Crazy Friday and Resolved

I've resolved to get my act together and stop procrastinating on travel writing and my darn website... but I'll get to it later.

In the meantime, what day we had last Friday. Also achieved a moment of clarity in regards to owning a cell phone, but first, the day.

I knew there were many things on tap, but knowing something and actually experiencing it are two entirely different matters. I had an optometrist's appointment in the AM, and I usually shoot for as early in the morning as possible so I can get back at a reasonable time for R to head to work. So I got an 8:00 AM, which is pretty unusual. The problem is, I'd forgotten that we also had a show to attend at 10:00 AM at the HOP, and then afternoon story hour at the library.

A was coming down with a cold, so we weren't sure if we would even go to the show, but R had to get to work, so she would bring the kids to meet me, and people felt sick, we'd go straight home. Well, my appointment was shorter than I'd expected, and I was done by 8:20. Time enough to get home if necessary. I was on the verge of driving straight home, then figured I'd call first.

Now just the very act of finding a pay phone is a chore, but once you find one, then you have to deal with trying to use it, if it even works. I finally pulled into a parking lot with a phone and tried to dial home, but realized the call was going to cost me a dollar. Fortunately, the phone was at a laundromat, so I could get change. After pumping the money in, the phone rang and I got the answering machine. Ah! I left a message saying I'd call back in a few.

Well, when I called back, I got the message again, thus burning through another dollar. Finally, on the third try, I got ahold of R. She said A was feeling fine, and that they'd meet me at the Hop for the show. Now I was hesitant to use the cell phone because it costs 25 cents/minute, but it cost me way more in the end to use the pay phone, not to mention the anguish in just finding one. With the cell phone, the call would have cost 50 cents at the most, but instead I spent $3.00. Live and learn.

It reminds me of being in Spain and trying to use the pay phones, what a fiasco. Not only were they hard to figure out, but everyone speaks Spanish. The nerve. In the end, we couldn't even come close to using it. It was actually rather humorous in retrospect.

Anyway, with time to kill, I went into Hanover and ran into DW, who told me he is moving to Oklahoma, sans wife and kids. He found a job out there and is going to spend time in both states. Not sure what to make of all that, but not my idea of a good time. Then again, maybe it is. You do what you need to do, in the end. The world can be a rough place.

I finally met R and the kids at the Hop, and we went to the show, which for the record, was great. It was the Reduced Shakespeare Company, and they do a humorous condensed version of all 37 of Shakespeare's plays, at least I think there are 37. The show was funny, everyone loved it, but you really don't get much of a sense of what Shakespeare is all about, and maybe that's the point. It was really geared towards well-read adults and obnoxiously precocious kids who have some sense of Shakespeare's works. Otherwise, you wouldn't understand the references, which flew by at breakneck speed. Also, the humor was mature and at times crude, but I don't think our kids got it. Yeah, right.

We saw the Macks, and they proceeded to walk right past us. A little chilly, if I may say so. It might have to do with the people we were sitting with, who apparently are not in good standing with the Macks. At least, that's what they told me, so I'm guessing that since I was sitting next to them, AM wasn't about to stop and chat. No big.

After the show, we jetted to the library to get a book for A. I accidentally picked up book three of a series, and she wanted to get #1. Of course, it was checked out, so we put a hold on it.

From the library, we went home for lunch, and chilled until afternoon and after school story time. A loves to go, though N is bit lukewarm to the whole thing. The kids get a snack and hear a story, then make a craft. It's a really nice gig, and best of all, A gets to hang with the kids. And for a bit of serendipity, we found the book #1 that we couldn't find in Hanover. Good to search far and wide.

After the library, it was time to come home and make dinner. Since we were on the road all day, I didn't get to do any of the things I need to do around the house. What a crazy life we lead, I'm looking forward to things calming down, which could be never.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Greg Bialowas and ralu home for the pics.