Quiet and clueless

We've had a very quiet house since yesterday morning. Lori and Austin left for a visit with her parents in NYC after finding out that her dad is facing some health challenges. The timing was amazing, considering that her semester just ended. Here's a beautiful picture of Austin with Lori's dad taken the last time they were there in January. Lori said that Austin did better yesterday than on any previous road trip. His car seat now faces forward instead of backward, so I'm sure that made things a lot more interesting for him and a lot easier for her to communicate with him, hand him things, etc.

When Anthony was Austin's age we took a road trip to visit our friends, John and Elaine Nissley, in northwestern Ontario. That was back in the days before seat belt and restraint seat laws. We had a big Ford van and we basically turned it into a motor home for that trip. We took the middle seat out, put carpet down, curtains at the windows, pillows, blankets, and toys on the floor. For most of that trip Dick and I took turns sitting on the floor playing with Lisa and Anthony. They took naps on the floor, and so did we. It was great. But I guess it wasn't safe. We were so clueless.

Did I say clueless?? That's what I was yesterday at Walmart. After Lori left for New York I went shopping. After I had strolled all over Walmart, through many different departments, I discovered that while I had been browsing in the Intimates department, my cart had snagged a pair of gold, lacy panties that were on a hanger. They were waving like a flag on the side of my cart. (They look huge, don't they? But they really weren't that big.)

I couldn't believe it and quickly unsnagged them and put them into my cart. Then I thought, "I gotta get a picture of that." So I walked down a lonely aisle and hooked them onto the side of my cart again. Then I discovered that people were coming into my lonely aisle. I wasn't about to be caught taking a picture of panties. So I went the other direction in search of another lonely aisle. Just as I snapped this picture I heard people coming behind me, so I tried to slip my phone into my pocket and the panties into my cart as quickly and unnoticeably as possible. And again I went the other direction. I didn't feel like looking at anyone the rest of the time I was in the store just in case they had seen me and thought I was some kind of a pervert. Of course, there was the little issue of needing to take them back to where they came from, hoping that no one who had seen me showing them off on the side of my cart or taking a picture of them was watching me.

Today I spent a good bit of time working on plans for a project I'm hoping to someday accomplish. Time will tell. Like I said, it's a lot quieter around here without Austin. I'm starting to really, really miss him. But I know his other grandma Jean must be enjoying him so much, and I'm happy that she is getting to enjoy him.