It's been a strange kind of day. I spent a few hours at the grocery store this morning. We really needed real food in the house. The best buy of the day was on marked down boneless-skinless chicken breasts. I managed to snag 6 family packs at $1.39 per pound! Some of the family are getting tired of chicken, but the price can't be beat!
Joe mentioned that he was working a fundraiser for choir. They are asking for donations while standing in front of local businesses. His shift was from 3-9 at the movie theater. While we were talking about this shift. I complained that today was the only day that I didn't have to pick him up from track and drive him somewhere. At three o'clock, I was sitting in the school parking lot with the engine running on my faithful Mountaineer. The school bell rang. Student walked to cars or buses. The buses drove off. The cars left. No Joe.
Did I not see him? Did he get on the bus and go home? I zoom out of the parking lot and race home through the bridge construction near our home, running yellow lights to pick him up and get him to his appointed location. After pulling in the drive, I sat on deck waiting for him to walk home from the bus drop off. The high school kids walk past. The middle school students walk past. The elementary students are released from class. Still no Joe.
Is he standing at the high school waiting for me because I drove off before he left the building? Is he already at the movie theater? Am I losing my mind?
Back in the Mountaineer, I drive at a more normal speed back to the high school. The parking lot is empty. The school building is locked up. On to the movie theater I go. There is Joe standing and chatting with friends while waiting for movie patrons to harass for money. I pull in the parking lot and motion for him to walk over to me. He slowly approaches the vehicle and warily stands outside the door, looking through the window. "Hi Mom, What are you doing?"
We had a brief conversation and laughed about the mix-up. It was an honest mistake. He didn't mean to waste the better part of an hour of my time. Unfortunately, this is the 4th time in 2 weeks that I have sat around in empty parking lots waiting for him when he is somewhere else. Joe will now be making a written list of when he needs a lift and where he will be graciously waiting for me to pick him up.
After I returned home, my daughter who delivers papers was waiting in the kitchen for me. When she delivered one house on the paper route an elderly woman was sitting in her car in the driveway. When my daughter rode her bike past the house 1 hour later, the woman was still sitting there.....not moving. My daughter and I hopped back into the SUV and drove to the sitting woman's house. The woman was still sitting in the car. I left my daughter in the vehicle and slowly approached the car. The woman's hands were resting on the steering wheel and her head was tilted back. She wasn't moving. I called to her a few times before she woke up. After I asked if she was okay or needed assistance, the woman explained the the car was so warm that she decided to take a nap.
The woman and I were both a little embarrassed by our encounter and my daughter felt that she should have not said any thing about the woman. I explained to my daughter that even though the woman and I were a little embarrassed, it was appropriate for someone to check on the woman. She was probably in her 80s and it isn't normal for someone to take a nap in their car while parked in their driveway.
It's been a really strange day.
Joe mentioned that he was working a fundraiser for choir. They are asking for donations while standing in front of local businesses. His shift was from 3-9 at the movie theater. While we were talking about this shift. I complained that today was the only day that I didn't have to pick him up from track and drive him somewhere. At three o'clock, I was sitting in the school parking lot with the engine running on my faithful Mountaineer. The school bell rang. Student walked to cars or buses. The buses drove off. The cars left. No Joe.
Did I not see him? Did he get on the bus and go home? I zoom out of the parking lot and race home through the bridge construction near our home, running yellow lights to pick him up and get him to his appointed location. After pulling in the drive, I sat on deck waiting for him to walk home from the bus drop off. The high school kids walk past. The middle school students walk past. The elementary students are released from class. Still no Joe.
Is he standing at the high school waiting for me because I drove off before he left the building? Is he already at the movie theater? Am I losing my mind?
Back in the Mountaineer, I drive at a more normal speed back to the high school. The parking lot is empty. The school building is locked up. On to the movie theater I go. There is Joe standing and chatting with friends while waiting for movie patrons to harass for money. I pull in the parking lot and motion for him to walk over to me. He slowly approaches the vehicle and warily stands outside the door, looking through the window. "Hi Mom, What are you doing?"
We had a brief conversation and laughed about the mix-up. It was an honest mistake. He didn't mean to waste the better part of an hour of my time. Unfortunately, this is the 4th time in 2 weeks that I have sat around in empty parking lots waiting for him when he is somewhere else. Joe will now be making a written list of when he needs a lift and where he will be graciously waiting for me to pick him up.
After I returned home, my daughter who delivers papers was waiting in the kitchen for me. When she delivered one house on the paper route an elderly woman was sitting in her car in the driveway. When my daughter rode her bike past the house 1 hour later, the woman was still sitting there.....not moving. My daughter and I hopped back into the SUV and drove to the sitting woman's house. The woman was still sitting in the car. I left my daughter in the vehicle and slowly approached the car. The woman's hands were resting on the steering wheel and her head was tilted back. She wasn't moving. I called to her a few times before she woke up. After I asked if she was okay or needed assistance, the woman explained the the car was so warm that she decided to take a nap.
The woman and I were both a little embarrassed by our encounter and my daughter felt that she should have not said any thing about the woman. I explained to my daughter that even though the woman and I were a little embarrassed, it was appropriate for someone to check on the woman. She was probably in her 80s and it isn't normal for someone to take a nap in their car while parked in their driveway.
It's been a really strange day.
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