Saturday, November 30, 2002

my grandparents...I barely knew her and he died before I was born

"Tradition does not mean that the living are dead, but that the dead are living."

Chesterton

I do get up early enough to meet Dad at 6am. We get his stuff ready including putting a yellow belt around his suitcase he will check so he can see it easily. I worry about him but I know I shouldn't.

We go to my cousin's house. They are just getting up. They have to take my other cousin's kid to the hotel to meet his parents for the trip home and pick my Aunt Sally and Uncle Johnny up there and take them to the airport. We read their paper and drink their coffee while they do this. Finally I take Dad to the home of his friend's daughter who will take him to the airport. We talk to the folks, get a tour of the daughter's fabulous house and I head home. I drift throught the neighborhood a little taking in the changes in the area where I lived so long ago. (Twenty-seven years but who is counting?) A railroad right of way I used to use as a shortcut is now a hike and bike trail. Chains have moved in over some of the classic shops. My old apartment building is still there, though. Finally, up to my ears in thoughts of another time, I head back to Austin and my real life.

SuRu calls not long after I get home. We take the dogs for a walk in the neighborhood, venturing over east of Burnet. We notice houses for sale are drifting well under $200,000 in some cases. (Of course, they need work. Still, prices are falling a little.)

When I get home, I get FFP to follow me to Dad's to put the van in the garage and check the mail. Then we check out Barnes and Noble. It's hard to find a parking place but when I get ready to buy a book (one from the bargain bin that in spite of originally going for $40 costs me only $3.89 incl. tax after the remainder discount, 50% off and 10% off for the discount card), there isn't a line to buy things. I don't know if this bodes ill for their Christmas season.

FFP and I make sauteed mushrooms, spinach salad and fried catfish for dinner. I have some goat cheddar and a mandarin orange later. And some white wine.

I try to read and watch TV but I fall asleep hard and fast.

JUST TYPING
Memory.
Has all kinds of triggers.
Of people.
Of place.
But never completely accurate.
Always somewhat suspect.