Wendesday

I woke this morning around 5:30 and thought if you are going to get out of here on time you need to get up and get moving.  But I was so tired from being up late, for me last night, so I rolled over and fell back to sleep.  I got up at 7, and got everyone fed, everything in the car and headed east on I-10 about 8:30 with the top down, cruising along with the gorgeous summer morning.  Watching the temperature rise faster then the miles clicked by.  You can tell who has had even the smallest amount of rain.  Their corn and crops look dead, not burned.  I did come across a few areas they must be irrigating.  This is one hot year.  I heard on NPR that almost 2500 acres have already burned in Florida this fire season, and still no real rain in site.  We are all hoping for a tropical disturbance that will race toward the state building up and up and up, and then get sheered apart just dump a long slow steady rain on us as it moves across the state loosing strength and water from the Keys to the panhandle.  Hey, if you are going to wish for something, you might as well be specific.


But, always watch for what you wish for!


So I got here to Dad's, got him some lunch and then sat down so he could go through his mail and try to remember where he put things he wanted to give me.  Most of these things are old catalogs and mail that he could really throw out, but he always holds them for me.  He is sweet like that.  And he worked holidays at the post office and has always taken the "do not open other people's mail" very seriously.  


I was anxious to get to the packing.  That is the reason that I got her as early today as I could, to help him repack his bags.  Only when we finally did get to the packing part, he had not packed already.  He had packed presents for the people we will be visiting and had managed to fill up his entire monstrosity of a suitcase.  I swear I could get in the bag and feel like I was travelling in first class with all the leg room.  But this is the bag he wants to take, so I am not going to say a word to him about it.  I did a little rearranging and managed to get most of the presents in my bag with my clothes, so that gave us almost his whole suitcase for whatever he needs to bring.   I could see the relief in his eyes, just getting all those packages moved.  Most of them are going to the first and second stops, so by the time we get to Barcarotta my suitcase will be practically empty.  Well, unless I do any shopping.  I really do not intend of doing much until I get to Madrid, but you never know what you are going to find on the way.


Dad is napping right now and I need to get him up in a few minutes and then take to him dinner where we will meet my sister in law Pat.  Bless her heart for giving up a free night with no husband and kids to spend with us for dinner.  She is generous and sweet like that.  I hope she has a glass of wine.  I wish I could have one with her.  It would do all of us good to relax for a bit.  But Dad has never drank, and my counts are high enough to take the chance.  I want to be able to maybe have something in Spain at the banquet.  Maybe.  And maybe there will be a banquet. They have hinted that is what they are doing in Barcarotta, but it is always hard to tell.


The sky is filled with dark clouds but I do not smell rain. I really miss the smell of rain.  It has not cooled the temperatures off must but it has raised the humidity level so we must be in Florida.  I can see beautiful yellow plumeria flowers with their long green leaves standing out against the deep gray sky.  It is beautiful.  I love this old place that my father now lives by himself.  He and my mother bought this house almost 60 years ago.  It was a simple 2 bedroom one bath, living room, kitchen and carport CBC house.  Now it has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a living and separate dining room with a big screen porch out the back, and the requisite carport on the side.  The yard is full of plants that my youngest brother and myself planted under mother's supervision.  The house has seen better days now that Dad can barely walk 15 steps without being in such pain he has to sit down.  And even sitting, he has to keep adjusting to minimize the pain.  When he leans over you can see his vertebrates and they are crazy all over the place.  Some stick out almost like a prehistoric animal, where others are pushed inwards and it just looks so painful, that I am not sure how he is even able to walk.  





But I am also thrilled to be with him and to get this opportunity to make this last trip with him.  When my sister in law, Jong Ae asked why we are going to England.  I said, well, lets see how things go next year.  I would rather be stuck in the eye with a fork then to put him through that, but when he makes up his mind.....well, lets just say I come by hardheadedness both through nature and nurture with my dad.  He has lived an amazing life, and it is not over yet. 


I need to go wake him from his nap and help him to get up and ready and in the car.  I am glad to be in my childhood home with him.  I will go to sleep tonight in the same bedroom that has been mine since I was 2.  Mother kept it very girly, so even though it doesn't look like it did when I lived here, it still looks like my room.  


I doubt that I will get another chance to post before I leave, so this will have to last me for 2 weeks.  But you never know, I might get on during the trip, we are staying in people's homes, and they all have computers.  I just don't know about imposing.  We will see.


The journey has begun.
Tomorrow we fly across the pond and the adventure begins.
It will be a wonderful trip.
I will be with my father, so it will be a time to enjoy, celebrate and to make memories to last the rest of our lives.