Visit

The visitor

12/14/21

My daughter’s visit started out nicely, but when we were dropped off at the car rental place, we waited 30 minutes in line just to get to the counter. Then she discovered that her driver’s license had been forgotten in her other bag back home,

We considered calling Uber, but my son was close by so he came out and took us back to my apartment.

We had a snack, and my son went home to unload his groceries, and we tried again.

This time the line was shorter, and we got a new car.

I thought it resembled a cockpit with all the instrumentation,

But I was used to older cars and stick shifts.

We used Google maps for navigating to a large playground/park in my town, and I could hardly contain my annoyance at the woman’s voice giving directions.

My daughter however, could carry on a conversation and listen to the directions at the same time without a mistake. The repetition helped.

At the park, we flew a little bumblebee kite, tried the small zip line, and found an open restroom,(all gender). After picture taking, we cruised around town looking for an artist co-op, but the street was closed off for outdoor dining. Our Google maps girl sent us in circles, so we finally found a parking space and went to the shop.

I bought a small wall hanging, and my daughter just looked at all the pottery, pictures, jewelry, and handmade tree ornaments.

Then we had to go back to the apartment to pick up a receipt for her birthday gift of a  ring that I bought for her.

This gift was in another town 20 minutes away, so we drove back roads to my former hometown.

After shopping at a food co-op where we picked up Gateway cheese bites, I promised myself that I would return and buy a bunch of very sharp cheddar.

We saved more shopping for the next day.

I needed to drop off books at our library and check out another bagful or two , so after that the next day we got on the freeway and drove to Ikea with that annoying voice directing all the way.

My children cannot read paper maps now and rely on the digital phone director.

We found that the most important items on my list were out of stock, so I will wait for a while before I return for more bookcases and an easy chair.

Back home my daughter immediately tore open the boxes and got out the tools to assemble a tall bookcase and two night stands.

I did the easy one, a lamp which I know now was a mistake, as it is very low power light.

The next day was busy for her and her brother, as they returned the rental car and then drove 50 miles to a relative’s wedding.

It was a Catholic wedding and large reception with very good food. My son went to his own religious headquarters and did some work there before returning to pick up my daughter.

She brought the table decoration which consisted of a large spruce wreath with a tree cutout of thick wood and battery operated candles.

It is easy decorating for a wedding at Christmas time.

My son did get invited, but could not attend without his wife and child, as the boy was not fully vaccinated against the Covid.

On Sunday we were cleaning and my daughter was packing.

When my son was due to pick her up in 20 minutes she asked if there was anything more she could do to help me out.

I replied, “ Not in the next five minutes”.

She had wanted to deconstruct an old bookcase and go to the dump, but we ran out of time.

When we consider that we had not seen each other for about five years, we had a very nice but busy visit.

I got all the gossip from the extended family on my ex husband’s side, re learned what my daughter was like in real life, and learned that I did not like freeway driving or large crowds.

We even watched a football game Sunday morning, as she is into the Fantasy football scheme.

All in all it was a great visit with the siblings having a good visit and me enjoying being chauffeured around town and spending money.