Sunday: Rest, Grilling, Long Distance Calls, and the Triple-A

#1 daughter managed to see part of the zoo in Washington, DC, before she left. She hadn't planned on it: she stumbled on it while being lost.

I'm going to be glad when, by the grace of God and an over-worked guardian angel, she gets back to Minnesota. I think she's had a good trip, but it's taken quite a bit out of me. And my wife. #1 daughter tells me that she'd like to get back to Washington some day, and see more of the city.

A little after I'd have expected #1 daughter to be on the bus and headed home, the phone rang. I was in the living room, my wife took the call in the kitchen. I heard her say, "how did you do that?!" Then, "are you all right?"

That got my attention.

I figured that #1 daughter had missed the bus (best-case scenario), run afoul of one of our nation's capital's more colorful residents (not-so-good-case scenario), or - I've got a pretty good imagination, so there was a sort of traffic jam in my mind at that point.

The call was from #2 daughter. She'd managed to drive her car of Interstate 29, a few miles south of where my father lives. She was 'way past being peeved with herself.

Good news: She was in good shape, and had a cell phone.

Bad news: The cell phone was low on charge. At that point, #3 daughter was peeved with #2 daughter, too. #3 apparently has been extolling the virtue and prudence of keeping cell phones fully charged.

It's an interesting age we live in: a young woman is stuck in snow in the Red River Valley of the North. The people best positioned to help her are about 150 miles away.

My wife had decided, some months back, that with #2 daughter and other members of the family spread out so much, and on the road so often, that signing up with Triple-A made sense. I wasn't so sure at the time. Now, I'm glad she set that up.

As it turns out, a trucker came along and pulled #2 daughter out before the AAA-sponsored wrecker got to her.

Aside from that, it's been a nice, quiet day. I grilled lunch, but over-did the burgers a little. Walking that fine line between done-right and faux-hockey-puck is surprisingly challenging.

I said that I'd try to get some photos ready. Here they are:

Our son's Valentine's Day card bucket, and delivery system. No simple box for that lad.

A few inches of snow shoveled away, and I was ready to grill. That's the track of the Amazing Appearing Rabbit, just off the corner of the grill.

Track of the Amazing Appearing (or Disappearing) Rabbit. Being a little less dramatic, but more realistic, I suppose a rabbit heading south stopped, and did a fast 180 to head north again.