Gas Prices

The whole country is up in arms over fuel prices. Rightly so. It impacts every area of our lives.

I am lucky that I have a fuel-efficient car and since I work from home, my gas consumption is far below the norm.

Wouldn't it be nice if people took this challenge and made some changes? Instead of bopping to the mall or running around town, what if they ate in and played board games? Instead of plotting and planning a family vacation, what if they camped out in the family room or the back yard?

What if? Maybe instead of the resort, the kids could catch fireflies or teach the dog a new trick. How about hide and seek or tag? Do kids play this anymore? Instead of driving to endless destinations, maybe a book might be a fun diversion.

In every struggle, there's supposed to be a silver lining. Maybe the silver lining is learning that happiness is not in driving or flying somewhere. Maybe it's right there in your home. Maybe it's a dog that learns to shake your hand. Maybe it's a spirited board game. Maybe it's a DVD that crosses generations. Maybe it's going through photo albums and saying, "Look at you!"

This is easy for me to say because the children of this house are grown. However, we did have them both in the same room last Sunday. We did not use a bunch of gas. We threw a tenderloin on the grill and played board games. I highly recommend it.

Relocating

Sometimes I get jealous of the husband and the many places he has lived. Other than college, I have lived in this city my entire life.

The daughter now lives in Texas. The baby is still in his first year of college but I have no doubt he will venture off. One part of my heart applauds this; the other part dreads it. We encourage them to have their adventures but the white underbelly part of me is always thinking, "Please come home."

The husband and I have made choices. Some right; some wrong. We've both turned down promotions because the caveat was relocating. Eventually we may choose to downsize and the husband may get his condo in a warm weather city.

But I am parochial and a creature of habit. This is my village.

Going Home

We referred to the Belle's funeral as her homecoming. Her heart and soul belonged to the people and the land of Mississippi. I don't know what I believe about the afterlife, i.e. what the deceased can see or experience of the rest of us still left on earth. I hope she could feel the love.

Yesterday, I went home. I haven't lived there for many years (or decades) but somehow, it's still home. That pesky guilt troll lands on my shoulder and reminds me that I don't go there enough. There is no excuse. But I've spent an awful lot of time with oldies issues.

We had a game day. I think it's called "The Joker" and I highly recommend it. It's a lot like Aggravation but you use playing cards and it's more strategic. My aunt, my parents and I played it for hours. I made lots of mistakes but the most horrible one was telling my father of my latest quirk. He made fun of me for the rest of the day. (Don't tell people your weaknesses.) I belly laughed. I avoided the biting dog and played with the fun one.

I grew up playing board games. I can still picture Wild Bill playing Aggravation or Yatzee with us and he would get irritated. I'm not sure if his frustration was in losing or the fact that my friend was eating all of his treats while we played. He used to ask her, "Do they feed you at home?" She would gigle and grab another handful.

Mental games are not my strength. With me, you will know where you stand. I would be horrible at Poker.

I think of myself as a non-competitive person but I wanted to win.

The laughter and memories give me strength. I walk in their door and feel my stress ease. I am home.

They're Off!

The oldies have actually left on their trip. I sort of kicked them out the door with my constant comments, "What can I do to help you pack?" "Do you need me to load the car?" I had a little meltdown on Saturday when she showed up with grocery bags. Yes, I did say, "I thought you were leaving on your trip. Why do we need all these groceries?"

**WARNING** They are in Nashville, TN at the moment and headed for Mississippi in the next couple of days. When she told me they were leaving on Sunday and would not make Mississippi until Wednesday (at the earliest,) I figured they're going via Canada. But, I kept my mouth shut.

The first two hours of their trip involved returning home twice. Once, she thought she had forgotten her cell phone but it was in her purse the entire time. The second time, she had forgotten her cash. Maybe they stash it under the mattress. If she has her handbag, how can she not have the cash?

Big Daddy did the happy dance. Then we made a bet. I know she has many people to see and plans to visit and gallivant for at least two weeks, maybe three. He thinks the Unabomber will berate her repeatedly to come home and be comfortable in his own bed. He's probably right but I'm hoping not.

The only thing that will keep him away is the fact that he hates the dog. If she even walks by him, he says, "Go away dog!" (I once tried to teach him her name but it took him a couple of years to remember my name so I've given up on that.)

When I was loading their car yesterday, I said, "By the way, I'm sending Gabby with you for protection." The mother-in-law thought this was very funny. He didn't get it.

They've been gone less than 24 hours and I'm hearing phantom sounds. I sit in my office and think I hear them coming down the hallway. I woke up last night and thought I heard them in the kitchen. About the time I get used to Big Daddy and I having the house to ourselves, they will return.

Even though I gripe all the time, I'll probably welcome them with open arms. And, I'll probably owe Big Daddy $5.