Canceled Parties
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Wednesday brought news of Aunt Agnes’ successful recovery from heart surgery in Mt. Vernon, Texas. Although she would have to take things easy from there on. So there was some good news to counter the rather poor election results from the evening before. Although there was always the hope of repeal two years later.
Back on the ranch, Collette was greeted at the house by Joe, who was on his way to a full day of work at the Green Lantern.
“I threw up last night,” he said in greeting. “Three or four times. I picked up Rose from class, was driving home, calmly pulled over, and promptly threw up. I think it was something organic I ate last night.”
Shortly later, Mom drove Frances up to the new orthodontist office, (so new in fact, that Frances was the first person to sit in chair number one). He got his spacers placed, which were blue. (When Collette had her spacers those long six years before, she had not been given any special colors. Technology had advanced.) Mom described the orthodontist office as being set in a Cardinals theme, including an autographed Albert Pujols first base on the wall.
Meanwhile, apparently everyone back at the house had seen Bob B. and Starr on television at the Talent rally the night before, before the bad news came in. When Joe called Bob B. on his cell, they saw him pick it up.
“Hey, we see you on TV,” Joe had said. “Jump up and down!”
Bob B. jumped up and down.
“Do the hokey pokey!”
And Bob B. did the hokey pokey.
Later in the afternoon, Collette attempted to work Rose through some literature assignments without too much trial.
“I hate poetry,” Rose complained. “Annamaria loves poetry. I don’t know why. I want to read some stories instead of these old things.”
While she tried to negotiate, Frances was screeching some annoying Phantom of the Opera from the kitchen over his math book.
Rose looked up grumpily from lounging on the couch with a thick green Norton anthology in her hands, trying to get through The Rime of the Ancient Mariner without too many complaints. “Frances, I’m trying to read a really boring poem. Please be quiet.”
She did continue to mutter things under her breath about poets and their ways, but Collette decided it was not worth discussing.
And Snuggles snoozed on OLeif’s violin case.
The evening sent Carrie to work, Frances and Linnea to choir and youth group, Joe to a hair cut, Rose to a meeting for Egypt, and Mom and Dad on a date to hunt out a new Christmas tree. The old model had been around since 1964 and had been looking a little scraggly for a number of years. Seeing as Carrie and Rose were too embarrassed to set it up for another Christmas, Mom had decided that it was time to purchase a new one. Dad was not so interested.
Back home, there were enchiladas for dinner from Trader Joe’s.