Went into work at 710a to unlock the library doors and get my sub set up.
Went to the grocery store with my husband to shop for goodies for our Japangirl and collegeboy, and see if there was toilet paper to be had (there wasn't).
Filled out customs paperwork, scanned documents, made a shipping label.
Overpacked for a four-day road trip.
Ran errands with my husband on the way out of town, including mailing the package to Japan.
Sat in traffic for an hour in Waco. Discussed a few cards from the "Our Moments" card deck. Belted out some Evanescence and Pat Benatar tunes, to hubby's approval.
Ate a scrumptious maple twist from the Czech Bakery in West, which tasted even better because I had been fasting all day (a Friday Lenten routine for me).
Watched the temperature drop by twenty-five degrees the farther north we drove. The sky was gray and cloudy the entire trip.
Finally arrived in Denton at 7p last night.
Took the collegeboy out to dinner at Cracker Barrel, then shopping for groceries and toilet paper (there wasn't any of the latter) at two different stores.
Collapsed into bed, reading COVID-19 related updates from my principal and the Texas Library Association.
Stayed awake way too late watching Alita: Battle Angel. Recognized one of the scenes as McKinney Falls State Park near Austin, had to look that up. Sure enough, the movie was made in Austin/ Central Texas. Realized my email wasn't syncing to my phone and spent forty-five minutes re-configuring those security details.
Slept in way too late, scrambled to make it to the hotel-provided breakfast buffet in time. College boy's Saturday plans had been cancelled (thanks, COVID-19). Decided to extend our stay one more day so we could spend a bit more time with him.
And now I'm sitting alone in the hotel room, drinking my third cup of coffee and typing out this diary entry of a Slice while my husband goes hunting for toilet paper yet again, then heads over to college boy's apartment to make sure his car is in working order. After the maid comes in to clean, I'll do a mini workout in an attempt to burn off the Nutella kolache (from the Czech Bakery) I had before breakfast. And then we'll see if anything is open that might count as a fun family activity. Not really sure if I'm feeling relaxed, yet. Anyone else out there in Spring Break land in the same frame of mind?
I love all the details here, centered around favorite things and family. Laughed at "Belted out some Evanescence and Pat Benatar tunes, to hubby's approval." I know the maple twist tasted that much better after fasting ... which does lead my thinking to society at large perhaps becoming appreciative after deprivation-? Is it too much to hope for? Still no toilet paper around here, either, and my husband and I went to two stores today (not hunting it, just noticing. No bottled water, either, and peanut butter is spread thin. Pun intended). I think what I love best of all is the NORMALCY of life going on in your post. Oh, and we're not on spring break for a couple more weeks, and my school district has opted not to close although others around us have.
ReplyDeleteIt is this odd mix of normalcy and low-level anxiety. Our son says he feels like he's waking up in a different world each day, as details about classes, assignments, availability of toilet paper change. His Spring Break was already "different", as he had to stay in town to work on a group project. Now he's facing online coursework for the coming week. I have to at least be thankful that break is falling in the middle of this event; five less days to worry about interference with school. I'm sure you are diligently monitoring district news daily, as decisions to close seem to change on the hour. As for the bottled water...does this mean we'll go back to trusting our water from the tap again? (wink)
DeleteWelp, you were right, Chris - not long after I posted this the governor shut down all schools, and local churches soon followed. My younger son is on a week of extended spring break and then online classes (he's delighted). It really is a different world every day - tell your boy he's spot-on.
DeleteI am a real fan of parenthetical asides. Yours made me laugh. They had a little extra voice to the piece. Good luck finding some family fun (and toilet paper!)
ReplyDeleteI'm always having side-conversations with myself; glad you enjoyed them too, Lisa!
DeleteYou sure have me exhausted and wanting a maple twist! I love having a favorite stop when doing a road trip. As busy as you are, it's wonderful through it all, that you were able to spend a little more time with your son. And what's up with the toilet paper crisis?
ReplyDeleteLuckily, hubby found a stash at CVS and got him some double-rolls. Collegeboy is set for a few weeks, at least!
DeleteI really enjoyed the way you wrote the day like a list, but not in a bullet-point list. Your details make the day feel so relatable and i can picture each part.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jennifer! It was such an unusual start to my spring break; I felt like I needed to journal it somehow.
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