Date Makers

Well, Fang’s toenails are pink again. DIL cleaned the pink off his fingernails with nail polish remover last night before she and number one oldest son left on their “date.” Taking the children to Cici’s for pizza—or in little girl’s case, black olives and a couple of brownie bites—just seemed pretty risky with all the rednecks around. The pink toenails are funny, but daughter-in-law’s comment was funnier: “I would never have imagined thirteen years ago that I would be holding your hands and cleaning your fingernails for you.” It IS a little strange, but thirteen years ago he didn’t have a little princess flitting around leading him by her little finger—otherwise known as a granddaughter.

We had breakfast at IHOP this morning. Fang and I always share a big steak omelet because it is too much for one person. They make a good cup of coffee, but McD’s has got them—and everyone else—beat on the coffee front. Sonic makes a caramel latte that is decent, but the whip cream hangs from the roof of my mouth when I drink theirs. Bleah. Probably never saw a cow!

DIL had to pick up something for their fall fair for the pre-school where she is the director. Kids like something called Camp Rock—which has nothing to do with pretty rocks. Anyway, we did a little shopping and found a couple of hoodies for the kids. I had planned to order each grandchild a hoodie from my niece when I ordered them for our students, but these were pretty and actually cheaper than the ones we plan to order. Ours will have the ACC logo on them, but the grandchildren picked out some kind of comic cat and a neat little black one with silky material. Little boy also found a t-shirt that listed his schedule: video games, legos, video games, munchies, computer games, video games….

Oh, and we found a set of beads with plastic string and elastic string for making bracelets, necklaces, and earrings out of cute little hearts, stars, cars, critters, and more smiley faces than I ever thought possible. And yes, I had to string bracelets and attach fasteners. But it kept a little girl still and happy for two solid hours while her daddy studied for a psychology test. Little boy was putting together some kind of Star Wars thing with umpteen gobs of teeny tiny pieces. I understand now why parents used to love wooden blocks. They can be seen; the child can see them to pick them up to be put away; and no one gets a midnight surprise in the foot by stepping on teeny tiny plastic pieces.

The ornery dog was actually IN the yard when we got home, but we let him out to dance around in his happy circles until we got the front door open. He bounced in as the cat scooted out between Fang’s feet. It looked like one of those precision drills where the band members maneuver their trumpets and tubas as they cross-march through the lines—but with music played at 78 rpms.

The answering machine had worked overtime while we were out, so returning calls took a little time. One call wasn’t a return call, however. Our dear friend Janis has torn two muscles in her back messing with a cheap vacuum cleaner that made her pull and push too much for a woman her age. She will turn 74 the day before Halloween. And she can work circles around me and always could. Shaking head…. She is normally a very active and healthy person, but she and her family doctor thought she was having a heart attack the day she hurt her back. She ended up in the emergency room for EKG, ECG, X-rays—who knows, maybe EGGs—and an IV. All of that cost $2200--plus an ambulance bill for the ride from the doctor’s office. She hasn’t even got that bill yet. She is thankful to have Medicare and a full coverage supplement. Somehow I just can’t understand the charges--$700 for the use of the emergency room….

Sitting here wondering when my friend last had cut flowers on her table….I know, living flowers are pretty in the yard, but right now cut flowers say what I want to say. A couple of people I know will be getting roses in the spring for their yards, but roses on her table right now just may be a pretty good perker-upper for our friend Janis. Besides, the armadillos root up things in her yard. These Texas-sized termites eat anything except mesquite trees! Yeppers. Roses on the table will work.