Thanksgiving Wrap-up
Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.
-- Edwin Arlington Robinson
Monday, November 29, 1999
One year ago: The Trip Home
Sunday was a quiet day. I finished a book that I'd picked up at the grocery store in Goldendale Saturday night. I'd only bought it because it was a time-travel romance, which might be a topic in a Potlatch panel I'm supposed to be on. I could allow one woman traveling back to the middle ages to meet her dream knight, but I boggled at her meeting another modern woman who had done the same thing (probably a character from a previous book by the same author).
Jack's younger daughter H--- had spent a lot of time over the weekend, playing Super Metroid 3, a Nintendo game. Other folks played, too, or did a lot of kibitzing and advice-giving (Jack was especially fond of this method of participation). They were all handicapped by the fact that the game had been obtained somehow without manuals or hint sheets. They'd been figuring it out for themselves all year, but all the kids playing were stuck on the beginning levels.
So I volunteered to do a web search. Jack's mom didn't think there would be anything out there, because it's an older game, but I figured there would be fan pages. I found some good ones, and printed out a map which was useful for the girls.
* * * * * * * *
Midway through Sunday afternoon, Jack decided to get H--- off the Nintendo. We'd all go for a walk down the river. This was the same route we both did last year. This year we had Bo, the visiting Black lab, to accompany us. Jack was concerned that he'd jump into the river at a point where he wouldn't be able to get out! But the dog returned safely from his various bathing expeditions.
We stepped carefully through the mud and rocks, but we didn't get all the way down to the artesian wells that were Jack's goal; H---- wanted to turn back. It was still a good walk!
Later, close to dusk, Jack and I were going to take another walk, up a road I hadn't been on before. Suddenly, his older daughter announced that she was bored, and would walk down to the town of Klickitat. Jack didn't want his younger daughter to go with her there. There was some mysterious discussions between the two girls, which ended with Jack turning back to keep an eye on them.
Oh, well... I decided to keep going on my little hike. I do like walking the gravel roads. This time, someone who passed in a pickup truck asked me if I was ok, which I thought was nice of him. There isn't much traffic in these remote areas, whether on foot or in a vehicle. When I'd rounded enough curves and was near the top of the hill, I turned back, passing a few bow hunters.
Jack was sitting at the picnic table in front of the house, reading the Sunday newspaper and smoking a cigar, so I sat down and read the paper with him.
My legs were a bit sore from the unaccustomed hill climbing from the past few days, but it wasn't intolerable. It felt good to be up and moving around!
* * * * * * * *
We spent a quiet evening. Jack was extremely disappointed to find that his parents don't subscribe to Fox on their satellite dish! So there wasn't a way for him to see the X-files, which he'd been looking forward to. Instead, we watched A&E's Horatio Hornblower. I hadn't seen that series before, though there's been a lot of discussion on various email lists I'm on. (Ha! I just found some Horatio Hornblower fan fiction!)
I liked it! We watched two episodes. These BBC/A&E miniseries have mostly been very good, especially Pride and Prejudice. I don't think the Scarlet Pimpernel was approved of.
We went to sleep early, since Jack wanted to get an early start on our drive back the next day.
* * * * * * * *
The drive back was mostly smooth. We ate drive-thru McDonalds for breakfast, and got H--- back to her mother's place by ten thirty!
The only disturbing thing happened after we'd already reached my house, around noon. I suggested that Jack and daughter A---- might want to get some food before continuing north, at the pizzeria up the street. It would be convenient, because they sell by the slice.
When we reached the door of the restaurant, A---- started saying that she wasn't hungry. Couldn't she walk up the street to the grocery store? Jack was dubious, but permitted this, on condition that she be back in front of the pizza place when we were done. (He'd denied her request that we go hang around on Broadway -- only bad stuff could happen there. That's one of the places she'd hung around when she'd been on the run at various times earlier this year.) We ate our pizza. Oops! A---- wasn't where she should have been, and we didn't find her when we walked the half block to the grocery store. (It's possible she was inside, but we didn't see her there.)
We walked back to the van, parked by my apartment, and Jack phoned the police to report her missing. He figured she'd gone down to Broadway anyway. He was just about at the end of his rope -- this pattern of disappearances and other bad behavior is very frustrating and saddening for him! I waited at the corner so I could see if she was coming, and sure enough, she turned up about ten minutes later. She and her father were immediately furious with each other. Finally Jack agreed to call the police back and cancel the report, on condition that A---- turn out her pockets to prove she had no illegal substances (visible). She did this, then they left.
Whew!
I took the rest of the day easy, catching up on web reading and stuff.
* * * * * * * *
Despite the problems on this trip, I did enjoy myself! I didn't have the luxury of Jack paying undivided attention to me like last year (last year's trip begins here and ends here -- recommended reading, with pictures!); it was a different kind of weekend. If you love someone, you aren't just in it for fun times; you have to take the rough with the smooth.
| 
