Wednesday, September 30

We were up at 6:30 this morning, and I was at the swimming pool by 8 a.m. It took a while for me to leave our driveway, though, thanks to a combination of the vegetation that obstructs my view of the curve in the road to the east, and the early morning sun, which shone so brightly that it blinded me from seeing in that direction. Fortunately, I was able to get on the road safely, despite those obstacles.



Before I left the driveway, a warning came up on my dashboard that the gas cap was missing. Hubbie checked, and sure enough, there was no gas cap...we guess when he filled the van yesterday, he dropped the gas cap at the filling station. As it happened, he had a spare cap....the one that originally came with the van. The one we lost was a lock cap, purchased some months ago.



At the pool, the water was chilly, but felt good once I got used to it. The lady I usually stand beside while doing aerobics was not there today. I learned that her granddaughter, a student at the college, passed out in one of her classes, and is today in our Capital City children's hospital. I hope there is nothing seriously wrong with her.



Back home, I got ready to go, along with Hubbie and Mother, to another town for the memorial service of Granddaughter's partner and father of her children. The service was at 2 p.m., and we arrived about 1:30. In tribute to how well the young man was thought of, there was standing room only at the funeral home where the service was held. Family, of course, had reserved seats.

The service included a slide show of the young man from his birth (1981) to the current time, as well as testimonies from many of the people attending, who related pleasant memories and funny stories of their association with him. It was obvious that he will be sorely missed. We were privileged to be in his company only a few times, but our hearts are wrenched for Granddaughter and the two children, our great-granchildren. It's tragic that this young man's life was cut so short (only 28 years old).

Folks were invited to Son and Daughter-in-Law's house for a reception, but since it was obvious that there would be a large crowd at their small home, we opted to head back home. We stopped at a town about 30 minutes away so that Hubbie could pick up items at a home improvement store.

Then, since it was near supper time for us, and we hadn't eaten since 11 a.m., we decided to eat at a buffet restaurant. We got to the restaurant a few minutes before the prices went up for evening meals, and we left in time to get home before dark.

We were amused with Mother at the restaurant, where I carried her plate while she chose the foods she wanted. She started with baked fish and lots of macaroni and cheese.

"What else would you like?" I asked.

"I suppose I should have some vegetables," she sighed.

Okay. How about glazed carrots? No.

How about green beans? No.

Steamed broccoli? No.

Boiled cabbage? No.

Corn? No.

Salad? No.

What then?

"Well....," she said. "Maybe some fried okra, and (despite the fact they looked sort of dried out) some Lima beans."

We didn't have nearly as much problem choosing at the dessert counter, where she opted for a slice of lemon meringue pie, and piles of M&Ms and chocolate covered gels.

The day was mild, with low humidity, so Shih Tzu was fine in the van. In fact, a cool breeze blowing in the open windows, kept the vehicle comfortable for her. But by late afternoon, she was getting antsy to come home.

Back home, we did the usual...watched TV. It was a long day.