(In fact, if you’re related to me, you should skip this post altogether, OK?)
But first, a spider update: I am sad to inform the Internet that Stevie the Spider died today at approximately 11:45 PM, eastern time. The cause of death was a 40 pound beagle/corgi mix believed to be a bounty hunter working for a woman in Cheesecake City. The bounty hunter could not be reached for comment because everytime we tried to reach her, she rolled over to avoid being picked up….
(Yeah, some bounty! Booper was rewarded with a Mini Chewriffic Beef & Cheese Flavor).
Film at 11. Oh, wait, it’s nearly midnight….Film later!
Tuesday I spent the day with my grandmother, who is my mom’s mother. She is of a fairly advanced age but she still gets around pretty well and her mind is very clear. I mean, she’s remembered that I like penguins and broccoli for the last 28 years so she’s doing just fine. We didn’t do anything spectacular but that was fine. I picked up Long John Silvers for lunch, we sat on the back patio and enjoyed the nice Indiana afternoon. I got to see two of my mom’s siblings for the first time in awhile. They weren’t there for long which was good because I wanted Grandma to myself. My mom is the youngest of 5 and I’m the 3rd youngest grandchild (of around a dozen grandchildren). I always try to call Grandma as often as possible, usually every week or two and chat with her about whatever is going on with us and whatever is new in her world.
* Stop reading now. Consider yourself warned *
Now that she’s getting on in age, she doesn’t leave the house much. She doesn’t drive anymore, which is a good thing, but when I was younger she was always good for a ride to school if I overslept. One year on my birthday I came home from school to find a helium balloon and a tiny birthday cake and card on my front stoop. Grandma had dropped it off.
Since I only come home twice a year, it stands to reason that if something sad happens I’ll probably be here. I wanted to make sure I had a really good visit with her this time – she’s in pretty good health and she’s of sound mind – just in case. I want to be able to remember very clearly our visit that day – just in case. I wanted her to know just how much everything she’s done for me have meant to me – just in case. I wanted to make my peace with the hard facts of life – just in case.
It’s what I hate about moving here – the night before I really moved here, when my old bedroom was empty of the furniture I was having moved here, I laid down on the floor in my old room and wept like, well, like something very bad. I didn’t have cold feet when I got married but I had frozen toes when they were loading the moving van to move my stuff here and it had everything to do with my Grandma.
I talked to her today because my mom’s spending the night at her house (and I needed assistance on a totally unrelated culinary matter). Grandma has a cold and, frankly, sounds terrible. They both reassured me that it’s nothing, but I have a primo writer’s imagination and a tendency toward thinking dark or unhappy thoughts.
But back to my real subject…After I left Grandma’s I came home to wait for Brandy to come over and take me to dinner at Grindstone Charley’s. Again, we had an awesome time catching up. I apologize for not going into more hopelessly boring detail (the entire travelogue is really just to help my poor memory but you’re welcome to read along) but the earlier stuff really has taken it out of me.