On Tuesday morning I boarded a plane by myself. For the first time in 11 years, I wouldn’t have either a husband or children to accompany me. It was…strange. So strange that I couldn’t concentrate on my book. I pulled out my iPhone for a minute and scrolled through some podcasts to find something to listen to, and then my friend Marty popped up in my head (hint: he’s not a fan of people staring in to electronic devices) so I decided to channel him. I put the phone away to talk to my neighbor, who had been making friendly comments since I sat down. Two plane rides and almost six hours later, I had met two new, and yet completely different in almost every aspect, people. And I had successfully managed to calm my brain about the matters rolling around in there – my grandfather, leaving the girls, leaving Tom, leaving Koda, finding clothes for the viewing, and too many more to list.
I’ve been here for a few days now and my brain is back to a discombobulated state…there’s no way I can put all these thoughts in to a structured paragraph. So I won’t.
- Utah drivers – y’all need to CHILL. Learn the meaning of the word merge.
- My parents do not have a full sized mirror upstairs so instead of walking down to my sister’s bathroom, I usually opt to stand on the tub instead, which puts me at the appropriate height to see in the above-sink mirror. I’m fairly certain this will one day end in disaster but I still do it.
- Dinner at Cafe Rio makes me so happy I want to hug my food. I miss Mexican food that tastes delicious and I didn’t have to cook myself.
- When you are debating the color of a shirt, it is much easier to prevail when your competition is your color-blind husband than when you are going up against two artists and a graphic design student.
- My sister likes to do “your mom” jokes…
- The 75 mile an hour speed-limit on the last leg of the trip to my parents’ house feels so decadent compared to the 55 limit I’m surrounded by in PA.
- The mountains are so pretty covered in snow. Especially when highlighted by the sunset, in pinks and golds.
Tomorrow I will attend my grandfather’s viewing and on Saturday we will have the funeral. After typing that sentence my entire brain stopped and ceased to think about anything else for a full minute. But no matter how scattered I am right now, I am incredibly grateful to be here with my family, to have a husband who is taking on my full-time job along with his, in order for me to be out here, and for friends who have sent me incredibly kind and loving thoughts the last week. Y’all are wonderful…which seems a perfect ending to some random thoughts.
It seriously is an red-orange shirt. Also, “your mom” jokes are not about any particular mom, but rather the proverbial “mom.” I like to tell them to my child, too.
So that was YOU channeling me! I was just mentally cursing people at a bar last night, they were all texting, no talking! Good luck with this weekend, I’m sure it’s going to be a roller coaster of emotions.
Well I appreciate the inspiration, Marty – I don’t know if I’ve ever struck up a conversation with a stranger and kept it going that long. It was fun and very interesting…I will try to keep that in mind the next time I go to pull out my phone. And thanks again for all the kind thoughts.
Utah drives suck. And somehow they try to blame it all on people from California. Nice to have you here, and nice of Tom to be holding down the fort back home!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who can’t stand everyone glued to their electronic devices. Thank you, Marty. I swear people can facebook for hours and not know how to say one sentence to the person next to them. As for striking up a conversation with a stranger it can work out well. The last time I did it I got you as a friend. I think you get my point. Enjoy the family time and don’t slip on the tub. Have a safe trip back to PA.