An arduous day to day wait we’ve been under the thrall of for the better part of a week seems to be drawing to a close.  Finally, the planets are lining up just so and the celestial machinery has signaled to the powers that be that we can finally be allowed to get some of our outstanding to do items done.  The trek has been fraught with peril- the plumber had to make a return visit.  More drain-bedeviling roots in the system, so minus another $250 for that.  Lovely.  Somebody’s always got their hand out when I get a little ahead.  Sooner or later, that’s going to stop, and I welcome the day that it does.

At least our drains are clear (again) now and I don’t have to get a canoe for the basement.

More dramatic is a sudden passing in the very extended family in the middle of a family event on Sunday.  I’m not going to get into any excruciating detail but it was literally a case of one moment she was there and fine, then bam, gone the next.  Let this be a lesson to all- clearing forty people out of a family event for the EMTs to come through probably requires police intervention.  It certainly did in our case.  The lady is family in name only, I think, but she’s been orbiting in and out for some time.  I don’t really know her personally, other than what she’s done in the past for some extended family members.  I wish her close family well.

Some good came of the event- the Wife and I went upstairs to see what we could do before the EMTs arrived, and we asked the assembled teenagers in the basement to watch the baby for a minute or two.  Like out of a cartoon, six of them descended upon the baby with an audible thump, waiting for her to do something exciting.  Marissa is loved.

We’ll be back in a few days.

Football Fairfax

NATO Fairfax has had quite a journey.  He’s bounding around the UK, and his current recipient which we shall refer to as “Meska” had a lot of fun with his kids.

Fairfax with another Traveling Animal- Brother Bear

He shoots, he scores!

Thanks, Meska.  More of your pics in the coming days.  NATO Fairfax is off to his next destination, also in the UK.