matching tracksuits

Busy Wednesday

Wednesday 30 June 2021

The morning was all about blueberries. We’re drowning in them. We’ve never had anything close to this amount of berries. The birds have left them alone, and although a heavy rainstorm knocked off a substantial number of young berries/blossoms a few weeks ago, we still have so many berries we don’t know what to do with them. We’ve eaten them by the handful, given them to friends, put them in cereal, frozen them, and today, made preserves. (What about cobblers? Well, our oven is currently out of commission — talk about bad timing.)

So while K and the Boy worked on preserves today, I went out and picked a few more berries.

We’re right back where we started from. Except that we have a few jars of preserves now.

Back to Normal

Tuesday 29 June 2021

“I miss Myrtle Beach” was a common refrain today from the Boy. Even though we had (as the kids called it) a crusty hotel, we all enjoyed our time there. Well, the kids enjoyed being there; I enjoyed being with the kids, watching the kids have fun.

Today, we went back to reality, though. Orthodontist appointment, volleyball, swim team. And we cleaned up one of the cars — mine, because it was the most immediately dirty. We’ll get K’s tomorrow.

In the meantime, while we had the pressure washer out, we left a little message in the driveway.

Myrtle Beach 4

Monday 28 June 2021

Back at home, I finally got a chance to download images from the X100. I used my phone for most pictures (even though I always insisted I would never do that), but a few times I pulled out the little digital rangefinder.

Myrtle Beach 3.2

Sunday 27 June 2021

Myrtle Beach 3

Sunday 27 June 2021

Myrtle Beach 2.2

Saturday 26 June 2021

Myrtle Beach 2

Saturday 26 June 2021

When we woke up this morning, it was raining. It’s bad enough that it’s raining when you’re at the beach; it’s even worse when you’re at the beach saying in what the children have come to call a “crusty hotel.”I suppose that’s What you get when you try to save a little money. Because even if you save money one way you’re going to pay for another. Still there is a right side to staying in this crusty hotel: it makes us stay away from it.

So in the morning we head to an aquarium.

In the afternoon when it clears up, we go to the beach.

And in the evening, the SkyWheel.

Myrtle Beach 1

Friday 25 June 2021

WiFi not working at the hotel; cell service not allowing image upload very willingly. At not for want of trying.

In the end, I guess the streak still technically continues.

Thursday

Thursday 24 June 2021

Fresh

Wednesday 23 June 2021

The Girl's first day on the job was yesterday, but she was just shadowing people. "I learned how to restock the ketchup! Thrilling!" she exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm.

Today, she worked on the cash register, which means she had multiple interactions with the public.

"Hi! Welcome to Culver's! What can I get started fresh for you today?"

"Is that what you have to say? Those exact words?" I asked during our conversation after she returned.

"No, we just have to work 'fresh' into it somehow."

"So you could say something like, 'Hi! Welcome to Culver's, home of freshity fresh-fresh freshness!'? Would that work?"

She rolled her eyes as a fourteen-year-old will do.

As for the picture, I had to sneak it.

At the Dentist

Tuesday 22 June 2021

Probably the only thing about the dentist that the Boy enjoys is the fact that he can watch Cartoon Network the entire time.

The only thing I like about it? No cavities.

Hospital Stay

Tuesday 22 June 2021

Dad's been in the hospital since Friday. He was talking such nonsense that it was unbelievable, unable to calm himself, hyperventilating and rocking his head back and forth. In the midst of all that, he had (or was having) a stroke. So he's been in the hospital four nights and four days. He'll likely be discharged tomorrow, and we're hoping he'll land in NHC, where Mom was. Of course, she hated it there, but I don't think he'll be that bad off. He's much more social, and he's not suffering from shingles, so he'll be able to go out into the common area (or be wheeled out there) and talk to people.

At any rate, we need the time to prepare. It's a little like Nana: we don't really know what we're getting ourselves into because we don't know what kind of mobility Dad is going to have. I've been fearing the worst, but I think perhaps my fears were a bit exaggerated? At any rate, we're going to try to get a hospital bed in place and get some help lined up. We're more confident about the former than the latter. We're hoping to get Dad on hospice, but we don't know if he'll qualify.

Everything is up in the air.

Boys’ Lunch

Monday 21 June 2021

After visiting with Papa this morning, E and I decided we needed a boys’ afternoon out for lunch. And when it’s a boys’ afternoon out for lunch, we always choose Mexican. And when we choose Mexican, the Boy always chooses the same thing: enchiladas.

The Girl couldn’t go with us because, well, it was a boys’ afternoon, but also because she had her first day at work. I got to see her in her Culver’s uniform, but I didn’t get to snap a picture. Not yet, at least.

Father’s Day 2021

Sunday 20 June 2021

With Papa in the hospital, the simplest gifts are the best: a visit from the kids made his day.

Saturday

Saturday 19 June 2021

I see in the time machine widget at the bottom of the page that it was ten years ago today that I set the four-by-four posts in concrete to make the supports for our raspberry canes.

The canes are no more; the posts are no more; the carport is no more. Ten years and so many changes.

One week and so many changes.