One morning, the girls (Grace’s offspring) had been parked at Uncle Al’s place, and I was crashed out in the littlest of Leo’s bedroom. I think this was Sunday morning.
It started before 5 AM, a persistent noise of some kind, a beeping that started off softly and gradually got louder. As far as I could determine, it was coming from the empty Scorpio bedroom, and I finally rolled out of bed, and stumbled into the empty Scorpio bedroom and tried to figure out how to shut off the alarm clock.
Fall back in bed. Fall back asleep. Another fifteen minutes, another alarm clock goes off. Fall as back asleep for a few minutes.
What I recall, finally, was Grace, standing in the doorway, holding a third or fourth alarm clock, Grace was looking at the alarm clock in one hand, and the end of the power cord in the other, “It’s unplugged – I don’t know how it’s still beeping.”
More background noise:
Waking up when there’s a flock of youngsters bound for school is different from trying to figure out how to shut off two or three persistent alarm clocks.
The youngest, that littlest Leo, was rather profound, early Monday morning, “Yeah, I’m the youngest, I get blamed for everything. I hope Emimen wins.”
At little later, she noted my attempt at making a bed, “Kramer, it helps when you make the bed? Try putting the blanket on the bed. Just a tip.” (From a 12-year old..)
Bactrack notes:
Don’t ever try to wrestle a Leo, the Leo, for the supper bill. I tried to grab the tab for breakfast at the truckstop. It’s not pretty, getting your ass whooped by a girl.
And furthermore:
Dali coffee on the way to the airport, the desert vistas open and clear under the cool October sky.
“Kenny G!”
“No, it’s Michael Bolton!”
Smart-ass curbside baggage handlers. Still evokes a silly grin.
Teachers on the airplane, too. Tons of teachers, but I was sorely disappointed, ain’t a one of ’em that there partyin’ type.
Home again:
Cat let me know that I was sorely missed, as in singing all night long. During the radio show, she’d pop outside, howl, and then pop back inside to eat, then pop back outside to howl.
