A Chilly Interlude
With El Oso in Clayton for an early breakfast appointment, I had the rare opportunity of escorting Puck to school myself in his four mostly orange layers against the morning chill.
Instead of driving all the way home, I camped out at the Big House. Mom was just leaving for her annual birthday lunch with Mrs. English and Gloria before joining Grandma for the weekend and a Christmas crafts fair. Linnea-Irish had an eleven o’clock shift at work. Dad was working on his book in the basement. Carrie-Bri and Francis were already gone attending a two-hour meeting on an upcoming A&P Mechanics course. And I got working on the usual projects.
It was already the lunch hour. Carrie and Francis walked in with sacks of Dairy Queen specials for the remaining four of us. That 10% employee discount Linnea keeps flaunting really does a number on the old health diet. But I can’t say I’m not grateful for those crispy chicken strips and acceptable sides of fries and gravy.
Dad and Francis watched a World War II film in the living room. Then Francis fell asleep on the coach, mouth open, sunglasses knocked sideways on his face.
Anyway. It was about time to pick up my Puck. As I waited in the brick hallway, a retired Navy gentleman in a gray beard chatted about the Gutenberg Project. Then the librarian filled me in on Puck’s policing of all the children knocking books on the floor during library hour on Monday. At least she thought it was hysterical. I suppose not all of my son’s sheriff-ing tendencies are poorly received.
Carrie cranked out a modified version of family recipe quesadillas with bacon for dinner. Puck watched a few episodes of “Arthur” with Linnea in the living room. Funny how that show never seems to get old for Snicketts teenagers.
El Oso picked up my big guy on the way back from work, in exchange for leftover cupcakes from Chet Danger’s baby shower at work. A baby shower for a guy at work.
Then Carrie and I wrapped up some work on book project number two before Linnea-Irish joined us for chocolate cupcakes and “Kath & Kim”. Dad disappeared in the basement (not so hugely into Australian-inspired comedy) to watch superhero stuff and fly his flight simulator.
Night owls that we were, we kept watching all the way till the ripe old hour of nine o’clock.