The morning above us, the night behind

Somewhere in the night, they followed their familiar migratory pattern of finding me and their mother, and creating either a bridge or a wall, with their bodies, between us in our bed. Disgruntled though I sometimes am, it is difficult to wake up and look at their nestled, snuggled-up full-pajama footied-bodies and not feel a slight sense of affection for these humans whose diminutive statures and combined age of 11 hides gargantuan personalities and wit. Somebody, they will follow in the path of their older siblings and no longer migrate nocturnally to us - regularly anyway. For now, it is as it should be. Little pipsqueaks.

Automobile #1 : Maintenance for automobiles and humans

It seemed like a good idea, after dropping off their big bro at culinary class, to stop by a little coffee shop and pick up some hot chocolate (them) and caffeine (me). Previous to that, we dropped off an automobile to get some work done. Paying $11 for beverages was worth it to take my mind off the cost of what the automobile fixing would be.

Used car business in Washougal, Washington

Challenges : first time for everything

We walked around downtown, and I gave them one directive.

This is what I said:
Please do not spill.
Please, please don’t spill your hot chocolate.

This directive and plea was successfully followed for almost sixty seconds after we left the shop.

Oops…sorry Daddy!!!

Automobile #2 : Inquiry

We popped our heads in at a used car place, just for interest’s sake. What are you asking for the Excursion? I asked.

“That,” the trio of shorts-clad salespeople said casually and confidently, “is $12,000.” I inquired about some details. “2005, 191 thousand miles, V10,” grunted the sweaty guy in denim shorts coolly. “Now everyone wants Excursions after they stopped making them.”

We think we’re okay without one, my assistants and I decided, and said farewell.

Price tags

The work came to $1,089 dollars more than we spent on drinks.

Then we had another car appointment for brakes and tires check.

Automobile #3a : the remnants we leave of ourselves everywhere

At this establishment, they have popcorn. While they did rotations and alignments and brake checks, the boys each got a bag. We settled into the round waiting tables by giant stacks of tires.

This is what I said:
Please do not spill.
Please, please do not spill your popcorn.

For at least 60 seconds, they observed this directive and plea.
Then: well, you know. Entirely an accident, of course.
Dumped on the floor.
Whhhhy?

Automobile #3 : the plans we make for tonight and forever

They conferred excitedly about The Show they’re planning on doing. It is inspired by the free popcorn. I suspect this particular show may be taking place as a catalyst to make and disseminate bags of snacks to an audience. Shortly thereafter they decide that trail mix would be better than popcorn, and we probably need several pounds of chocolate chips.

“What’s the show about?” I ask, a question which, to me, seems reasonable.

They respond with indignation at my effrontery in asking, and explain to me the details of how they’ll be handing out bags of trail mix at intermission. I get a great deal of information about how intermission will go. I get no information whatsoever about what the show itself will be. I begin to suspect that the show is actually made up of two ingredients:

intermission and trail mix with massive amounts of chocolate chips.

I ask about the audience. Who will be there, how many people, where they’ll sit, et cetera. They decline to respond, beyond a shrugged-off “…the trail mix isn’t for a bunch of people.”

I begin to wonder if the trail mix is intended for the performers more than the audience.

Books

We walked over to the library, where they chose books to supplement the 32 million we have at home. I spoke with the librarian, a young-ish bohemian type with fun hair and smug smile who is re-reading Salinger’s short stories and various Russian novels.

Dialogues

Finally, we were driving again in the automobile.

“Hey, who’s in Tillamook?” one of them said. “Is Aunty Lanessa there?”

“Good idea!” the other said excitedly, before turning to bitter tone. “I forgot she’s not there anymore. She’s probably with Mindy.” *

*her dear friend of many years, and a figure of whom the boys, and our family at large, is fond of as well

Things I am blown away by:

How expensive fireworks are. Mortars: TNT $130, Bomber Brothers $100, Mean Gene $80
How popular fireworks are at these price points. Blown away.

Readings and Watchings

I sneak in a few pages of Anthony Burgess’s 1985 while the boys plot their show.
Watching The Mallorca Files with our teen, while his sis gallivants around Europe.

Other playings and miscellaneous observations

Three out of four napping in the automobile. I’m not one of them.
Action and figures and LEGOs.
Drawing outside in bare feet and making plans for “The Show.”
Making beds late in the afternoon. Better late than never.
A 14-year old, not feeling great, but going to work after class on a farm anyway.

In the end, was there A Show? Well…not specifically, per se. But there were snacks later, I think, and honestly, I feel like I’m a daily performer in some kind of ongoing stage production. Am I the headlining act, the main performer, the lead actor? Um…no, I feel like I’m reminded of that daily as well, but somehow kept on board as a necessary Production Assistant, perhaps. Oh well. At least I’m adjacent to greatness and witness to an ongoing bombast of both Shakespeare and Wilde, done for the 21st century by a gaggle of youth and children.

2024