Sort of a Circus
Another baseball-based project brought me out to the Big House again mid-Friday morning. This one was inspired by Mom and moving into the second phase. So while she read over a stack of papers I had typed up, Carrie-Bri and I ran errands for necessary materials.
Also, hair dye: silver and bleach. Also a sack of snacks for movie night from Trader Joe’s: peanut butter cups, sweet potato chips, and honey crisp apple cider. We like to appease Rose’s expensive tastes.
Back at the Big House, we discussed the lay-out of the baseball project. Francis was back from classes and out working on his truck. Dad was busy working in the basement. Linnea was working another shift at DQ. And Mom had brought out the pulled pork for lunch.
Then while Carrie-Bri transformed me into a Nordic blonde, Mom picked Puck up from the end of his 10th week of school, report card in tote. All satisfactory remarks. Happy boy. I’ll take it.
However, while Puck ran down the street to play with a buddy before leaving for dinner, it was in the fifth hour of Francis working on his truck that – disaster. I heard it as I was walking back inside.
POP.
“DANG IT!!!!”
Both head gaskets cracked. $400 in half a second. Francis was mad. He was so mad he kicked the dust of the garage floor in disgust.
“GOSH DANG IT!!!!”
By this time, Mom and Dad had already left for an evening date at Texas Roadhouse, so Francis was without fatherly advice. He placed a call regarding potential replacements. Old Puddle Jumper would be out of commission for another week.
“GOSH DANG IT!!”
Puck, oblivious to the commotion, was still with his buddy. They were about to set out on an adventure into the wild when I had to pull him away.
“But MOOOOM! We were about to go exploring!”
I reminded him that there was always tomorrow.
It had been awhile since movie night was an option, but by 7:30 Carrie-Bri and Rose had returned, this time for two episodes of “30 Rock,” but mostly just heavy laughing over everything we had to catch up on from the week, including massages and podcast faux pas.
El Oso hid in his office to finish a work booklet for the youth retreat next weekend.