Back home again

WE GOT UP AND LEFT DECATUR EARLY ENOUGH TO GET TO THE AUCTION SO DARRELL COULD CHANGE THE SPARK PLUGS BEFORE EVELYN NEEDED TO ARRIVE AT PAULINE’S. WHEN WE GOT THERE, DARRELL PUT US INTO THE WORK BAY WHERE DOUG CHANGED THE PLUGS. THE CHARGE WAS $26 AND WE DISCOVERED THE PLUGS WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR ANOTHER 25K. THIS UPSET ME BECAUSE I TAKE THINGS TO DARRELL BECAUSE HE DOESN’T CHARGE A GREAT DEAL AND DOES ONLY WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. HE COULD HAVE TOLD ME HE WAS TOO BUSY AND I WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD. IT IS OVER NOW AND I COULD NEVER DISLIKE DARRELL. HE HAS BEEN TOO GOOD TO US IN THE PAST, BUT I AM DISAPPOINTED. I HAD FORGOTTEN MY CHECKBOOK SO I DIDN’T PAY HIM. EVELYN KEPT BRINGING THAT UP SO WHEN I DROPPED HER OFF, I WENT BACK AND PAID HIM CASH. THAT IS WHEN I LEARNED THE ENTIRE STORY. WHEN I RETURNED TO PAULINE’S, I LEARNED THAT ELAINE, THE THIRD FRIEND, HAD NOT ARRIVED SO PAULINE INVITED ME TO EAT HER SHARE OF THE BRUNCH SHE HAD PLANNED. IT WAS DELICIOUS AND A MARVELOUS FEAT FOR A WOMAN WHO WOULD NEVER HAVE ATTEMPTED THIS KIND OF THING A YEAR AGO. ELAINE DID ARRIVE AND I PLAYED ON PAULINE’S COMPUTER WHILE THEY VISITED UNTIL 1. WE LEFT AND RETURNED TO THE COACH FOR A SHORT NAP AND THEN WENT TO BERNE TO VISIT AND HAVE DINNER WITH MOM. EVELYN AND I SHARE A DINNER WHEN WE GO. MY PORTION PLUS WHAT MOM DOESN’T WANT AND WHAT EVELYN DOESN’T WANT MAKES ME QUITE FULL. I CAN’T IMAGINE THE VOLUME OF FOOD THAT WE WOULD HAVE IF WE ORDERED A MEAL FOR EACH OF US. THE FOOD IS ALWAYS DELICIOUS AND ALWAYS INCLUDES ICE CREAM WHEN REQUESTED. MOM AND EVELYN ALWAYS ASK. WE WENT TO MOM’S ROOM AND PLAYED CRAZY 8 AGAIN. EVEN THOUGH MOM OBVIOUSLY SUFFERS FROM ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, SHE IS REMARKABLY SHARP. SHE WON SEVERAL GAMES AND WAS ABLE TO ADD MANY CARDS TOGETHER. WE REALLY ENJOY OUR VISITS WITH HER. WE HAVE THOUGHT OF SELLING THE LAST TWO SETS OF FOOTBALL TICKETS AND GOING TO THE GULF COAST TO HELP WITH RECOVERY EFFORTS. WE WILL LIKELY KEEP THE FIRST ONE, HOWEVER, JUST SO WE CAN COME BACK TO SAY GOOD-BYE FOR THE WINTER. WE CAME BACK AND WATCHED TV UNTIL TIME TO RETIRE.