE EARLY! WOO-HOO! So, I had time to run back to the grocery store up the road and get some sandwiches and crackers and tea and stuff! Oh that we could be early like that all the time! Or, even a majority of the time. Or, maybe 10% of the time. Or, maybe, ever.
Ah, well, one’s pretty nice, no matter what.
As for the topics, it was a bit of a potpourri, the theme of which was something of a how-to guide for a variety of circumstances. The first two were about marriage and about children, then the two after lunch were on grieving and helping others who are in grief. Then, there were two lessons on Sunday about Christianity and Islam, and one about becoming and being a Christian. Sort of an odd mix in one way, but it was still very helpful.
Got home late both days, although Saturday required another trip BACK to the building to drop off Oldest to go ice skating with the other teens while we went and did some shopping for girl clothes for the other two and hair cutting for Boy. And, of course, there was ANOTHER trip back later Saturday night to pick Oldest up. And the Check Engine light came on in the van. And the kid’s bathtub faucet has started leaking. And we’re still only halfway through with the laundry. And Reba’s dad had to go in to the hospital this morning to check on the stents in his heart (they replaced one, might have to do two more). And Catherine has come down with an earache that requires her to constantly whimper. And I have to leave early today to go pick them all up, because Grandmom’s still going to be at the hospital, and Reba has to take Oldest for her orthodontist appointment. And at lunch today I mistakenly threw away the plastic basket my food came in because I got all distracted.
But, I do have two new car magazines to read!
Sometime.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at January 23, 2006 01:07 PMWhat did you have for lunch?
Posted by: Larry Anderson at January 23, 2006 01:45 PMIt wasn't plastic.
Posted by: MarcV at January 23, 2006 01:48 PMOh, forgot--I had a "Philly steak" sandwich at the gyro place we go to sometimes. It would be as foreign in Philadelphia as it would be in Beirut. But it was still good.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at January 23, 2006 01:57 PM