Thursday: Catching Up; and Catching My Breath

I hear that Alexandria, up the road, got snow the night before last. It was gone by morning, of course: the temperature was a balmy 40 degrees Fahrenheit by then.

It's been a long time since I posted here, so there's a lot of catching up to do. Some highlights from the last several months:

July 31, 2008. My son can now raise his left eyebrow, without the right one coming along for the ride. He's rather pleased with this accomplishment.

About a week later, around August 7, there was a long power outage at #1 daughter's apartment. Her phone worked, happily, so we had a long chat. Happily, this household has one of those telephone plans where we get unlimited long distance time - and a fairly low rate. I don't know how my wife finds these things.

#1 daughter started classes at Alexandria Vo-Tech this fall. She's planning on going into commercial art. A good idea, I think. So far, she seems to be doing well.

We've fall has come, and there have have been a few spectacular displays: including two small trees that turned bright red, while the bushes and trees behind them stayed green.

#3 daughter is a senior this year, and still home-schooled. It's a very satisfactory arrangement for us all. She and my wife have set up the northeast bedroom as a music studio for her. She's hoping to get more guitar students.

#2 daughter is expecting to graduate in December. She'll have finished the four-year program in a little under four years. Says the proud dad.

#3 daughter has been enjoying Giol, #1 daughter's pet rabbit, when #1 daughter comes to visit. #1 daughter says that #3 is enjoying Giol in spite of herself. #1 could be right. Even more surprising - particularly to #1 daughter - #2 REALLY likes the rabbit.

My son's friends have been over quite a few times: particularly one who likes the same online games. Sometimes the two get together by playing the same game online at the same time, and communicating through the game's chat functions.

That more or less brings me up to date, although I'm pretty sure I'm missing something.

A week or so ago, my wife and #3 daughter organized and cleaned the first floor - no small feat, considering that my wife has been fitting another household's stuff in this house, on top of what we have. I finally figured out why they were doing that. A young man that #2 daughter met online, at Ave Maria Singles, if I remember right, is coming to visit for a few days. From Louisiana.

By now that's "has come to visit."

#2 daughter arrived in Sauk Centre Friday, and the two of us drove to St. Cloud last Saturday morning, October 18. Since the St. Cloud airport is on the opposite side of St. Cloud, I wanted two hours available to get there. For once, I was ready to go on time. #2 daughter was scooting back and forth, doing last-minute preparations that I probably wouldn't understand.

We left with a bit less than an hour and a half of my two hours left. The Interstate narrowed to one lane, for road work. Twice. The second time was exciting, because the warning sign was several miles away from the start of the narrowed road. Traffic had re-adjusted to two lanes, and had to merge: fast.

The drive through St. Cloud was obstacle-free, until we came to the Mississippi bridge. It's not there any more. The detour was marked, though, and didn't take us more than maybe a quarter-mile out of our way.

Just to be thorough, I missed the turnoff to the airport. The next place to legally and safely turn around wasn't much more than a mile down the road.

We still got to the St. Cloud airport with five or ten minutes to spare.

On the way back to Sauk Centre, the three of us stopped off in Freeport. He'd asked about the church there, and I thought we might as well go see. The young man and #2 daughter spotted a fancy jungle gym. We stopped, and those two climbed to the top. She tells me that, as far as she is concerned, that was the top of the day.

The rest of Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday, are a bit of a blur. The young man blocked out 20 minutes to talk with me. About an hour and a half later, he had to go with #2 daughter, my wife, and #3 daughter to Cenacle. As my father-in-law said about me, decades back, "I can talk to this one!"

Besides being able to talk with me, and the rest of the family, the young man can grill chicken. As #2 daughter pointed out, he did it without nearly incinerating the chicken and melting the grill. It was pretty good, and my first taste of Cajun cooking. Something made by a Cajun from Louisiana, anyway.

#2 daughter drove the young man back to St. Cloud airport (Tuesday, I think it was), and spent the rest of the day with a cousin in St. Cloud. After she got back, I asked her how things went on the trip. This was her reply: "Okay. I stayed with him until he had to go away."

While all that was going on, I got a bulletin ready for the printers.

One thing I can say about the last week: it hasn't been boring.

Other than that, #3 daughter and one of her cousins have been doing something that involves #3 daughter borrowing my camera quite often. #3 explained what she and her "twin cousin" were up to, but I'll admit that I didn't follow her. It has something to do with a sort of story they're doing. This cousin is #3 daughter's "twin cousin," a nickname that got started because they're quite a bit alike: right down to appearance.

And now, because I need to get some sleep, I'll stop.