Wednesday, February 27, 2019

First this, then that—a couple of full days




Yesterday kept happening so late into the evening that I didn’t get to blog. Too much going on in the Alter family.

Daughter Megan called to announce that her Austin home will be bulldozed March 11.  That’s right—demolished in one day. Then construction begins—a new house on the existing foundation. They like their lot, like the location, and didn’t find anything on the market they liked as well. This family of four will live in their two-room garage apartment for the duration of construction, which could be a year. No, they’re not completely ready but they will be. A measure of Megan’s confidence: she and Brandon are in Utah skiing, while his parents stay in the house with the boys. Hope they’re not feeling like they’re camping out.

Granddaughter Eden turned sixteen yesterday and, of course, went straight for her driving test. After her friends took her to breakfast (do these kids not go to school?) She and her mom were at the DPS station for six hours—at first, it was crowded, and then the DPS system broke down and they had to do things the old-fashioned way. But she has her driver’s license—and her cute little Mini Cooper. A sign of growing up—she told me she didn’t want the traditional birthday party. Her parents were taking her to dinner. (Good heavens! Jordan still wants a party!)

Me? I went to the dentist and yet again heard a doctor say, “Everything looks good. No problems.” I’m getting downright smug about all these clean bills of health. The dentist, however, did not give me the five years’ grace that the hip surgeon did—I have to go back for another cleaning in four months. But even with the dentist appointment I wrote my thousand words on the new novel.

Last night, a friend I met on Facebook came for happy hour in the cottage. As we exchanged posts and messages over time, we discovered that we go to the same church, and she, a mortgage banker, does some business with Christian’s title company. Plus, she works at a family-owned bank with the man who lives behind us. Small world. We chattered happily, and Christian came home in time to join us.

Then Jordan came out and we reviewed the day. By then, it was too late for that quick nap I sometimes sneak after dinner. I went to bed.

This morning I managed to multi-task. My chore was to organize notes for a talk I think I am to give next week on one of my books—gulp, I wrote Sundance, Butch, and Me twenty years ago, don’t have  electronic files or reviews or notes—nada. There are some seventy reviews on Amazon, and I reread them to refresh my memory. I had scribbled some notes yesterday, and today I got them into the computer in expanded form. But I did it with one eye and both ears on Michael Cohen’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee.

For those of you on Facebook, I have posted some comments two or three times as the hearings went on, so I will just add this note: I’m sure dedicated Republicans and trump followers came away with a totally different impression than I did, but I thought the Republicans exhibited rude, raw, blatant partisanship, attacking both Cohen and the Democratic Party. They had to really stretch to do that, but they complained the committee was wasting time listening to a liar when they should be helping solve the problems of America. Ironic, since most on the committee were in the House last term, the most do-nothing Congress in American history. Whey weren’t they hot to solve those problems until they saw trump in real jeopardy?

I sure didn’t ignore sustenance today. Jordan and I had a lovely lunch with a woman from Frost Bank who is now my go-to person. Of course, I was the one who messed up—heard the Mexican restaurant she specified but thought another in my mind. Jordan went to the correct one, while I waited at the wrong one. They both ended up coming where I was, though we joked they should have just forgotten me and eaten together. Leah is younger than Jordan, with small children, so they had a great time talking, and I mostly listened in.

Tonight, I went with friends Betty and Jean to Pappadeaux. Delicious crab cake, lots of good crusty bread, and nice wine. Their desserts are tempting, but I was too full.

The air has turned cold and a freezing drizzle is forecast for tomorrow, just when Jordan and I mean to go to the grocery. Betty complained bitterly about the cold tonight, and Jean and I, both children of the Midwest, tried to tell her it’s not really that cold. But it has been gray and damp and there’s a chill in the air. Down into the low twenties one night next week. I am so ready for spring, for warmer temperatures and sunshine and flowers and evenings on the patio.

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