A Weekend Begins At The Albarrans

Dinner With Mitch And His Friend, Mimi

I woke at 6:20, just like home, came down and turned on the coffee system, which grinds, then brews, then keeps your coffee hot for a good while.  It makes quite a racket for the first 30 seconds, as it grinds away, but after that, it's just waiting for the morning elixir of the Gods.  It's 23º here, the same as Chautauqua, though no snow is forecast.

Snowy Morning In Connecticut

Yesterday was our typical day here in Darien, the major task, to get the kids off to school on time, which I managed.  The rest of the day was ours to fill, so we just hung out for the most part, since Beth is gone for the week for a well deserved change, and decided to get some things done, mostly clean up some of the disarray that kids always seem to create, book bags on the floor, coats on couches, winter jackets and skiing paraphernalia in heaps.  I can remember the same thing with our kids; they seem to have forgotten how to pick something up.  I am sure my mother  felt that way about me, especially my bedroom.  I think something must change as you get older, as you become a neatnik to some extent, like to see your house or room in order, perhaps taking it to the extreme in some cases.  I know I like to see the kitchen straightened up enough each evening to do the dishes after our dinner; Evie, by the way, does not discourage me from this neatnik approach.

I did manage to take Cody for our usual morning walk.  When he sees me, he jumps up and runs to the door, knowing I am the only dog walker in the house.  The roads have a three foot pile on snow on the sides which made it difficult for him to do his business.  He managed.  We relaxed after lunch, soup and chicken sandwich until the kids returned home, both by 2:30 which seems awfully early.  I remember our other granddaughter, Marlena, who lives in Kansas City, getting off the bus at 4:20.

When the kids got home, Evie made them a snack of nachos, with cheese and salsa, which we all enjoyed.  Evie and Marisa then hung out, and I helped Mitchell clean up his room, a major teenage catastrophe, as our most boys' rooms.  He acquiesced to my suggestion because his girlfriend was coming over and staying for dinner.  At 4:00, Marisa wanted to go to the library, so off we went to Darien's amazing new library, with self checkouts.  No need for a librarian anymore Patsi!  And Mitch and his friend, Mimi, for some reason, decided to go to the pet store uptown to get a fish for Mitchell's room, the excitement of the afternoon, as they had to wait for a couple of hours for the water in his bowl to heat up.

Rami arrived home around 4:30, after spending the past week traveling on the West Coast, so he was glad to get home and see the family.  For dinner, Evie made shoyu chicken, rice, broccoli and a salad, and we had an enjoyable dinner with the kids, Mitch's friend, Mimi, who we got to know her better.  She is a cutey, of course.  After dinner, Mitch and Mimi went off to her house and Ramiro suggested going out for ice cream at the local ice cream joint, Gofers, one of these places where you order ice cream and they have mega choices of toppings for a sundae or blizzard (they call it a razzle).  Three of us got razzles, mine with caramel/sea salt and pretzels and only Evie got a sundae, hot fudge of course.  We came home and watched Marisa's favorite show, America's Favorite Videos, a show I have not watched in years.  It is pretty funny.  After the show, all of us were tired, so we went up to bed around 10:15, a good day.

End Of Day Ice Cream At Gofers

This morning, Marisa, Rami and Evie are off to and Irish Feis for the day at the Rye, NY Hilton, about a half hour drive.  Mitch, Cody and I will hold down the homestead while they are away, me watching basketball, drinking beer, and eating chips, Mitch watching his fish swim and studying for his SAT, a fine way to spend a Saturday.