For the bored among you...

Well, as I mentioned, I had to leave early Friday to get the Tiny Terror. Those drives are always the worst--odds are that it's nothing, but when you're a parent, you feel duty-bound to run through all the worst-case scenarios. 'Hmm. Headache, fever. Could be meningitis, could be SARS, could be flu, consumption, Lyme disease, Legionnaire's...' After a while, you realize that you're just hurting yourself, and you figure you'll just deal with whatever it is and that you REALLY need to loosen your grip on the steering wheel.

Thankfully, it seemed to be nothing more than a passing bit of uncomfortability, but to play it safe, she stayed home with Mom and the rest of the rugrats while I went and got lectured-up at church. Our annual lectureship began that evening--like clockwork every year, we either have someone in the house who is sick, or it's freezing cold, or raining buckets. Saturday was okay--no sick, no rain; but Sunday it poured and poured all day. At least I didn't have to cook--I usually get corralled into either getting up at the crack of dawn and grilling chicken Saturday morning, or, like last year, trying to get some catered chicken from KFC. This year, someone else did the birds, which made the logistics a whole lot easier.

Anyway, off to the church building for a couple of hour-long discussions, then back home, did some more laundry, finished getting little munchkins into bed, and then hit the hay. Up early again Saturday, did some more laundry, got the kids to put on some clothes, stopped by McDonald's for horrid breakfast stuff, then by Wal-Mart to pick up some side dishes for lunch, got to the building and managed to keep the kids quiet for another couple of hours. Cat was definitely back to her normal fidgety self--which is one of those OTHER guilty feelings you have as an parent--'Why can't you be nice and quiet like when you're SICK!?'

Lunch, which was barbecued chicken with what you would expect for trimmings--slaw, beans, tater salad, bread, and a groaning table full of desserts that really looked good. I was very good, though, and only smelled of them--deeply, with great lustiness. Which always weirds people out for some reason.

One more lecture and then...FURNITURE SHOPPING!! At least this time we had the good sense to drop the kids at Reba's parents' house, although for some reason we went back and got them later. Anyway, first to Unpainted Furniture, because, well, you just never know when you might find a perfectly good piece of furniture there. Not this time, though. Stopped by Hamburger Heaven for a quick bite--I had only intended to get us a couple of drinks, but then Reba said she wanted one of their mini-cheeseburgers (which are the size of everyone else's regular cheeseburgers--their normal ones are gigantic) and then the thought of a big pile of onions and sauce and meat sorta overwhelmed my earlier vow to be good at the dessert table.

Managed to get saucey onions all down my white shirt. Figures. It sure was good, though. Off to the other side of town--we figured we might be able to find a suitable lingerie chest over at the antique store in Riverchase. No such luck.

Back home, got the kids, and then went to Sticks and Stuff. You know, if you wanted to name a store in such a way as to make everyone think all you sold was junky crap, you probably couldn't find a better name than Sticks and Stuff. Unless it was Junk and Crap. They actually have some okay mid-price furniture, although their building in Trussville looks like something that might contain a store called Junk and Crap. Did find one sofa that 1) looked not quite so odd, 2) didn't look like the Michelin man, 3) could be ordered with a sleeper unit, and 4) was within our meager budget. Asked the sales guy if we could steal a cushion and see if it would work, which he kindly let us do. Probably not many families of six come in and steal single cushions, I suppose. It looks okayish, but I'm still not convinced, either out of the desire to not spend any money or inertia.

Whatever.

Home, then, for real this time, and finished scrubbing children and drying hair and folding MORE clothes and time for bed once again. Aaaaah--nothing like hearing rain on the roof.

BUT NOW--I have to take a break in this scintillating bit of suburban drama to take Miss Reba out for her birthday luncheon. Going to go to the Cafe Dupont, which used to be out in Springville but has now moved to a newly renovated location where our old favorite, Dyson's Deli, was located. The new place is really swanky and probably has somewhat edible food.

We'll see, I suppose. Be back after while.
posted by Terry at 11:38:00 AM