sun setting over Los Angeles

Caleb had to go to work this morning and told me that he would be home by noon. He calls me fifteen minutes after to let me know he is on his way. I finished reading Uncle Chester’s book, Time, before I pack warm wool socks, a small black jacket, big blue sunglasses, and two pairs of boots along with phone cords and camera batteries. I put leftovers in the cooler, wash the dishes, and give Piggy her motion sickness medication before trimming her nails.

While I wait for Caleb to get home I get back to reading Breaking the Maya Code as droplets of water fall outside the window. It was wet outside when I woke up and was sprinkling on and off outside as I cleaned dogs and dishes; loaded clothes and food into bags; and scrolled through and turned pages of entertaining and educating books. Caleb gets home and we put one sleeping bag in the car to keep the dogs warm. I know we are headed into snow and don’t plan on camping.

In the driveway we tell Dan we will see him next year. He won’t be home when we return as he is driving to Amarillo for the holidays to visit family. It’s now one in the afternoon and we have eight hours of highway traffic, with Los Angeles delays, to look forward to. These drivers give me a headache and soon I have to pee, but I hold it for the two hours it takes us to get safely out of city limits – and the bathroom I stop in seems to be a popular one for others that held theirs too.

driving north by the Verdugo Mountains

I had coffee and sunflower seeds for dinner and Caleb played a piano app for an hour and a half – soothing and neat to have it plugged into the car speakers. Caleb called Chester at 8:00 pm to let him know we would be three hours late. He was still ok with it, but let us know that the rest of the family would be gone and in bed by then. I was able to get us there by 10:30 pm and Chester and Pam were awake and excited to see us. Caleb got to meet his cousin Tom as quickly as I did in June.

Tom came rushing in the door looking for his phone. Chester called it, Caleb heard it, and Tom was out the door after a hug and a thank you. Roni was in the back sleeping and so just the four of us stayed up until 2:00 am talking about writing and editing books; family that we will see, have seen, and should see next time; comparing military stories of the Army and Navy; games to be played involving boards, dice, and cards; and some talk about the Middle East surrounding our move to Bahrain next year.

I noticed some hard fruit candies, Runts, on the desk and the sugar from a handful of those gave me a second wind and then it was time for bed. Caleb walked the dogs and tucked them under blankets in the car before joining me head-to-feet on the couch under a pile of warmth. Caleb is worried his feet won’t be cuddle worthy, but it’s mine that offer a dream enhancing smell as we listen to the space heater and the ticking of the clock and begin to close our eyes to the warm light that falls to the floor from the front door.