But, it's Wednesday.
WHAAAAT?
On Tuesday, Jim had a meeting in the town where his parents live, and he wanted Joshua and I to come down there after Therapeutic Recreation...and spend the night at the Lakehouse with him. And them.
Or, as they say around here, with "Jim 'n' nem."
Which, I don't really mind going down there...I love my in-laws. But in the middle of the week? With my routine-loving son? It just about did me in.
"I didn't now we were doing THIS tonight."
"I hope I have enough hankies."
"I didn't bring my phone charger...dahn-it."
"I hope Maggie will be okay without us tonight."
"Did you tell Holly we were going? Want me to?
"I wonder what I will take for lunch tomorrow?"
"Did you bring any cake?"
"Did you bring my drink?"
"I didn't bring my Bible or my notebooks or my quiet time stuff...but I can pray anywhere."
You get the idea.
Jim bribed me sweetened the offer by telling me that we could drive to Clark's college, and meet him for dinner.
OKAY!
So, I picked up Joshua from TR, and we headed down there. It's 1 1/2 hours from our house to Jim's parent's house...but it's just about 55 minutes from the TR Center to their house. Joshua talked the ENtire way. NON.STOP.
We got there, and then all jumped in the "handy van" to go see Clark. Jim's parents have this van...and it is so nasty.
No, really.
It is so gross.
As soon as we opened the door, a smell came out that almost made me lose my cookies. I didn't say anything at first. But then JOSHUA gets in and goes, "WHAT REEKS?"
There's your sign.
I sat in the way-back, which is a treat in and of itself. I don't know who sat back there the last time...but there was a child-sized drink from the Olive Garden...and the entire inside of the cup was black with mold...and what was left of the drink at the bottom of the cup? IT WAS IN CHUNKS.
GREEN CHUNKS.
And I had to ride in the way-back with that little science experiment.
There was so much trash on the floor of the van...you couldn't even see the floor. I'm not even kidding. I discretely got my phone out to take a picture...just so I could, ya know, show our friends and family, and JIM...but before I could take a picture, my mother-in-law took her right foot...and she started shoving the stuff on the floor up under the console between the two front seats. And then? She threw a pillow on top of it.
Because that makes it all okay?
WE ALL STILL KNOW IT'S THERE.
AND IT'S ALL UNDER A PILLOW.
And there's a pillow...in the handy-van...ON THE FLOOR.
Jim drove, and his dad sat in the passenger seat. Jim's mom and Joshua sat in the middle seats...and I sat in the back. Everything Jim's mom would say, Jim's dad would say something very similar...only about 5 minutes later. He can't hear, but it's like he either saw what she saw...the thing that made her comment in the first place...or he kinda heard part of what she was saying, and then made his own comment based on that.
Like stereo.
Old people stereo.
She would say something. Five minutes later, he would basically say the same thing...and then she would inform him that she had just said that. But he wouldn't hear her, so she would repeat it louder and LOUDER until he DID hear her.
Jim and I would make eye-contact in the rear-view mirror, and we would both roll our eyes.
We met Clark at a restaurant for dinner. My father-in-law can't hear, and he talks REAL LOUD. Oh, my...it was a treat. Lest you think I'm exaggerating, I'll just let you know that every person in the restaurant was craning to to stare at the family at the back table.
We were the family at the back table.
I know you probably think I'm terrible, talking bad about my father-in-law...but he's a stinker. He goes to "exercise" 3 days a week as part of his physical therapy. They always check his vitals before he starts, and if something is "off," they will tell him he can't exercise that day. Or they will tell him he can only do certain things.
Well, my father-in-law is pretty head-strong. He's gonna do what he wants to do. He's got them convinced that he can't hear at all. He told us, he actually told us, that when they start talking to him about stuff he doesn't want to hear...he will start talking about something that has nothing to do with the conversation.
Like, they will be talking to him about his blood pressure...and he will start telling some fish tale story about growing up in "Looo-zana," and his adventures as a boy...and then he will just walk off, and do what he wanted to do in the first place.
He said that, on Monday, he did that...and walked off...and one of the other old men working out there, turned to the employee and yelled, "HE CAN'T HEAR."
Bahahahahahahaha!
We had a great visit with Clark. He told me that he got the package I sent him...the big hunk of left-over cake from the baby shower. He called it "manna from Heaven." This morning, I saw where he had sent me a picture text at 12:30 IN THE MORNING. It was a picture of him eating a big bite of that cake.
GO TO SLEEP, SON.
Jim and I had a hard time sleeping last night. He said he drank too much tea, and was all hyped up. Joshua slept like a baby, but Jim and I were up at 3 a.m. Jim woke up because he couldn't sleep. And I woke up because Jim woke up...and then when I woke up, I looked around and thought, "WHERE AM I?"
And it's now almost 11 o'clock at night. You do the math, but it equals CRANKY.
I am excited to sleep in our own bed tonight! :)
"I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!" Psalm 139:7
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