Vacation and a Big Surprise

On Tuesday, I carefully finished packing the car, going over the last minute list, and doing up the last bit of laundry. Using up that last bit out of the liquid laundry jug caused an overflow, but I just let it flow onto the dirty towels on the floor and draped them on stuff in the garage with a literal note to myself: dirty towels.

By 3pm, I was on the road, with the door locked, kitty food set out, and AC set at 80 degrees. I was so proud of the fact that we might come home to an old dozen eggs, but the milk was all gone, and the frig quite bare. Even if we had a power outage, we would not lose much.

I picked up Bob after work, after a quick stop at the chiropractor, and Bob tried to find the way out of town a different direction: south to Austin. For we were on our way to see the granddaughter who was staying with her maternal grandparents whilst her folks celebrated their fifth in Hawaii. (more later---Bob has to use the printer)

We made it to Austin, found our newish Best Western (supposedly supporting Arizona) and were given a third floor room even though we requested a first floor. We no more got in our room, set our bags down, and set the AC going for about ten minutes when the power went out. We lay down on the bed to wait. And started sweating, but Bob promised if we lay real still...(the window had no screen) and we fell asleep. The power came back on about midnight, with AC and lights, thankfully. But, the tub was so slippery, I was afraid to use it. And the pool was nasty.

We so enjoyed visiting our daughter-in-law's parents and seeing our granddaughter. At three and a half, she has grown so tall, and changed so much since Christmas. She has a vivid imagination, and needs no toys as she pretends to set a bowl in an imaginary washer and punch an imaginary button. Imitating all she has seen, and even with just a rolled up blanket, pretended it was a baby. She had plenty of toys, and she had relationships with all of them. "You are the doll in the book," she told the Barbie dressed as the character in the book her grandmother wrote.

Our son and his wife flew back and told us all about Hawaii. Did not quite sell me on wanting to go, but it looks pretty. I am so glad they got to see the places they planned.

On Friday morning, after kissing everyone goodbye, we motored home from Austin up 35 and I talked Bob into stopping at the new Collin Street Bakery in Waco, and the Czech kolache place in West, Texas. (we pronounce it West coma Texas). Once we got onto I-30, fifteen minutes from the house, I start making the want list in my mind...as we are outa milk, orange juice, etc. Remember I had left the frig empty and the cupboards bare...and we pull up in the drive, grab stuff for a first load, and as Bob unlocks the front door, we hear the phone ringing. Bob grabs the phone and hands it to me as the first smell of fresh paint hits our noses. It was Ben calling, and we had made plans to eat supper at Cracker Barrel with him, as he likes their Friday night special catfish. Wow---the walls are freshly painted, but the furniture has been all put back, and yet pictures are off the walls...we were amazed! And Ben admitted he was the one who so blessed us. wow. We took him out to supper, and he told us the tale. And Bob found the note he'd left, "from the paint fairy---Bob has blogged about that already---but he laughed and laughed out loud when he found the fancy note which we will frame.

Twenty hours. Three coats. And the kilz musta changed their formula, as Ben said it took three coats, and he was starting to panic, as he was running out of time. He went to work one day with only one hour sleep. And his adventure of packing all the trash in his car, and making a U turn on Division street when he realized he'd left the AC on and it would be right in front of Arlington's finest. She let him off with a warning despite it being 4am, and he is covered in paint, and a car full of trash bags...

It is like I now have a fresh canvas. Freshly painted walls. What to hang up, and what to put away in the closet. My walls used to be so cluttered, because I knew we'd paint someday, so I had gone overboard with pictures of the kids.

Come to find out Ben did tell James and Amber, as he was wondering what color. I don't know if they advised white, or what, but I went ahead and let James and Amber know that next time---if the tile fairy asks, how I'd like the floor, or if the stove fairy comes---just four electric burners.

Thank you, Ben !