A twenty-four hour vacation

 

Megan and Jacob at Walloon's

Well, maybe it was a staycation, but what made the last twenty-four hours so special was that Megan, my Austin daughter, came to visit. Confession: coming to see me was not her primary motive in coming to Fort Worth. She came to go to the TCU/UT football game Saturday night with her special TCU girls—those she was close friends and Tri Delt sisters with—gulp!—some thirty years ago. She did it all and had a blast—staying up late drinking wine and catching up, margaritas at Joe T.’s, a walk around Mule Alley, and, of course, tailgating and the game. Even though TCU lost, all agreed it was a great game.

Megan, who never plans far ahead, planned ahead for this one. She drove up with two girls, Veronica and Rachel, who live in Austin. But Sunday she sent them on without her so she could spend the day with me. Bonus: I got long overdue hugs from Rachel and Veronica. And then I had Megan all to myself—sort of. While I took my Sunday afternoon nap, she went of and drank champagne with Amy, who she went to school with since kindergarten—by the time they both got to UT law school, they were roommates.

For twenty-four hours, I didn’t get much if any of my own desk work done. I was glad to forego it for Megan’s company. Sunday night, we had dinner with Christian and Jacob at Walloon’s, the nifty new seafood place on Magnolia. Lots of fun and good food, though poor Jacob ordered barbecued shrimp, and it turned out to be an appetizer. Skimpy fare for a seventeen-year-old boy. I had the oysters Rockefeller which were good except the spinach was really heavy with garlic. Christian had a steak salad and said the dressing was oh so tart! I had done that the other night—made a dressing so tart I couldn’t eat it, so I sympathized.

Back home, Megan and I had more visiting, talked about family and holiday plans and all manner of things. This morning we had just a brief visit before she left to take the eleven o’clock executive bus back to Austin. But she snapped this selfie before she left. When I think back on the girls’ teen years, I am so grateful that we are such good friends today. I am truly blessed by my children.

Megan's selfie

I’ve said it before and will say it again—with four children, it is pure bliss to have them all together at once, with their families. When the grandkids were young and it didn’t seem like there were so many of us, I used to think one of my happiest moments was when they were all asleep under my roof. But there’s a reverse to that—it’s such a delight to have one-on-one time with any one of them. And that’s what I had with Megan today. So my cup runneth over.

Tonight I had a five o’clock Zoom meeting with a small group of writers, mostly one-book beginners. I was to talk to them about newsletters, blogs, and Substack. Not that I’m an expert on any of those subjects, but from their responses I apparently held my own. It’s a real jolt to feel, even briefly, that you have knowledge to share that will help others. And that’s what I came away with tonight after that meeting.

That Zoom event ended about 6:20, and I hastily reheated the cube steaks in gravy from the other night, cut up a salad, and ate dinner, trying to finish before the 7:00 HOA meeting. I didn’t quite make it and ended eating my salad on camera—not the best look in the world. Christian came out, got the rest of the cube steak dinner and salad but couldn’t be convinced to stay for the meeting.  Now I feel like whoosh—all the air has gone out of me, and I will sleep happily and well tonight.

Sweet dreams, y’all!