Vacationing in United Grocery

Princess Kate likes to wait for Randy to get out of the shower every morning...on his pillow. I am ready to see my doggies, and my little red-headed step-child, Libby, who has missed me very much.

I was chatting with the "coffee girl" as they call the woman who is older than I am as she was making my latte this morning. I told her the highlight of my day is to come to United to email and get my latte, and she was so gracious and thanked me so much. Okay...what does that tell you? I know I am pretty dependent on my online world, emailing, blogging, researching, etc. The United Grocery has free wireless, so it is my little respite (and air conditioned at that!) every morning. I pick up "fixin's" for lunch and supper when I finish. I know it is strange, but I love grocery stores, and United does have pretty produce. I also can get my Mountain Valley Spring Water from Hot Springs, Arkansas here--woohoo, what a treat!

It has been an interesting week here at home. I told my sister once I thought she must be pretty ticked at me for moving off to Mississippi and leaving her to deal with my folks alone. Somehow, even though I watched my parents care for their aging parents, it never really occurred to me that this would happen to my parents. Mom and I took so many trips together in the past, shopping, to San Antonio, to Ruidoso, etc, and now she rarely gets out of her chair to even go to the grocery store.

In fact, she was supposed to come with me this morning so I could help her stock up on groceries, but she was still asleep at 11 and I needed my latte/wireless fix. :) It is not like I have anything pressing to do to keep me from coming back this afternoon if she gets around to dressing. I have students who come to class wearing pajamas, so I don't guess it is much different for my mom to stay in hers. It worked for Hugh Hefner all those years as well.

I have enjoyed the times I spent on the deck with Dad. We watch the cats play, pet the dog, and catch the occasional glimpse of Rio, the horse, as he wanders in from the pasture. I guess Dad has told me 3 times this week that he has to take the dogs and Rio to the vet next week. I spent an afternoon with my sister, seeing all the remodeling she has done on her house since she retired. I am quite envious--it is beautiful, secluded out in the country, and relaxing and pleasant. No dog hair anywhere, so I told her I would mail her a boxful.

And, speaking of mailing, I trekked to the post office Thursday morning to mail some things home. Randy's dad seemingly never understood that I had flown in and borrowed my mom's truck to drive up to see him, so sent something for me to "take" home to Randy. It would not fit in my carry on, so I mailed it home. I spent $5.50 to mail something home that cost my father-in-law 97 cents. The postal worker suggested I send it express mail so it would get to Mississippi the next day. :) Ah, parents--got to love them.

It is noon now, and the United Deli is starting to come alive with the lunch crowd, so I guess it is time for me to sign off and go find something to do for the next few hours until bedtime. My niece will pick me up at 7 in the morning to take me back to DFW, and the flight to Atlanta, so I can get back on a plane going back to Memphis. It's hard to fly Delta in and out of Memphis without going to Atlanta, no matter where you are going. I won't complain though--shortly I will be back in hot and humid Mississippi instead of hot and dry Texas.