The best thing about being retired is that every day is a holiday or Sunday. That's good because Sundays are my busiest day it seems!
Yesterday began with church. That is the norm again after a time when we didn't go regularly.
After church, G suggested we stop for lunch, which I wasn't really wanting to do. I wanted to pick something up and head for home because I had to get Family Dinner started. And, of course, church was late getting out. I was on a tight schedule. The crockpot time for the pork was 6 hours, and I was barely going to make it!
We got home, and I immediately got the two (!!) pork loins and the seasoning into the crockpot all the while relieved that they both fit into one pot. I do two because two of the grandchildren are teens. Katie, the swimmer/water polo player, eats everything that isn't nailed down. She works it off in the pool. Reagan is a typical teen boy, but he could cut down a little on the groceries because he is not active. I will never say that to anyone else - I could skip some groceries myself!
I had gotten a big amount of fresh green beans at the grocery store, and I put them in the second crockpot (so glad I kept it). The reason for the crockpot cookery is that we were going to a local symphony!
I got the salad together, the rolls out of the freezer and everything set out in case we were late coming back -and the kids could just get the things together for the final dinner.
We went to the symphony. It was delicious! That may be a strange description, but it has been SO long since I have been to a live symphony program. The program featured a well-known violinist. He was so great. His performance gave me chills and moved me to tears ar some points. It was such a wonderful experience.
We left at intermission so we would make it home on time, and wouldn't you know it - all the kids were LATE! Oh, well.
The teens hit the food the minute they walked in. Then slowly everyone else made their plates. I was the last to eat, and there was about 1/4 cup of beans left! I can't believe they were consumed like that. I would have thought they would have fed 20 rather than 10 (really 7 because I had not eaten, William (8) and Delaney (6) also had not eaten). There was plenty of pork and salad, but the beans were gone!
Unfortunately, I had to use my teacher's voice. I try to not use that anymore, but when you use it for 29 years, it is still in the background. The youngest two boys (8 and 5) were getting way to boisterous (apt term!). I asked them to stop throwing a shoe at each other once - in a normal tone. When they kept it up, nearly knocking over the lamp and did a glass, that's when teacher Karen came out. I know William (the 8) doesn't really like me because I am not the sweet NieNie (his other grand) who will let him pretty much get away with anything. Well - I am not that person. When he reaches the limit - which doesn't seem to be within him because the other maternal grands (divorce there) also let him run wild. I am the veteran of three others that I kept as babies. They know there are rules of behavior, and I have warmed the butts of at least two of them.
I really hate to be the one who disciplines. Will I do it again? In. A. Heartbeat, It is like with my own kids - I am not your friend, you have plenty of those. Even as a grandparent, I feel that I am also somewhat responsible for teaching them.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Thursday, October 06, 2016
Hello - not from Hawaii
We are not in Hawaii as was the plan. And a plan I was worried about from its inception. I had a bad feeling about this trip.
We got to the airport on Tuesday, went through security without an incident - which for me is amazing - then all hell broke loose.
We were to fly out of gate 45. That gate was at the end of the airport. I almost made the entire trek without stopping, but I finally had to sit! We were, of course, two hours early. The joys of flying.
We were sitting there reading (and starving since it was 1pm and lunch was to be on the plane), when the announcement was made that we would be boarding out of Gate 18,
One must remember we were at the Houston Intercontinental Airport. It. Is. Huge. So off we went. We got about half way (probably a mile - no kidding!) when my back decided I had abused it enough. I stopped at the handicapped area and said I needed to go the rest of the way on a cart. You see, Gate 18 was at the OPPOSITE end of the airport.
When we got there, it was wall to wall people. That was when I really got a bad feeling. The gate we were supposed to be in was not to Los Angeles but to Orange County. The next one was to Washington.
To cut to the chase - our plane was over an hour late. Normally that would be just a minor irritation. In this case - a disaster. We wouldn't make out connecting flight to Hilo. Apparently, we were not the only ones on the flight to LA because they told us to go to customer service (and that is most definitely an oxymoron),
G trudged off to Customer (dis)Service. We were told we (1) would be put up in a hotel if we missed our connection and fly our the next day, or (2) we could fly to LA, change planes and fly to San Francisco, then change planes and fly to Honolulu, and then change planes and fly to Hilo. We save our pennies and fly first class because we don't fit into the 18 inch seats in coach. Yes, it is horribly expensive, but we simply don't fly often (wonder why). We would not have our first class seats with any of the choices offered.
SO - we cancelled the flight. Getting our checked luggage back took another two hours. Son in law came back and brought us home.
What a nightmare that was. I was a little relieved I have to admit. I don't know what the rest of the trip would have had in store for us. It could have gotten so much better, or this could have just been the beginning. Who knows, but I am in the comfort of my own home, sleeping in my own bed!
We got to the airport on Tuesday, went through security without an incident - which for me is amazing - then all hell broke loose.
We were to fly out of gate 45. That gate was at the end of the airport. I almost made the entire trek without stopping, but I finally had to sit! We were, of course, two hours early. The joys of flying.
We were sitting there reading (and starving since it was 1pm and lunch was to be on the plane), when the announcement was made that we would be boarding out of Gate 18,
One must remember we were at the Houston Intercontinental Airport. It. Is. Huge. So off we went. We got about half way (probably a mile - no kidding!) when my back decided I had abused it enough. I stopped at the handicapped area and said I needed to go the rest of the way on a cart. You see, Gate 18 was at the OPPOSITE end of the airport.
When we got there, it was wall to wall people. That was when I really got a bad feeling. The gate we were supposed to be in was not to Los Angeles but to Orange County. The next one was to Washington.
To cut to the chase - our plane was over an hour late. Normally that would be just a minor irritation. In this case - a disaster. We wouldn't make out connecting flight to Hilo. Apparently, we were not the only ones on the flight to LA because they told us to go to customer service (and that is most definitely an oxymoron),
G trudged off to Customer (dis)Service. We were told we (1) would be put up in a hotel if we missed our connection and fly our the next day, or (2) we could fly to LA, change planes and fly to San Francisco, then change planes and fly to Honolulu, and then change planes and fly to Hilo. We save our pennies and fly first class because we don't fit into the 18 inch seats in coach. Yes, it is horribly expensive, but we simply don't fly often (wonder why). We would not have our first class seats with any of the choices offered.
SO - we cancelled the flight. Getting our checked luggage back took another two hours. Son in law came back and brought us home.
What a nightmare that was. I was a little relieved I have to admit. I don't know what the rest of the trip would have had in store for us. It could have gotten so much better, or this could have just been the beginning. Who knows, but I am in the comfort of my own home, sleeping in my own bed!
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