Life's little unexpected turns and twists

My day didn't turn out as I expected at all. We were to go to Jacob's T-ball game but had no car--Jamie, Colin and Lisa had taken Jamie's car to swim and run, and Mel was leery of driving Colin's car, so we didn't see the rising baseball star. But his coach has recommended that he sign up for Little League next year because he's  that good! Then I had visions of a lovely deli lunch--Colin always wants to eat at Carshon's. To my dismay he said he didn't care, and Jamie quickly jumped in with his favorite pizza place. It's a hangout from their high school days. Two things wrong here: I don't like pizza and dont need the calories, and I always think this place is dingy and dirty. Yet I wanted to go to lunch with my family, so I took a tuna salad sandwich. As Jamie said, "When you're old, you can get away with anything."
In addition to a houseful of people--four adults and five children, plus me--we've been juggling three large dogs in the heat. If we could just turn all three out in the yard, they'd be no problem. But 102 or more is too hot for that. The chocolate lab is outside now, while Scooby, unsettled by all the commotion, paces in my office. The island dog--probably part Belgian Bouvier or German shepherd--is in the apartment. He and Scooby are the old men, and their pecking order is funny. When Scooby and Mosby, the lab, are here together, Scooby is the alpha dog. But when Kaibo, the island dog, appears, he is the alpha dog. Much discussion tonight of my getting a new dog (I will, in July) with some negative opinions and support at least from Jamie, who says I can bring it to his house if it's housebroken!
Jacob's birthday was was what I expected--lovely but crowded and on the hottest day of the year so far, early in the summer. My car said 107 when I went out there about 4:30. House and yard were full of excited youngsters and their parents and other friends of Jordan and Christian. These young people are always so welcoming to me. I get lots of hugs and really feel at home. Wonder of wonders! Darth Vader appeared in person--or elaborate costume. Even my neighbor Susan thought he and his companion (I don't know who that was supposed to be) were scary. I visited with people and often sat with my family around the kitchen table Good times. Jordan is a party organizer, which she says she learned from her mom.
Jamie and crew left tonight, so it seems an incredibly short visit, but Colin and his family will stay over tonight and,  I hope, linger for a good Father's Day breakfast.
If somehow the weekend hasn't been quite what I expected, I think it's my own fault. I set my expectations high and get an idea of just how things should work and then I'm edgy when they don't go that way. Worked hard at overcoming--or at least hiding that--this weekend. And really enjoyed my kids and grandkids. They're a wonderful bunch.

The day was brightened by another guest blog, this an interview on Writers of the West by Jean Henry Mead. http://www.writersofthewest.blogspot.com/ I'm doing pretty well at this guest blog things--another one, about Scottish food, coming Monday. Jamie says I'm really milking that Scotland trip for all its worth. Guess he's right.

The stock show, the midway, and--oh, my!

With seven kids in tow (well one old enough to do lots of carrying and towing) we "did" the stock show today, and tonight I am an old and tired and broken woman. Parking is so remote I don't even want to talk about it, and the crowds were unbelievable. We began with the animal exhibits and saw lots of goats, then a few rabbits and roosters (well, I think they were) outside the FFA young animal exhibit, where the kids were entranced with the baby chick and ducks and with one huge sow nursing her piglets.  By then--we'd been there maybe 45 minutes--everyone was hungry, so we went to the Roundup Inn for lunch. In contrast to the years I  remember from when my kids were little, it's now a food court, and I had a pretty good Subway club sandwich. Then off to the petting zoo--except Megan "parked" me on some shady steps and I read emails on m phone. Just finished when she came back to say the kids voted to bypass the petting zoo because of a long line nd were at the midway. So I went and watched them on the various rides, which really was lots of fun. Jacob came down a really steep slide all by hmself. But it also involved a lot of standing, and my back really began to hurt. Then we had to have a junk food break--funnel cakes, cotton candy, candied apples and the like. Then more standing around--we were there from 10:30 to 2:30, and I honestly wasn't sure I could make the longwalk back from the far corner of the fairgrounds to the car at the far opposite corner. Jacob, Ford and Sawyer each won a fish--which meant sweet Christian went to PetSmart for fish-ready water, bowls, gravel, food, etc. The boys are thrilled tonight.
We had never celebrated Jamie's birthday, so he got carte blanche on where we ate supper--and we went to Mama's Pizza on Berry Street, because it's a sentimental favorite of his--he hung out there a lot in high school and college. Beyond that, I don't see much to recommend it, but then I'm not big on pizza. And they don't serve wine--just beer. It was fun to have us all together, and I saw an old friend who had known the children when they were little.
Tonight, well before ten, my house is quiet--everyone is exhausted and in bed. Makes me feel better--it's not just the old lady who got tired out by the stock show. But I am ready for bed.