Late Post Halloween Report

Yesterday went long and relaxing this morning threw me off my pace today...when I write at night, you know its been a "different" day. And as I write, I have one eye on the clock to make sure I am to run down to the basement to get my clothes in the dryer. Last week at this time I was in the dark from the power outrage and rescued my clothes from the washer, but used old time air drying in lieu of the dryer. It has been that kind of week.

I decided to take my book - my saving grace today - RUN by Ann Patchett. I sat in bed and read this morning until 10-ish. Then I called the parents to tell them I would be at their respective homes around 11:30-12. I was going to do my normal morning routine - checking my daily web sites and my email and I found that I had 120+ emails that were all spam. I had some clean up and virus scanning to do, and then next thing I knew - out of time for checking or writing.

But I loved my book reading. The first thing I have really enjoyed over the few weeks.

I got to "the home" to find that the remote batteries were dead. Father had some, but he and they were at "the house" and mother needed Kleenex - also at "the house", so I walked over to pick up and delivery. The remote was fixed, mother has tissues and I suggested we both read our books...which we did until sister #3 and niece #2 showed up from NYC. My mood snapped to say the least. I offered to take niece #2 to the bus station so she could get back to Smith and in the process it looks like I will be receiving a ticket by mail for trespassing... I pulled into the bus station, but I pulled into the bus section. The security attendant knocked on my window and shared that information with me. Did I say my mood snapped earlier, it re-snapped at that point. I did get my niece to the bus station on time, but I wonder how much it is going to cost me? Then to add salt to wound, sister #3 asked for a coffee on my way back. The dreaded Starbuck's run! I hate the place, the people, everything about it. And there I was picking up her coffee. Then back to "the home" to deliver the coffee and see sister #5 and niece #4. They had a field hockey game at Miss Porter's so stopped on the way. Using mother's illness to get out of riding on the school bus. A good news, bad news deal. Sister #5 left and I followed quickly. Mother and sister #3 thought I was off to the game, but I was off to the bus station to see what the signs had to say - I went from 0-60 with bad news about what the signs might say and what the Post 9/11 trespassing on bus station grounds fine might be. I was feeling it could be thousands. I drove back to the "scene of the crime" and no numbers posted - just said cars would be ticketed and towed. I will wait and see what I get in the mail before I panic anymore or "prepare my case". After surveying the scene, a "coincidence" had me a few blocks from the Cathedral a few minutes before Mass. After two or three weeks of missing mass, I guess I was meant to go today. I was desperate for a quiet, calming place to sit for an hour and collect my thoughts. After church I did head to the game in time to see niece #4 play/sister #5's team win.

Testing my decision making again, I then had to decide - work, home, grocery store, restaurant for something to eat? I decided I would kill two birds on the list - work and get something to eat. Dinner is served until 7 p.m. and I would be at school by 6 p.m. So a couple of hours of work and something to eat. It was a productive two hours. I did miss a phone call at work from a co-worker who is in NC visiting her daughter and they ventured up to Chapel Hill for dinner and she called me from one of my favorite haunts. So not fair! I so do not want to be in this part of the world at this point in time and she reminds me of NC and sitting outside eating dinner on Nov 1!!! Again lucky, I have Nov 8 to look forward to.

Got home to take my laundry basket out of my car - my routine for the last three Saturdays. Driving around with my laundry all day thinking I will get it done at my parents' house and ending up taking it to the basement on my return home - yet to be done. Tonight unlike the other two nights, I found both washers full of someone else's clothes and nobody in sight. So I removed the clothes, put them on top of the dryers and fill up both washers with my clothes. Luckily still no one on sight when my clothes were done so the owner of the aforementioned clothes will not be the wiser. He or she will find his or her clothes in the washer just like he/she would expect. The joys of apartment building laundry room roulette.

So I am now writing, drinking hot chocolate, listening to the Texas-Texas Tech game, waiting for my wash to be dry, turning my clocks back, and I hope I finally am up long enough to watch SNL. We will see.

Tomorrow - finish my book, into "the home", sister #4 due up to visit, sister #3 is here for a few days. I am going to limit my exposure to her and Starbucks as much as I can...

But let me flashback up to finish my Friday. Productive day at work, then into "the home" but on the way I thought I would take a walk and enjoy the incredible weather. So I headed to Blue Back to see how other people were enjoying the day when my phone rang. It was my son. He was standing in line at the Halloween store (didn't I tell you he loved Halloween) and would I get on the computer and check something for him. There I was near the public library so I started running. Ran inside, got a password, ran to the computer lab, but by the time I did all that he had called someone else for the answer. But the good news is - I now have my password for the West Hartford Public Library which could come in handy since I am spending so much time in WH at "the home" and "the house". Even if "the home" is only until Tuesday. Then I hustled back to "the home" and I had just sat down when my co-worker called and she said she needed me earlier to help her cover the house while she went to get one of the kids at football. Her house was a madhouse - kids everywhere - but also lasagna, bread and salad! It was a fun way to end a week that had been trying.

Bad family day, but a good reminder for me to keep my shield up and protect myself.

Bad day for UCONN football.

Have a good Sunday.