Monday, April 14, 2025

It’s Monday already? It’s time to link up with Sarah and Holly to share our weekends!

We had a strange week last week due to the flooding. Monday through Wednesday were online and boy do I have a case of tech neck. I am not usually on my computer that much for my work. Thursday we had a two hour delay, and Friday was normal. So, Friday I came home from school with no plans. The weather was gorgeous and I sat outside and then I “doubled dashed”. Have you ever done this on Door Dash? We ordered our favorite Thai food and I got a wild hair to order the Kardashian Crumbls. Krumbls?

The cakes were for Saturday and just the perfect size.

I don’t get it. I don’t think Crumbl is that good. Anyone?

We have never had a dog that likes to “hug” so much. Don’t tell Tom I showed off his bald spot, ok? They were locked in an embrace when I came in the room Friday night.

Also, Tom told me that he had to stop to give EO hugs multiple times on Saturday while trying to do his backyard project. Lol.

So, Saturday I was up and at ’em bright and early for a hometown re-do. We canceled going to our mom’s house due to the flooding the Saturday before so we rinsed and repeated. My first job was to go sign my mom’s tax return and send in her money owed. Tell me that doesn’t suck to be deceased and still owe money. And, then, I feel like this was kind of full circle. I accepted my first teaching job in my hometown and I mailed my retirement docs in my hometown.

I’m getting really excited. I haven’t told my students yet. That is coming soon.

The view from my mom’s house…

Again, we worked and worked and found energy from somewhere. We took two trips to the dump and our biggest priority was to go through sentimental stuff. We stopped at 3:00 to talk to our realtor. This was not our childhood home but my Dad lived there for 13 years and my mom for 19 years and they really loved it. It feels wrong to sell it. It feels wrong to box up 76 and 82 years of life. So, when I tell you what we are doing please know that this isn’t easy. Those of you who have done it understand and most likely we will all have to do it.

After the realtor left we worked again for another hour and a half and then we revealed to Kate that we were celebrating her 50th birthday again but with sisters! We had a scavenger hunt with 5 clues. It was pretty silly and thrown together, but it turned out great.

The first stop was melancholy but we were so happy to see my parents’ gravestone back in place. So, the way it works in the veterans’ cemetery is that the service person is on the front and the spouse is on the back. We chose my mom’s quote to match my dad’s. My mom’s one big passion was art and learning about art through travel. So, “art is the journey of a free soul”. It encompasses art and travel.

My dad’s ended up with a small error. His passion was flying. He spent almost 56 years flying with the Air Force and then with a private local company. It says “The engine is the heart of a plane. The pilot is the soul.”

We liked that they both had the word “soul’.

Is it gauche to do a gravestone selfie? We toasted and talked to our mom and dad and it was really quite special. We told them what we were doing and we told them we were celebrating their 50 year old middle baby!

The clue had said, “Of you they were always in awe. Go to where you can toast your maw and paw.”

The next clue said “Go to where you can see the flood” and I can’t tell you all the parts of the clues – sorry.

The next one was a inside joke from our family European trip when we were 17, 20, and 23. And it told Kate we were going to the new duckpin bowling alley. But, we were just looking at it and instead going to the wine bar!

There is a basement speakeasy with a secret door.

There were no phones allowed in the speakeasy!

We decided to stay up top at the wine bar. Isn’t it gorgeous? We ended up in one of the round booths.

We then went to a live music venue for a bit and then we ended the night at this dive bar…

and had dinner!

We had plans to go through more stuff after we got home, but that didn’t happen. We had a little too much fun out and stayed out until 11!

We got up yesterday and worked, worked, worked again. We went and got breakfast of sandwiches and coffee.

Then, we got Culver’s grilled chicken sandwiches – yum!

I got home around 4:30 and Tom had made progress! Look at his assistant! He has a scrap of wood in his mouth.

I’d like to say I sat around when I got home but I had my work to do!

Maybe I’m glad to go to work today so I can rest? Just kidding!

How was your weekend? It was glorious to have no rain and 60 degrees!

Amy