March 22, 2004

• Checking in

  You guys HAVE to hear how this trip is going. So much has happened that if I try to write it all you'll be telling me that it's TOO long to read in one day. Well, keep in mind it took me two days to live it okay?

  The time in Athens was fantastic. I love to visit with Faith, I had been a little worried that my boys would be a bit "much" for those sweet little girls. I need not have been concerned. The kids got along famously. The Knutsens had planned a hayride through the woods down nature trails with fabulous views and interesting things to study and enjoy. We hiked down to a cave that had a waterfall coming over the lip. Then we followed a stream in a time of "explore". Faith is so laid back and comfortable with her kids, I'm envious next to her. I was clucking over mine, saying such silly things as "try not to get too wet." I know it was silly, because Tucker took my cautions as suggestions. He climbed over a (small) cliff and waded in the stream to waist deep.

  Michael said, "Mom, remember how I said that going on vacation to visit your friend sounded like boring grown-up stuff? I was wrong, this is great for kids." Michael also said something else while we were tramping around among the leaves that I've been thinking about. I should mention that it's a personal policy with Michael to supply a constant stream of chatter to enhance his environment. If he's quiet, he's asleep. He tells stories about cartoon characters, makes up riddles, whatever enters his head comes immediately out of his mouth. Out in the woods on Saturday, he said, "If you're very quiet and still, you can feel the earth rotate beneath you."

  Yesterday, we had a bit of car trouble. Okay, a little more than a BIT. We were driving up a hill in Maryland when suddenly I lost power. I pulled over and watched as all the quarts of oil in the engine ran out from beneath. No need to panic. I had my cell phone, I had my triple A card. With those handy instruments I was able to arrange for a tow truck to come for us. While we were waiting for the tow truck, a man stopped and offered his assistance. I explained that the problem was beyond what I thought we could fix on the side of the road. He crawled beneath the car and said it looks like the rear seal is blown. I''m hoping hoping hoping that I was able to get stopped before the engine was irreparably damaged. If not, I'll be asking for donations!

  The kind stranger offered to stay with us until the tow truck arrived. We had to wait about a half hour and twenty minutes into that wait, I got another surprise. The stranger proposed to me. Seriously. I mean I would have treated it as a joke but he seemed so very sincere. I told him that I must decline his generous offer. I think I let him down gently, but he insisted that I should take his business card with his name and number just in case I should change my mind.

  I had called mary by then so I knew that she and Chris were on their way to retrieve us. When I called my parents to check-in and lt them know why we were going to be a bit later on the road than I'd expected, my Dad wanted to know how old was this fellow who wanted to marry me (older than me, but I'm not good at guessing ages - I'd think upper 40s). Dad thought that was a point toward the probability that he was sincere, because he's too old to think of marriage as a laughing matter. When I checked in with my other friend who was waiting yesterday to hear that we had arrived, I was asked detailed question about the vehicle the man was driving. It was a truck. The detail elicited a lecture on the need for me to pay a little more attention to such things as a means of juding whether or not it is a proposal I should accept. Okay, I offered, it was a black truck. Still not good enough. I failed the "lets be observant" test.

  The tow truck driver was nice. He gave us the tour of the Cumberland Gap. So here's what I noticed about that. As we are driving through the gorge beside the raging river and below those magnificient cliffs, there is a place called the "Lover's Leap Lounge." Only, it was at the bottom of the cliff. Does that strike anyone else as sick? You don't have the lounge at the top where the lover can have a final drink before walking on the air, no, nothing like that. The lounge is at the base where the idle curious can watch the doomed one land. 0_o

  Well, it's an interesting world. And be thinking about that donation ...

  • 7:01 am
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